News linked to both this project and an event.
Giovanni Cunti, CEO of Gate Europe, stated that some crypto companies which have already obtained licenses under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) may still exit the EU market due to rising compliance costs. Cunti indicated that stricter regulatory requirements make it more difficult for new entrants to compete, and some licensed companies may not be able to sustain the costs and resources required for ongoing operations under this framework in the long term. MiCA is the EU's regulatory framework for crypto assets. The 18-month transitional period ended on July 1st, and crypto companies serving EU clients must either obtain authorization or cease providing regulated services. Binance failed to obtain a MiCA license before the deadline. Last Friday, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) added 14 crypto asset service providers (CASPs) to its register, bringing the total number of authorized companies to 294. Cunti noted that the number of market operators in Europe has already decreased from thousands to hundreds.
: The South Korean Financial Services Commission has published a revision draft of the "Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Prevention of Telecommunications-Based Financial Fraud and Refund of Damages." The plan includes transferring funds from phone scams that have been moved into crypto assets under the scope of victim compensation, and clarifies the standards for returning and valuing crypto assets. The relevant regulations are expected to take effect on October 1st.According to the new regulations, if the frozen assets are cryptocurrencies, victims will, in principle, receive compensation in the same type and quantity of assets. If the defrauded assets differ in form from the frozen assets, compensation will be made in the form of the assets actually existing at the time the account was frozen. In cases involving a mixture of cash and crypto assets, regulators will value the crypto assets based on the market price at the time of freezing to determine the final compensation amount. The South Korean Financial Services Commission stated that clarifying the asset form for return and the valuation time point will facilitate faster and fairer compensation in complex cases where funds from multiple victims are mixed. It is reported that the public consultation period for the revision draft will last until August 24th. (Etoday)
on-chain investigator ZachXBT has released verification information, stating that crypto exchange AscendEX has officially announced its cessation of operations, and the platform's current liquid assets are almost insufficient to cover user withdrawal demands. According to the platform announcement, the shutdown is primarily due to market conditions and the EU MiCA regulatory framework. Starting July 1st, all services including account opening, trading, and deposits will be fully suspended, with only basic functions such as account inquiry and withdrawals remaining open. After July 6th, all withdrawal channels will cease automatic processing and switch entirely to manual review. The official team has candidly warned that withdrawals may be significantly delayed or even impossible to process.ZachXBT’s investigation found that pending user claims amount to millions of dollars, yet the platform’s available liquid assets in hot wallets are severely insufficient. AscendEX is currently evaluating its financial status and a plan for handling user assets, with subsequent arrangements to be announced separately.
Binance founder CZ stated that the company's MiCA license application in Greece fully met regulatory requirements before its withdrawal and was close to approval. However, the process was ultimately disrupted due to the intervention of "external political factors."In an interview, CZ mentioned that several countries within the EU had expressed interest in the license, with some even showing a degree of "competitive pursuit." Ultimately, the regulatory progress was affected by factors outside the regulatory sphere, forcing the withdrawal of the application. Binance formally withdrew its Greek application last week and stated it would pursue MiCA authorization in other EU member states. Addressing market rumors linking him to high-level EU political figures, CZ said he had not seen any verifiable documents and had only encountered similar claims online, which he could not confirm.CZ also noted that the MiCA transitional period in the EU is set to end on July 1st. After that date, platforms without a license must cease related services. National regulatory bodies have made it clear there will be no extensions. He described the outcome as a "lose-lose situation" and, citing the regulatory histories of Japan and Singapore, emphasized that compliance processes often require a longer cycle.Furthermore, when discussing Strategy's STRC preferred stock product, CZ described its structure as "too complex" and said he found it difficult to fully understand its mechanism. However, he stressed that he was not making a judgment on the credibility of its founder, Michael Saylor, whom he considers a "staunch Bitcoin supporter." (The Block)
Zach Pandl, Head of Research at Grayscale Research, stated that the market experienced a new wave of volatility following Strategy's disclosure on June 1st of selling 32 Bitcoin. Although the sale is negligible compared to its holdings of approximately 840,000 Bitcoin (worth about $55 billion), this rare reduction move still impacted market sentiment.Pandl pointed out that the more noteworthy development is the performance of Strategy’s Variable Rate Preferred Stock STRC (Stretch). The product has a design target price of around $100 and currently offers a dividend yield of 11.5%. When the stock price falls below $100, it indicates that investors are demanding a higher rate of return, which may force the company to increase dividend levels. This would increase future cash flow pressure and potentially compel it to sell more Bitcoin for fundraising, further weighing on BTC prices. Strategy's leveraged Bitcoin reserve model is facing challenges. At current STRC and MSTR share price levels, the company's ability to continue large-scale Bitcoin accumulation may be constrained.However, Pandl noted that in the long term, the migration of Bitcoin holdings from highly leveraged digital asset reserve companies to more diversified corporate balance sheets will help enhance market resilience and improve Bitcoin's long-term value support. He expects Bitcoin to resume its upward trend in the coming months, but its near-term performance may lag behind crypto asset sectors that benefit more directly from regulatory clarity.
: CME Group has announced the launch of cash-settled Bitcoin Volatility Futures, scheduled to go live on June 1st (pending regulatory approval).Based on the 30-day Implied Volatility Index (BVX), this product allows traders to trade or hedge Bitcoin volatility without speculating on the direction of price movements.The new contract is expected to carry the ticker symbol BVI, with a contract multiplier of $500 x the index value, aiming to provide the market with a more refined risk management tool.