European Union

Austria’s Financial Market Authority has fined Bitpanda GmbH €70,000 for breaches of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, marking the country’s first publication of a legally binding MiCA penalty. The August 14 enforcement decision covers failures involving a crypto-asset white paper and related marketing communications. The proceeding was completed through an expedited procedure under Austria’s Financial Market Authority Act, and the penalty is final. Bitpanda Missed White Paper Deadline Bitpanda failed to submit a required crypto-asset white paper to…

The European Commission has ordered Google to open key Android functions to competing artificial intelligence assistants, removing technical advantages currently reserved for Gemini. The binding Digital Markets Act measures cover 11 Android features used by AI services. Third-party assistants will be able to launch through voice commands, access approved on-device context, perform actions across applications, automate background tasks and use system resources under conditions comparable to Google’s own services. Users could select another assistant to draft and send emails, schedule…

Binance CEO Richard Teng said 70% of funds withdrawn by European users after the exchange’s MiCA setback moved to self-hosted wallets, while 30% moved to MiCA-regulated platforms. The split puts a hard number on the custody shift that followed Binance’s loss of a clear EU route before the July 1 deadline. Teng said 70% of withdrawn funds went to self-hosted wallets after users moved assets off the platform, leaving regulated European exchanges with a smaller share of the outflow. The…

Binance has restricted new user sign-ups, deposits and Earn products for users in Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Belgium and Sweden as the EU’s MiCA transition period ends. The restrictions apply to affected users in named markets rather than every European account in the same way. Access can vary by country, account status and product, with users outside the named markets still able to access some services where Binance has not applied the same restrictions or where local conditions differ. Withdrawals…

Binance CEO Richard Teng reassured European users that funds remain safe and secure as the exchange enters the July 1 MiCA deadline without a confirmed EU-wide crypto-asset service provider license. Affected users will still have access to the options communicated to them, including withdrawals. Binance is directing account-specific questions to official customer support channels and says it is contacting users directly with the next steps tied to their country and account status. The message is aimed at users caught between…

The European Banking Authority has opened a draft MiCA fine methodology that would give Europe a clearer penalty framework for major crypto token issuers supervised at EU level. The consultation targets issuers of significant asset-referenced tokens and significant e-money tokens, the two categories that can fall directly under EBA supervision when they reach enough scale, usage or market importance. Under MiCA, significant issuers face additional requirements because their tokens can create wider risks for payments, reserves, redemptions, liquidity and financial…

Bybit will progressively restrict global platform services for EEA residents as Europe’s MiCA transition period reaches its July 1 deadline. The restrictions affect users residing in the European Economic Area who are still using Bybit’s global platform. Affected users will receive advance notice before specific services are limited, and account assets remain accessible during the transition. The migration path points users toward Bybit EU GmbH, the Austria-based entity operating through Bybit.eu. Bybit EU holds a MiCAR authorization and serves EEA…

Gate Europe has launched a MiCA-regulated newcomer campaign as European crypto exchanges compete for users before Binance restricts some EU services from July 1. The campaign targets eligible new Gate Europe users with rewards for registration, first deposit and first spot trade. The exchange lists a 10 USDC trading fee rebate voucher for the first 2,000 eligible users who complete account registration during the event period. Gate Europe is also offering 15 USDC in token rewards for users who complete…

Coinbase and OKX are offering incentives to attract European crypto users as Binance prepares to restrict certain EU services before the July 1 MiCA deadline. Binance has told users in several European markets that it can no longer accept new registrations and will restrict services because it does not have a MiCA license in place by the deadline. The exchange has withdrawn its Greek MiCA application and plans to seek authorization through another EU country, leaving a gap that licensed…