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Circle's Senior Director of Strategy and Policy for the EU, Patrick Hansen, pointed out that since the implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), approximately 35 electronic money tokens (EMT) from 21 institutions have obtained compliance certification, with banks and electronic money institutions entering the market, showing a good momentum for local issuance.However, among the top 50 stablecoins globally, currently only USDC, USDG, and EURC meet MiCA requirements, while the rest remain outside the regulatory framework, leaving EU users facing a dual dilemma of lack of protection or being forced to cut off access. Hansen believes that for MiCA to truly become a global regulatory blueprint, it must achieve two goals simultaneously: first, to promote local EMTs to go global with competitive systems; second, to establish a recognition mechanism for compliant stablecoins from abroad, attracting global issuers into the MiCA regulatory framework, rather than making local issuance the only entry path.

According to Cointelegraph, the Hungarian Parliament voted to abolish the previously mandated cryptocurrency asset verification requirements that were set to take effect on July 1, 2025. This requirement mandated that specific cryptocurrency conversions must be verified by a licensed third party regarding the source of assets, wallet ownership, and customer information before execution. Finance Minister Kármán András stated that the previously stringent regulatory requirements had led to several service providers exiting the Hungarian market, and the market is currently showing signs of recovery.Meanwhile, the Hungarian National Bank (MNB) officially granted the first local license under the EU MiCA framework to Budapest-based cryptocurrency platform CoinCash operator Tiwala Solutions on July 20, authorizing a range of services including custody, cryptocurrency exchange for fiat, cryptocurrency swaps, transfers, investment advice, and portfolio management.

According to Cointelegraph, the Binance Android app has recently become unsearchable or unavailable for download in some EU countries' Google Play stores, indicating a regional change in its availability in the EU market.Currently, users in Spain have confirmed that the app has disappeared from the Google Play store, but it is still displaying normally in Poland, suggesting that this situation does not cover the entire EU market.Market attention is focused on whether Binance meets the licensing requirements of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Previously, Binance withdrew its MiCA application in Greece and notified some EU users before and after the transition period that certain services would be restricted, but the withdrawal function remains available.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated the temporary MiCA registration list on Friday, adding 15 licensed Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASP), bringing the total to 309. The newly added institutions include BNY SA/NV, the Belgian subsidiary of the American banking giant BNY Mellon.The new list includes 4 banking institutions, of which 3 are from Germany, along with digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify, and Bleap. Germany and Denmark each added 3 CASPs, Bulgaria and Latvia each added 2, and Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each added 1. ESMA stated that this update did not change other MiCA-related registration lists, including Asset-Referenced Tokens (ART), Electronic Money Tokens (EMT), and authorized issuers of crypto assets, as well as the list of non-compliant entities. Previously, after the transition period deadline on July 1, ESMA's second update had added 14 CASPs, including Ripple Payments Europe.

The EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) competition phase is coming to an end, but the real challenges for businesses are just beginning. The high costs of maintaining a compliant operational system may change the landscape of the European crypto industry. In the future, the focus of industry competition may shift from "who can obtain a license" to "who has the capacity to bear regulatory costs," driving companies to achieve scalable development through mergers, joint ventures, or partnerships with banks.As MiCA gradually takes effect and the UK's crypto regulatory framework is about to take shape, the European crypto industry is entering a new phase of consolidation. Industry insiders believe that high regulatory standards may spur a new wave of mergers and acquisitions, and cooperation between crypto-native companies and traditional financial institutions will deepen further. This trend in the UK market may be even more pronounced. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is developing a new regulatory framework for crypto assets, which is expected to incorporate crypto businesses into the existing financial services regulatory system, subjecting them to capital, operational, and customer asset protection requirements similar to those faced by traditional investment institutions.Steven Lightstone, a partner at Morgan Lewis's London office and co-head of the global fintech team, stated that the FCA aims to promote market competition and support new entrants, but its regulatory standards will be very strict when it comes to consumer protection. Unlike the EU's independently operating MiCA framework, the UK approach will directly utilize the existing financial regulatory system to manage crypto businesses. Meanwhile, the increase in regulatory certainty is driving European banks to accelerate their entry into the digital asset space. Sygnum Europe CEO Simon Schneider noted that currently, less than 20% of banks in Europe offer crypto-related services, indicating a significant market gap. The greatest value of MiCA is not just in creating a new licensing system, but in providing legal certainty for financial institutions to enter the digital asset market.He pointed to Switzerland as an example, where after the introduction of regulations on distributed ledger technology, most large Swiss banks began offering digital asset services, a path that may be replicated in other parts of Europe in the future. In the future, banks may not necessarily replace crypto-native companies but are more likely to rely on specialized infrastructure service providers to collaborate in areas such as custody, brokerage, staking, and asset tokenization. As companies that fail to obtain MiCA licenses gradually exit the European market, assets may further concentrate among regulated entities. However, Schneider believes that self-custody models and institutional custody models will continue to coexist in the long term. Industry insiders believe that the European crypto industry is entering a "regulation-driven consolidation cycle." For crypto startups that previously relied on rapid innovation and asset-light models, the core competitiveness in the future may no longer be just technological speed, but compliance capability, capital scale, and the ability to integrate financial infrastructure.

The European Union has further tightened restrictions on cryptocurrency assets related to Belarus, prohibiting Belarusian citizens and residents from owning, controlling, or managing cryptocurrency service providers regulated by the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). According to the Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847 passed by the EU Council, this measure is an extension of the EU's sanctions framework against Belarus's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.The new regulations will officially take effect on July 24, with the expanded restrictions on the cryptocurrency industry set to be implemented from August 25. According to MiCA, the affected services include operating cryptocurrency trading platforms, cryptocurrency exchanges, executing and transmitting customer orders, cryptocurrency issuance services, asset transfer services, investment consulting, and portfolio management.This restriction comes as the MiCA transition period ends on July 1. The EU had previously required unauthorized cryptocurrency businesses to cease related operations, or face regulatory enforcement. The EU stated that this expansion of restrictions is part of its efforts to combat the use of cryptocurrency platforms to evade sanctions against Russia. Previously, in the 21st round of sanctions against Russia, the EU had expanded the trading ban to 14 cryptocurrency-related service platforms outside the EU and established a mechanism to prohibit future transactions with any foreign cryptocurrency service providers identified as helping Russia evade sanctions. Market participants noted that as the MiCA regulatory framework is fully implemented, the EU is further strengthening its regulatory control over the cryptocurrency industry through licensing systems and sanction mechanisms.

Gate Europe CEO Dr. Giovanni Cunti was invited to participate in a live interview on Cointelegraph X Space, where he shared insights on the regulatory trends of digital assets in Europe, the MiCA compliance framework, and Gate Europe's development strategy in Europe. Dr. Giovanni Cunti stated that the implementation of MiCA is an important step towards the unification of the European market, "Unified regulation brings broader market access, and market access will further drive institutional adoption." He believes that after the adjustments made under the MiCA framework, market participants will be able to operate in a clearer and more transparent regulatory environment, providing institutional investors with a higher degree of security and trust.During the live broadcast, Dr. Giovanni Cunti also introduced the latest strategic progress of Gate Europe in the European region. He emphasized that Gate Europe proactively began compliance alignment as early as the initial phase of the MiCA framework in 2021. Leveraging the dual licensing advantages of MiCA and Payment Institutions (PI), Gate Europe is steadily strengthening compliance, risk control, and operational governance while continuously expanding digital asset trading, wealth management, and localized services, committed to providing European users with safer, more transparent, and efficient digital asset services.As the global regulatory framework for digital assets continues to improve, compliance is becoming an important foundation for the long-term development of the industry. Currently, Gate has completed regulatory registrations, license applications, or obtained authorizations and approvals in multiple jurisdictions including Europe, the United States, Japan, Dubai, Australia, and the Bahamas, continuously advancing its global compliance strategy. In the future, Gate will adhere to the parallel development of compliance and innovation, continuously enhance its global service capabilities, promote the steady development of the digital asset industry, and provide global users with safer, more efficient, and trustworthy products and services.

According to the security agency Slow Fog, the malicious TRAE IDE extension juannegro.solidity disguises itself as a Solidity plugin and acts as a cross-platform malware delivery mechanism. This extension automatically executes and establishes persistence after the IDE starts, and it also uses Ethereum smart contracts to store and retrieve dynamic C2 configurations, allowing attackers to update C2 endpoints and payloads without needing to re-release the extension.Although the extension has been removed from Open VSX, it was still available through the TRAE marketplace as of July 18. Users who have installed it should immediately delete it and check their systems for compromise.

ESMA has included 14 new cryptocurrency companies, including Ripple Payments Europe, in its MiCA registration list, bringing the total number of licensed cryptocurrency service providers to 294.

Cryptocurrency payment company BitPay announced that it has obtained approval from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets to acquire a cryptocurrency asset service provider license, allowing it to operate in EU member states under the regulatory framework for cryptocurrency markets. BitPay stated that this license will support the company's expansion of cryptocurrency payment and stablecoin payment services in Europe.According to relevant requirements, starting from July 1, all entities providing cryptocurrency-related services must be regulated. BitPay's European head, Jonathan Arler, stated that Europe is one of the most important regions for the future development of payments. Previously, Ripple announced that it had obtained a cryptocurrency asset service provider license issued by the Luxembourg financial regulator.

The chairman of AMLA pointed out that the large-scale migration of users after the transition period of MiCA may bring compliance pressure to EU crypto service providers, and AMLA will strengthen regulatory coordination.

According to Finance Magnates, Webull EU has obtained a MiCA license issued by the Dutch regulatory authority. This is also one of the first significant approvals of cryptocurrency licenses in the market after the transition period ended on July 1. Webull plans to use this license to launch cryptocurrency trading and custody services in Europe by the end of 2026.Webull Securities (Europe) CEO Andries van Luijk stated that this move is an important milestone in the company's expansion in the European market, and Webull will provide users with "secure and compliant digital asset services" under the EU's unified regulatory framework. According to reports, after the implementation of MiCA, the number of licensed cryptocurrency institutions in Europe is now close to 200.

According to The Block, Binance Co-CEO Richard Teng stated at the Reuters NEXT Asia summit in Singapore that after Binance suspended services to some EU users, about 70% of users' withdrawal assets flowed to self-custody wallets, with only 30% transferred to licensed platforms that comply with MiCA regulatory requirements.Richard Teng indicated that this data raises questions about the regulatory goals of MiCA. He pointed out that self-custody wallets are not subject to the anti-money laundering (AML) and KYC regulatory frameworks of regulated trading platforms, and the risk may actually increase once user assets are transferred to self-custody.Previously, Binance proactively withdrew its application for a MiCA license in Greece after it failed to be approved before the July 1 transition deadline, and suspended related services to affected EU users. Richard Teng stated that Binance has not given up on the European market, and several EU countries have invited it to reapply for local licenses, although he did not disclose specific countries.In addition, Richard Teng mentioned that Binance plans to continue accelerating its expansion in the Asian market, having already obtained relevant licenses or permissions in markets such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, India, and Pakistan, and expects to gain more regulatory approvals this year. Currently, Binance's global user base has increased to approximately 323 million.

According to The Block, the European Union is considering revising its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), just about a week after this crypto regulatory framework fully came into effect. The European Commission is seeking feedback from relevant stakeholders, with a deadline of September 30.According to several anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the European Commission is assessing whether to expand the regulatory scope of MiCA to include emerging areas such as tokenization and non-EU stablecoin issuers.MiCA is a comprehensive regulatory framework established by the EU for crypto assets, aimed at creating unified rules for the issuance, trading, custody, and other related services of crypto assets across the EU. The regulation officially comes into effect in December 2024, but most service providers have been granted a transition period to complete compliance adjustments, which lasts until July 1 of this year.

According to CoinDesk, with the official full implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), the European digital asset market has entered a new era of unified regulation. Regarding the impact of MiCA on the industry landscape, Dr. Han, founder and CEO of Gate, stated in an interview that Gate began laying the groundwork for compliance in Europe several years ago and completed preparations for MiCA and Payment Institution (PI) licenses ahead of schedule in 2025. He pointed out that the significance of MiCA lies not only in establishing a unified regulatory framework but, more importantly, in ensuring that all market participants start from the same starting line. "Only when all platforms adhere to the same rules can the industry truly compete based on products, services, and user experience." At the same time, he also mentioned that if unauthorized platforms can still provide services to European users, the fair competition environment will still face challenges, making the effective enforcement of regulations equally crucial.Currently, Gate Europe has been continuously improving its compliance system, risk management, and operational governance capabilities based on the dual licenses of MiCA and PI, while deepening its global compliance layout. In addition to Europe, several entities under Gate have completed relevant regulatory registrations, license applications, or obtained authorizations and approvals in jurisdictions such as Malta, the Bahamas, Japan, the United States, Australia, and Dubai, solidifying the global business foundation through multi-regional regulatory licenses and continuously providing safer, more transparent, and efficient digital asset services to global users. In the future, Gate will continue to adhere to the parallel development of compliance and innovation, promoting the long-term healthy development of the digital asset industry with higher quality product experiences and global service capabilities.

Circle's Senior Director of Strategy and Policy for the EU, Patrick Hansen, cited the temporary registration data from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to release statistics on compliant institutions one week after the full implementation of the regulations. Currently, there are 21 authorized Electronic Money Token (EMT) issuers in the EU, distributed across 12 member states, with a total of 35 EMTs issued, pegged to 8 types of fiat currencies; among them, France continues to lead other member states with 6 licensed issuers.Meanwhile, the current number of approved Asset-Referenced Token (ART) issuers remains at 0, while the total number of registered Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASP) under the MiCA framework has exceeded 270.

According to The Block, Ripple announced that it has obtained a full authorization as a MiCA CASP (Crypto Asset Service Provider) issued by the Luxembourg financial regulator CSSF, allowing it to legally provide crypto asset services in all 30 countries of the European Economic Area.