News linked to both this project and an event.
: On September 9, Bulgaria's National Assembly passed amendments to the Tax and Social Security Procedure Code with 149 votes in favor, 0 against, and 10 abstentions, which will allow the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency to obtain detailed information on crypto asset users. The bill was approved by the 240-seat parliament.The amendments implement two European Union (EU) directives, requiring crypto asset-related businesses to register and report to the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency users' names, addresses, dates and places of birth, tax residences, and tax identification numbers, as well as to submit transaction data for various types of crypto assets, including gross amounts received, number of transactions, number of fiat buy and sell transactions, and crypto asset exchange activity.Privacy advocates criticized the scope of data collection as overly broad, arguing that mandatory disclosure of personal information could pose security risks. Crypto traders and small businesses said the registration and reporting requirements will increase compliance costs; supporters of the bill argue it aligns with EU standards and helps curb tax evasion. The relevant directives require EU member states to complete adoption by December 31, 2025. (Bitcoin.com News)
Apple today officially launched the new Siri AI powered by next-generation Apple Intelligence, with updates beginning immediately for iOS 27. The feature is initially available as a beta for English users, will expand to multiple languages next month, and will not be available in the European Union initially.
Binance Alpha will remove a total of 14 tokens from its recommended list on September 4 at 16:30: MTP (Multiple Network), BDXN (Bondex Token), TALE (PrompTale AI), BOS (BitcoinOS), MAIGA (Maiga.ai), TIMI (MetaArena), SAROS (Saros), U (Union), SERAPH (SERAPH), RVV (REVIVE), AIAV (AI Avatar), PENGUIN (Nietzschean Penguin), ODOS (Odos), and SN3 (Nebula3). Following the removal, withdrawals and selling for these tokens will continue to be supported.
: Ethereum Layer 2 network Mantle has launched USDG, a stablecoin issued by Paxos, and joined the Global Dollar Network as a partner. USDG has become one of the first stablecoins natively minted on Mantle, with Mantle eligible to receive a portion of the rewards generated by USDG activity.USDG has a market capitalization of approximately $3.18 billion, ranking as the seventh-largest stablecoin by DefiLlama data. The stablecoin is issued by Paxos and complies with regulatory frameworks in Singapore and the European Union, with Paxos publishing monthly reserve reports.The Mantle ecosystem also offers Agora's AUSD, Ethena's USDe, and Tether's USDT0. Mantle stated that USDG will be used for DeFi applications within the ecosystem and institutional capital allocation.As of Wednesday, Mantle's distributed real-world asset value stood at $234.2 million, up 19% over the past 30 days. (Cointelegraph)
According to official announcements, Mantle has announced that USDG, a US dollar stablecoin issued by Paxos, has officially launched, becoming one of the first native stablecoins on the Mantle network. This integration establishes Mantle as a partner of the Global Dollar Network (GDN). Mantle will directly participate in GDN's reward-sharing mechanism, standing alongside over 150 partners, including Robinhood and Kraken, to drive user growth. As one of the few stablecoins subject to dual regulation under both the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the European Union's MiCA framework, USDG currently has a circulating value exceeding $3.5 billion. One of Mantle's missions is to introduce more institutional-grade assets, including tokenized equities, yield-bearing stablecoins, and tokenized funds, thereby providing borderless investment access for everyone. The integration of USDG will further advance Mantle's development into an open financial network bridging institutional players and users. According to reports, the addition of USDG further enriches Mantle's existing portfolio of institutional-grade assets, which includes Agora's AUSD, Ethena's USDe, Ondo's USDY, and Tether's USDT0, among others. Over the past year, Mantle's stablecoin TVL has surpassed $982 million, with RWA T
According to The Block, Ethena Labs has officially launched the beta version of its self-custody payment app, Ethena Pay, built on Avalanche, which is now available in 48 countries including Brazil, Japan, Singapore, and Kenya. Users can receive funds via IBAN or cryptocurrency, hold balances in USDe, and benefit from fee-free instant global transfers. The app features three membership tiers: Standard (free), Pro (requires locking $2,000 worth of ENA or inviting 10 users), and VIP (requires locking $10,000 worth of ENA or inviting 50 users), offering respective annual yields of 5%, 6%, and 6%, with balance caps of $5,000, $15,000, and $50,000. The Ethena Pay card provides a 4%–5% base cashback (settled in AVAX), while Pro and VIP users enjoy up to 10% exclusive cashback at brands such as Uber, Spotify, and Claude. The backend infrastructure is powered by Iron, a subsidiary of MoonPay. Markets including the United States and the European Union were not part of the initial launch and will be progressively rolled out once regulatory compliance is achieved.
Odaily News: Dinaro, an electronic money institution regulated by the Central Bank of Slovenia, has been included in the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) register of electronic money token (EMT) issuers, making it the first Slovenian issuer to be listed on the register. The latest update to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) register also added two crypto-asset service providers (CASPs): Czech lending institution Partners Banka and Germany's Volksbank Beilstein-Ilsfeld-Abstatt, bringing the total number of registered entities to 325. According to Dinaro's official website, it offers payment services such as card issuing and acquiring, and holds Mastercard principal membership. Czech company Altlift is no longer listed on the CASP register. The company first entered the register in early July this year, authorized to execute and transmit client orders and provide crypto-asset advice. With Dinaro's inclusion, the EMT register now contains 43 entries; the asset-referenced token (ART) register remains empty, and the list of non-compliant entities stands at 167. (Cointelegraph)
Western Union partners with Rain to launch Stablecard, a Visa card supporting the USD stablecoin USDPT that has gone live in 37 markets and will expand to 60+ markets by year-end, enabling users to hold USD assets and spend on the Visa network.
Western Union has partnered with stablecoin infrastructure provider Rain to launch Stablecard, a digital wallet and Visa-branded card that enables users to hold and spend US dollar-pegged stablecoins. The product is now available in 37 markets, with Western Union planning to expand to more than 60 markets by the end of this year. Stablecard supports USDPT, a US dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and running on the Solana blockchain. Users can directly receive Western Union remittances and transfer funds to compatible crypto wallets and exchanges. Users can also spend their balances at all Visa-accepting merchants, as well as through Apple Pay and Google Pay. Western Union also unveiled USDPT in May and expanded its ecosystem through exchange partnerships in June.
According to The Paypers, embedded investment platform InvestiFi announced the completion of a $20 million financing round, led by Vibe Credit Union, with participation from BankTech Ventures, Idaho Central Credit Union, Navari (formerly CUSG), United Financial Credit Union, Coastal Credit Union, Mid Minnesota Credit Union, Truity Credit Union, and Southpoint Credit Union. The InvestiFi platform enables credit unions and community banks to offer digital investment services directly within their existing online banking environments, covering features such as fractional share investing in stocks and ETFs, guided investing, IRA retirement accounts, cryptocurrency trading, and stablecoins. Its feature within a core patent application, "direct investing from checking accounts," allows users to complete investment operations without transferring funds to external brokerages.
Odaily News: Global remittance giant Western Union has announced the official launch of Stablecard, built on Rain's stablecoin infrastructure. Users can directly receive USDPT, a stablecoin issued by Western Union and minted on Solana via Anchorage Digital Bank, and spend instantly at Visa-accepting merchants worldwide through the integrated Visa card, or choose to withdraw cash. Stablecard initially covers 37 markets, with Western Union planning to expand to over 60 markets by the end of the year. The company stated that stablecoins will help reduce upfront capital requirements for cross-border remittances, improve capital efficiency, and support the launch of additional digital financial services.
Odaily News: Former U.S. Representative George Santos has reached a settlement with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). According to the July 31 order, Santos must disgorge $17,569.98, pay a $17,500 civil monetary penalty, and is prohibited from trading on any CFTC-regulated entity for three years. The CFTC found that Santos made misleading public statements and material omissions while trading event contracts on the prediction market platform Kalshi related to whether he would attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Santos neither admitted nor denied the findings or conclusions in the order. Trading records show that Santos opened an account on February 11 and traded only that contract, first purchasing Yes contracts and profiting $3,448.43, then continuing to publicly state he would attend after flights and trains were canceled, while purchasing No contracts. That position ultimately earned $14,390.57. Kalshi stated that it had detected the related activity, frozen the account, and provided evidence to the CFTC.
Odaily News: Former US Congressman George Santos has reached a settlement with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The CFTC stated that Santos engaged in manipulative trading behavior while trading a prediction contract on Kalshi regarding whether he would attend the State of the Union address in February 2026, profiting over $17,500 from the trades.According to the CFTC's Friday announcement, Santos is required to pay $35,000 as part of the settlement, but neither admitted nor denied the regulator's findings.The CFTC stated that in the two weeks leading up to the State of the Union address, Santos repeatedly made public comments about whether he would attend the event, causing significant fluctuations in the price of the event contract. For example, while holding a "Yes" position indicating he would attend, he posted on X asking what he should wear to the State of the Union. Within hours, the price of the Yes position rose, after which Santos closed his position for a profit.The CFTC also alleged that Santos subsequently continued to post updates about his travel to Washington, D.C., including flights and train rides, and profited by trading back and forth based on market reactions to his public statements. The CFTC stated that Santos's conduct was intentional, or at least reckless. He traded in an event contract whose underlying outcome he could influence, and affected the contract price through misleading public statements or omissions of information, thereby profiting from his trading positions.Santos's attorney, Joseph W. Murray, stated in Friday's announcement that the State of the Union contract was Santos's first foray into prediction market betting.
the European Central Bank (ECB) has selected 36 banks and payment companies to participate in the digital euro pilot project, preparing for the potential issuance of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) possibly in 2029. Selected institutions include Deutsche Bank, Revolut, Adyen, SumUp, UniCredit, and Worldline. The list was selected from 50 applicant institutions.The digital euro pilot program is scheduled to launch in the second half of next year, lasting for 12 months. It will test the Beta version of the digital euro across various payment scenarios, including: online person-to-person transfers, offline payments, in-store payments, and e-commerce payments. The pilot scope will cover the ECB and the central banks of 19 eurozone countries. ECB employees and staff from national central banks will participate as users, while some restaurants, cafes, and online merchants will support digital euro payments.Although the digital euro currently lacks legal tender status, its design will closely align with the relevant legislative framework being developed by the European Union. The ECB stated that the final decision on whether to issue a digital euro will await the passage of relevant regulations and a decision by the ECB's Governing Council.One of the key reasons for the ECB's push for a digital euro is concern that the development of private dollar-pegged stablecoins could impact Europe's monetary sovereignty. In recent years, dollar-backed stablecoins like Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC have grown rapidly in global payment volumes, drawing the attention of European regulators to financial autonomy.However, the CBDC project still faces privacy controversies. Some privacy advocacy groups worry that a central bank digital currency could lead to transaction tracking or even pose a risk of restricted account access. In contrast, the United States has recently passed laws restricting the Federal Reserve System from issuing a digital dollar before the end of 2030.Currently, Europe's digital euro project is entering its practical testing phase, while EU legislative bodies are advancing the relevant legal framework. If the regulatory process proceeds smoothly, the digital euro could potentially be officially launched as early as 2029. (CoinDesk)
According to The Block, the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF)'s newly released report "Ethereum After the Merge" shows that approximately 31% of Ethereum node activity is located in the United States, with 39% distributed across the European Union (excluding the UK), presenting an overall Western-centric centralization pattern. The report points out potential centralization risks in the Ethereum network—nodes are highly concentrated among three major hosting providers: Hetzner, AWS, and OVH. Once more than one-third of validators go offline simultaneously, network checkpoints will stop finalization (Finalization). Additionally, the report recalculated Ethereum's energy consumption; annual electricity consumption after the Merge is approximately 7.9 GWh, a decrease of approximately 99.98% compared to before the Merge, with sustainable energy accounting for over 56%, and the cost required to offset its annual carbon emissions is only about $33,500 to $73,800.
According to PYMNTS, on June 22, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a proposed rulemaking requiring payment stablecoin issuers (PPSIs) under its supervision to comply with provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and the GENIUS Act, and mandating that they implement anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) programs, sanctions programs, and reporting requirements administered by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The rule would also establish an OCC supervisory and enforcement framework for PPSIs’ AML/CFT obligations and clarify coordination mechanisms between the OCC and FinCEN in enforcement actions. Previously, the OCC had jointly sought public comment with the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) regarding requirements for stablecoin issuers to establish customer identification programs.
According to the UK House of Lords’ Financial Services Regulation Committee’s report, “Stablecoins: Waiting for Regulation,” the global stablecoin market capitalization has exceeded $310 billion. However, the British pound (GBP) stablecoin market remains in its infancy, and the UK’s regulatory framework lags significantly behind those of the United States (the GENIUS Act) and the European Union (MiCA). The report levels several criticisms against the current regulatory proposals put forward by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England, with key concerns including: • The Bank of England’s requirement that systemic stablecoin issuers hold at least 40% of their reserve assets in non-interest-bearing central bank deposits is viewed by industry participants as severely undermining issuers’ profitability and the UK’s international competitiveness in this market; • The proposed holding limits—£20,000 per individual and £10 million per corporate entity—are considered operationally unworkable and potentially stifling to the development of the GBP stablecoin market; • The T+1 redemption requirement would impose substantial operational burdens on issuers; • The Prudential Regulation Authority’s (PRA) restriction prohibiting deposit-taking institutions from issuing stablecoins under independent brands is deemed overly stringent. The report does commend the Bank of England’s proposed liquidity-support lending facility, recognizing it as an innovative regulatory measure surpassing those adopted by other major jurisdictions. The Committee urges regulators to strictly adhere to the established timeline, ensuring the full regulatory framework enters into force on 25 October 2027. It further recommends adopting a principles-based, technology-neutral regulatory approach to strike an appropriate balance between financial stability and market innovation.
According to Forbes, Western Union will launch its stablecoin USDPT on the Solana blockchain in May 2026. Issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, USDPT will be accompanied by a digital asset network designed to connect crypto wallets and exchanges. Analysts note that this move represents Western Union’s deliberate disruption of its core profit model: traditionally, the company relies heavily on foreign exchange spreads in cross-border remittances, but near-instant settlement via stablecoins will render such spreads transparent and unsustainable. At the same time, Western Union must still bear substantial fixed costs associated with its extensive offline agent network—a burden absent from crypto-native remittance firms from day one. The company’s Q1 financial report already reflects mounting pressure, with net income halved year-on-year to $65 million.
Odaily Odaily News: The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has announced a proposed rule to establish operational and risk management standards for NCUA-supervised Payment Stablecoin Issuers (PPSI) under the framework of the GENIUS Act.NCUA Chairman Kyle Hauptman stated that the rule aims to ensure credit unions are not disadvantaged in terms of stablecoin regulatory standards and seeks to align as closely as possible with proposed standards for bank subsidiaries.The proposed rule is now open for public comment in the Federal Register, with the comment period ending on July 17, 2026.
On Friday, May 15, Poland’s Sejm (lower house of parliament) approved the government-backed Markets in Crypto-Assets bill (Bill No. 2529) during its 57th session, with 241 votes in favor and 200 against. The bill aims to formally integrate Poland’s cryptocurrency market into the European Union’s Regulation on Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA). Earlier versions of the bill had been vetoed twice by President Karol Nawrocki. Under the bill, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) will be granted explicit authority to supervise market participants, impose administrative penalties, and temporarily freeze accounts and transactions. The bill has now been forwarded to the Senate for deliberation, and the President retains the possibility of issuing another veto.