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The current state of the EU crypto market

Regulation is moving fast: MiCAR licences are granted and withdrawn, regulators hand out fines, and new products keep arriving in the EU. Here we collect the news that directly determines where you can trade safely and cheaply — with sources and a reference date.

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Illustration: a large set of scales in a dark European courtroom — oversight and rules. Regulation EU regulation: the true storyThe 2026 shake-out: MiCAR is only the entry exam — the real difference lies in MiFID II and PSD2.8 min read
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18 Aug · 21:10 BitMart wind-down turns ugly: own account issues ultimatum to founderThe exchange’s official Chinese account demanded openness on wallets, reserves and a repayment plan before 19 August. Founder Sheldon Xia calls the posts fabricated and the account hacked. ZachXBT: just give the money back. Trading stops on 26 August. 18 Aug · 08:50 Binance plans a UK return: FCA application under the new crypto regimeThe Telegraph: Binance is preparing a licence application to the FCA. The window opens 30 September 2026; the regime takes effect 25 October 2027 and requires a UK presence plus governance and compliance standards — a UK board is expected. The FCA restricted Binance in 2021; since 2023 it has not onboarded new UK users. 17 Aug · 18:20 Binance gave Russia client data now used as evidence in a terrorism caseReuters: identity documents and transactions of a Russian who donated over $700 to Ukraine-linked causes were shared with Russia’s Investigative Committee in 2025 — two years after the announced “full exit” from Russia. The man is detained awaiting trial. 17 Aug · 15:30 First published MiCA fine: Austria’s FMA fines Bitpanda €70,000The regulator cites a whitepaper filed less than 20 working days ahead and marketing without the mandatory disclosures. Settled in an expedited procedure; the decision is final. 8 Aug · 20:20 Bybit EU scraps the maker discount: 0.10% becomes 0.25%From 5 October 2026 one fee applies per VIP tier. No tier becomes cheaper; makers at entry level pay two and a half times as much. 8 Aug · 18:40 Bybit takes North Korea to court over $1.5 billion hackThe court in Washington DC imposed a freezing order. $48.4 million has been recovered and $30.5 million frozen across more than 28 parties. 8 Aug · 14:20 Bitcoin and ether ETFs draw $1.1 billion in one weekUS bitcoin ETFs took in $853.5 million, ether ETFs $244.9 million. Best week since the one ending 17 April 2026. 7 Aug · 16:05 MFSA warns of scammers exploiting the MiCA transitionFraudsters pose as the regulator and press for transfers to ‘safe’ accounts. Funds sent are then usually gone for good. 7 Aug · 12:30 Bybit links four tokenised stocks to Dual AssetMETAx, TSLAx, HOODx and CRCLx are being added. That brings the offering to ten tokenised stock pairs. 7 Aug · 11:15 Trump Media ends all agreements with Crypto.comThe Business Combination Agreement of 25 August 2025 has been terminated by mutual consent. The ETF partnership with Yorkville America is off as well. 7 Aug · 09:50 US sanctions crypto exchanges Shelbit and Aban Tether over IranOFAC designated them under EO 13224 and 13902. IRGC addresses sent more than $1 million to Shelbit, which sent back more than $2 million. 7 Aug · 08:40 Stripe unit Bridge in ESMA register after Luxembourg licenceThe CSSF granted a CASP and EMI licence. The register now lists 42 authorised e-money token issuers. 6 Aug · 17:25 Judge rejects Coinbase request over sports contracts in MichiganJudge Shalina Kumar refused an injunction against enforcement by the state. She called Coinbase’s argument ‘applesauce’. 6 Aug · 10:10 Blockchain.com gets custody licence in the Cayman IslandsCIMA granted the VASP custody licence; all conditions were met on 22 July. The firm already holds a MiCA licence and an FCA registration. 5 Aug · 15:35 Binance claims $470 million from RedotPay over poached clientsBinance went to court in Hong Kong and says RedotPay diverted some 470,000 users. RedotPay says it will defend itself vigorously. 4 Aug · 09:05 Bybit Payments gets Austrian e-money licence from the FMABybit Payments GmbH now holds an EMI licence. Bybit EU GmbH has held the MiCAR licence since May 2025; both operate under Bybit.eu. 31 Jul · 13:50 BitMEX sale fails; the exchange closes on 23 SeptemberBuyers backed off over the founders’ majority stake and shrinking revenue. The closure was announced on 24 July. 26 Jul · 08:59 BitMart halts trading; last trading day is 26 AugustThe 2017 exchange is winding down and closes fully on 31 January 2027. The BMX token fell 58% in 24 hours after the announcement. 23 Jul · 16:00 EU sanctions package hits HTX and three other crypto platformsThe 21st package bans transactions with HTX, EXMO, Rapira and BitPapa from 23 August 2026. It is the first time the EU has hit exchanges this directly.
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