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More than three dozen European banks have lined up behind a single Euro stablecoin project as executives and policymakers grow increasingly concerned about the dominance of the U.S. dollar in the crypto market.


Amsterdam-based Qivalis had already secured backing from some of Europe’s largest lenders, including:
BNP Paribas,
ING, and
UniCredit,
for its stablecoin, which has yet to launch.

STABLECOINS | A Euro Stablecoin is Coming in H2 2026
The project lead, who is also the former Head of @Coinbase in #Germany, has said the project aims to provide a #EUROPEAN ALTERNATIVE to dollar-denominated #stablecoins and support real-time cross-border corporate #payments…
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) March 3, 2026
The addition of another 25 banks, among them:
ABN Amro,
Intesa Sanpaolo, and
Rabobank
brings the total number of supporting lenders to 37 making the Qivalis initiative Europe’s largest stablecoin project by number of backers.

INSTITUTIONAL | Italy’s Biggest Bank More Than Doubles Exposure to Crypto Assets in Q1 2026

Stablecoins are digital tokens typically pegged to sovereign currencies and are widely used by traders to move funds in and out of cryptocurrencies.
Traditional banks are increasingly exploring stablecoins as a way to speed up and reduce the cost of back-office operations such as settlement, collateral management, and payments.
Qivalis is betting that launching its stablecoin with a critical mass of banks, along with their existing customers and payment networks, will help drive adoption and make the token more competitive with existing euro-denominated stablecoins.
European bankers have become increasingly concerned about the dominance of dollar-backed stablecoins and the growing influence of crypto firms in areas traditionally controlled by banks.

STABLECOINS | Europe Should Develop More Euro-Backed Stablecoins to Counter Dollar-Pegged Assets, Says French Finance Minister

Of the roughly $320 billion in stablecoins currently in circulation, almost all are denominated in U.S. dollars, with issuance dominated by Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC.
Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), said in May 2026 that the rising use of dollar-backed stablecoins in Europe posed a ‘legitimate concern that risks entrenching dollar dependency.’ Another senior official at the European Central Bank warned in 2025 that the growth of dollar stablecoins could weaken the ECB’s control over monetary policy.

STABLECOINS | The European Central Bank Warns Increased Stablecoin Use May Weaken Monetary Policy Flows

Jan-Oliver Sell, chief executive of Qivalis, told the Financial Times that ‘the European sovereignty angle’ was important, adding that the geopolitical environment was making it ‘attractive for people to think about an alternative to the U.S. dollar.’
Several euro-denominated stablecoins already exist though adoption has remained limited compared with their dollar rivals.
Circle’s EURC token is currently the largest euro stablecoin with a market capitalization of about $450 million, according to CoinMarketCap data, while its dollar-backed stablecoin has a market capitalization of roughly $77 billion.
Société Générale became the first major bank to launch its own stablecoin, Forge, in 2023, but the token has only about $123 million in circulation.
Another euro stablecoin, Eurite, has roughly $60 million in trading volume.

STABLECOINS | Spain Leads European Retail Market for This Euro Stablecoin in Q1 2026
This latest statistic comes 2 months after the European Central Bank warned that increased #dominance and use of #dollar-pegged #stablecoins is likely to #import foreign #monetary conditions…
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) April 30, 2026
Sell said Qivalis is also in discussions with several non-European banks operating in countries that receive significant remittance flows from Europe about joining the consortium.
“We’re not competing with payments in Europe because payments in Europe work,” Sell said, adding that stablecoins would instead be used for cross-border transfers and immediate, or “atomic,” settlement.

Qivalis has applied for a license from the Dutch central bank and expects approval in the second half of the year.
“We are looking to be operationally ready by the time the licence comes so we can go live ASAP,” Sell said.


STABLECOINS | Financial Institutions and Corporate Treasury Teams Driving Stablecoin Adoption in Europe




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Truth Social, collegata a Trump Media, ha ritirato i piani per un fondo negoziato in borsa bitcoin spot, sottolineando quanto sia brutale la concorrenza in un mercato ora dominato da giganti di Wall Street disposti a tagliare le commissioni per ottenere scala.
L'ETF proposto, supportato da Yorkville America Digital, è stato ritirato questa settimana dopo che l'emittente ha dichiarato che si concentrerà su prodotti strutturati ai sensi dell'Investment Company Act del 1940 piuttosto che su veicoli tradizionali di fiducia su bitcoin spot.
Tuttavia, gli analisti e i partecipanti al mercato hanno affermato che la decisione riflette una realtà più dura: i nuovi entranti stanno lottando per sopravvivere in un mercato degli ETF bitcoin sempre più commoditizzato.

la piattaforma di trading quotata a Londra, IG Group, pianifica di espandere i suoi servizi di trading di criptovalute in tutta Europa attraverso una partnership con il broker crypto austriaco Bitpanda, mentre le aziende finanziarie tradizionali intensificano la loro spinta verso gli asset digitali sotto il nuovo framework regolatorio MiCA dell'UE.
IG, che ha lanciato il trading di crypto nel Regno Unito nel 2025, ha dichiarato che Bitpanda fornirà l'infrastruttura, inclusi
liquidità,
connettività di trading, e
supporto per la custodia
per il lancio europeo.
Le aziende non hanno rivelato una tempistica di lancio o termini finanziari.

The South Africa National Treasury has released a media statement stating that it is extending the deadline for public commentary on the draft Capital Flow Management Regulations 2026, former known as the The Exchange Control Regulations, 1961.
The statement revealed that most of the concerns received since the publishing of the draft regulations on April 17 2026 ‘related to the treatment, possession and trade of crypto assets, specifically the potential restrictions on cross-border transactions.’

The regulator however made it clear that the draft regulations ‘do not intend to criminalise the possession of crypto assets, or to apply the regulations retrospectively.’

REGULATION | South Africa’s Draft Capital Flow Management Regulations, 2026, to Demand Limited Crypto Holdings, Mandatory Resales

The statement added:
“A proposed cross-border crypto asset framework, in the form of a draft manual, will soon be released for public comment to complement the draft regulations. This draft manual will provide clarity on the proposed activities that would result in a crypto asset transaction being considered as cross-border and the transaction being subject to appropriate capital flow management measures.
The manual will also outline the obligations and responsibilities of authorised crypto asset service providers. The draft cross-border crypto asset framework is designed to enable lawful cross-border crypto asset transactions within clear guidelines, reducing uncertainty and protecting the integrity of the financial system under capital flow management framework.
The Constitution protects various rights, including property rights, while also recognising that suspected illicit activities warrant the attention of the authorities.”

EXPERT OPINION | Oversight Should Focus Where it Matters Most, Says MoneyBadger on the South Africa Capital Flow Management Draft Regulations
MoneyBadger urged Treasury to align the regulations more closely with a risk-based approach focused on high-impact cross-border… pic.twitter.com/HKGxMReyfD
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) April 28, 2026
In terms of undermining private ownership, the statement said:
“The concerns that holders of crypto assets, or even other assets like gold or foreign currency, may in certain circumstances be requiried to sell these to the state or bans dealing in foreign exchange are misplaced. Any requirement to dispose of these assets would arise only under limited circumstances, such as where an offence has been committed.
Further, there have been various exemptions and relaxation of exchange controls over the years, resulting in South Africas being able to legitimately externalise capital for foreign investment diversification or hold foreign assets in various forms.
The current draft regulations are meant to strengthen the authorities’s abilities to detect, deter or disrupt illicit financial flows. The proposed framework will complement the regulatory regimes already implemented by the Financial Intelligence Center and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority.”

This latest update has received more positive commentary highlighting the need for clarity when it comes to crypto regulations.


According to Thomas N, a fintech expert:
“These Regulations are also replacing exchange control rules that date back to 1961. South Africa is rewriting the foundational architecture of how capital moves across its borders. That doesn’t happen often. And it doesn’t happen quietly.
The framework that gets finalised almost never reflects the draft. It reflects the conversations that happened during the comment period – who showed up, who submitted, who was already trusted in the room.”

The statement from the South Africa National Treasury follows industry backlash that saw the draft regulations as an overstretch when it comes to crypto regulations in the country.


EXPERT OPINION | Why South Africa Still Has Exchange Controls in 2026 and How Crypto is Getting Pulled Into It



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SpaceX di Elon Musk ha rivelato di detenere quasi 19.000 bitcoin del valore di circa 1,4 miliardi di dollari in una tanto attesa registrazione IPO, rivelando una posizione in criptovalute molto più ampia di quanto stimato in precedenza e sottolineando il crescente ruolo degli asset digitali nei bilanci aziendali.
La compagnia di razzi e satelliti ha dichiarato nel suo prospetto di detenere 18.712 bitcoin alla fine del primo trimestre, con un valore equo di circa 1,29 miliardi di dollari al momento. Ai prezzi di mercato attuali, le partecipazioni sono valutate intorno a 1,45 miliardi di dollari.

La Federal Reserve degli Stati Uniti ha proposto di creare una nuova classe di conti di pagamento limitati che darebbero alle aziende fintech e crypto accesso ristretto all'infrastruttura di pagamento della banca centrale, segnando l'ultimo cambiamento nell'approccio di Washington nei confronti delle aziende di asset digitali che cercano servizi bancari.
La proposta permetterebbe alle aziende idonee di accedere ai circuiti di pagamento della Federal Reserve e trasferire fondi direttamente attraverso il sistema, ma senza molti dei privilegi concessi alle banche tradizionali. I conti non fornirebbero accesso al credito intraday, interessi sulle riserve o alla finestra di sconto della Fed, secondo la proposta.

Checker, una startup di infrastrutture per stablecoin che costruisce strumenti per istituzioni finanziarie, ha raccolto 8 milioni di dollari in un round di finanziamento guidato da
Galaxy Ventures,
Al Mada Ventures e
Framework Ventures.
Investitori aggiuntivi inclusi:
aziende finanziarie dell'America Latina
Bitso e
Airtm,
investitore focalizzato sull'Africa
DFS Lab
investitori asiatici
Onigiri Capital,
SNZ Capital e
Velocity,
insieme a investitori angel da aziende tra cui:
Stripe,
Tala,
Flutterwave,
Mesh,
ComplyAdvantage e
Superstate.
Checker ha dichiarato che offre un'unica API che consente a banche, fintech e altre istituzioni finanziarie di accedere a:

JPMorgan has said Ethereum and the broader altcoin market are unlikely to close the performance gap with bitcoin unless the crypto industry sees a significant revival in network activity and real-world blockchain adoption, according to a research note.
The bank said ether has continued to lag bitcoin both in price performance and institutional investor flows since the crypto market de-leveraging event in October 2025, highlighting weaker demand across decentralized finance and alternative blockchain ecosystems.

MILESTONE | Crypto Markets Record the Largest Single-Day Liquidation Event in History

Since the October 2025 liquidation event, spot Bitcoin ETFs have clawed back about two‑thirds of their outflows versus only about one‑third for spot ETH ETFs with CME futures data showing institutional bitcoin exposure nearly restored while ETH futures remain well below prior levels.
Analysts at the Wall Street lender said that while Ethereum’s upcoming technical upgrades could improve scalability and lower transaction costs, previous network improvements have failed to generate a meaningful increase in on-chain activity or user adoption.

“Altcoins remain constrained by weak liquidity, shallow market depth and fading investor confidence,” JPMorgan said, adding that repeated protocol exploits, slowing DeFi growth and limited mainstream use cases continue to weigh on the sector.

INSTITUTIONAL | ‘DeFi Exploits, Limited Growth Are Holding Back Institutional Adoption,’ Says America’s Largest Bank

The comments come as bitcoin continues to dominate crypto market inflows during a period of macro-economic uncertainty and rising global interest rates. The bank highlighted spot ETFs as the clearest sign of this dominance saying altcoins ‘may continue to underperform Bitcoin (BTC)’ unless there is ‘meaningful improvement’ in network activity, decentralized finance (DeFi) adoption and real‑world applications.
JPMorgan’s assessment reflects a broader debate within the crypto industry over whether alternative blockchain networks can generate sustained economic activity beyond speculation and token trading.
The report also noted that institutional investors continue to favor bitcoin due to its perceived role as a macro hedge and store of value while many altcoin ecosystems have struggled to rebuild momentum following
a series of hacks,
declining token incentives, and
reduced venture capital funding
over the past year.

EXPERT OPINION | Crypto Has Split into 4 Major Segments @Bitwise CEO says the crypto market has effectively split into four major segments:
stablecoins and payments, Bitcoin as a macro asset, tokenization and on-chain finance, and blockchain infrastructure.
Bitwise CEO:… pic.twitter.com/fNtxmpOBgD
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) May 17, 2026
Ethereum supporters argue the network is positioning itself for long-term adoption through scaling upgrades, tokenization infrastructure, and enterprise blockchain applications. At the Consensus 2026 conference, several Ethereum ecosystem participants said market demand would eventually ‘catch up’ with the network’s technological development.
JPMorgan however says upgrades alone will not rescue ETH’s relative trade.
Unless Ethereum can reignite on‑chain activity and demonstrate that those flows translate into fee revenue and token demand, JPMorgan expects Bitcoin to keep leading both on price performance and in capturing the next leg of institutional inflows.

INSTITUTIONAL | Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF (MSBT) Debut Ranks it Among Top 1% ETF Launches



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Solana memecoin launchpad platform, Pump.fun, generated more than a third of all application revenue on the Solana blockchain in the first quarter, underscoring how speculative retail trading continues to shape activity across crypto networks even as memecoin enthusiasm cools, according to a Q1 2026 report blockchain research firm, Messari.
Pump.fun brought in roughly $124.7 million in revenue during the quarter, accounting for about 36% of the $342.2 million generated by Solana-based applications overall, the report showed.
Interestingly, revenue at the platform rose 17% quarter-on-quarter despite a broader slowdown in memecoin trading activity.

2025 RECAP | 2025 Was the Deadliest Year on Record for Crypto Projects – Over Half Died Fueled By MemeCoins

The figures highlight a growing concentration of economic activity around a handful of speculative applications on public blockchains, particularly on Solana, where memecoin issuance and trading have become major drivers of transaction fees, liquidity flows, and retail participation.
The development offers a case study into how crypto ecosystems are increasingly dependent on attention-driven applications to sustain user growth and revenue generation. While decentralized finance and tokenization narratives continue to mature, speculative trading infrastructure remains one of the largest monetization engines in crypto.
Messari’s report showed Solana launchpads generated around $144 million in Q1 revenue, or roughly 42% of all application revenue on the network. Pump.fun remained the dominant player within that segment benefiting from its simplified token creation model and deep retail network effects.
The platform’s rise also reflects a broader shift in crypto market structure where consumer-facing applications, rather than base-layer blockchains themselves, increasingly capture the bulk of value creation. Similar trends have emerged across
stablecoin payments,
perpetual futures trading, and
token launch infrastructure.

STABLECOINS | Binance Dominates Over 60% of All Centralized Stablecoin Liquidity

Still, analysts say the model remains cyclical and highly dependent on retail speculation.
Pump.fun’s growth comes after several months of declining memecoin activity following the sector’s explosive rally in late 2025. Earlier reports showed the platform’s revenues had previously fallen sharply as speculative appetite weakened and traders rotated into other crypto sectors.
Even so, the platform has continued expanding its ecosystem. Pump.fun surpassed $1 billion in cumulative revenue earlier this year and has hinted at possible multi-chain expansion beyond Solana, according to industry reports.
The case also highlights one of the defining tensions in crypto markets: whether ecosystems built heavily around speculative trading can evolve into more sustainable financial infrastructure.
While memecoin-driven platforms generate significant revenue and user activity, critics argue that reliance on speculative flows leaves networks vulnerable to sharp downturns in sentiment and liquidity. Analysts have also raised concerns around insider trading, token manipulation, and sustainability as competition between launchpads intensifies.
For Solana, however, the strategy has so far helped maintain one of the most active onchain retail ecosystems in crypto even amid declining asset prices and lower DeFi activity during the quarter.


REPORT | USDT Stablecoin Dominates the Crypto Lending Market with Over 73% Market Share



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L'operatore di bancomat Bitcoin, Bitcoin Depot, ha presentato richiesta di protezione ai sensi del Capitolo 11 e ha chiuso la sua rete di oltre 9.000 chioschi crypto, segnando uno dei più grandi crolli nell'industria dei bancomat di criptovalute mentre i regolatori intensificano il controllo su frodi e fallimenti di conformità.


La compagnia con sede ad Atlanta, fondata nel 2016, ha dichiarato di aver avviato una ‘liquidazione ordinata’ delle operazioni dopo aver valutato tutte le opzioni e cercherà di vendere i suoi beni attraverso procedure supervisionate dal tribunale in Texas. Il CEO, Alex Holmes, ha affermato che il modello di business dell'azienda era diventato ‘insostenibile’ nel mezzo di

La polizia nigeriana ha licenziato cinque ispettori per presunto coinvolgimento in rapimenti, rapine a mano armata, estorsione e corruzione nello Stato di Rivers, mentre le autorità intensificano gli sforzi per contrastare l'attività criminale e ripristinare la fiducia pubblica nelle forze dell'ordine.
Gli ufficiali sono stati licenziati dopo procedimenti disciplinari interni, dopo che gli investigatori hanno scoperto quello che la polizia ha descritto come un sindacato criminale coinvolgente ufficiali in servizio a Port Harcourt e nelle aree circostanti, secondo dichiarazioni riportate dai media nigeriani. I pubblici ministeri si aspettano di presentare accuse entro 30 giorni.

Un exchange di finanza decentralizzata (DeFi) è diventato il primo piattaforma di trading on-chain a offrire futures perpetui legati a singole azioni statunitensi utilizzando dati di prezzo live del Nasdaq, segnando un ulteriore passo nella crescente convergenza tra finanza tradizionale e mercati crypto.
La piattaforma, Ostium, ha dichiarato di aver lanciato contratti perpetui su azioni che tracciano le principali azioni statunitensi, consentendo ai trader crypto globali di ottenere esposizione con leva alle azioni 24 ore su 24 senza detenere direttamente le azioni sottostanti. I prodotti sono alimentati dai feed di dati di mercato del Nasdaq, secondo quanto riportato.

Il governatore del Minnesota, Tim Walz, ha firmato una legge che consente alle banche e alle cooperative di credito autorizzate dallo stato di offrire servizi di custodia per criptovalute, aggiungendo così lo stato a una lista crescente di giurisdizioni negli Stati Uniti che aprono le porte alle istituzioni finanziarie tradizionali per gestire beni digitali.
La legislazione, nota come HF 3709, consente a banche e cooperative di credito nello stato di fornire servizi di custodia per valute virtuali a partire dal 1° agosto 2026, secondo il Legislativo del Minnesota e rapporti provenienti da fonti di notizie crypto.

Tether, l'emittente di USDT, la stablecoin più utilizzata al mondo, ha annunciato un investimento nella piattaforma di pagamenti transfrontalieri, LemFi, per espandere i servizi di rimessa alimentati da stablecoin nei mercati emergenti mentre Tether si spinge più a fondo nelle infrastrutture finanziarie del mondo reale.
L'investimento supporterà l'integrazione della stablecoin USDt di Tether nella rete di rimessa di LemFi, che serve le comunità della diaspora che inviano denaro tra Europa, Nord America, Africa e Asia.
Sfruttando la profonda liquidità di Tether e la presenza consolidata di LemFi nei mercati emergenti, le due aziende stanno stabilendo un nuovo standard per rimesse più veloci e inclusive, progettate per il mondo interconnesso di oggi.

Il Gruppo Finanziario Hana della Corea del Sud sta acquisendo una partecipazione del 6,55% nell'operatore di exchange crypto, Dunamu, la società madre di Upbit, per circa 1 trilione di won (670 milioni di dollari), in uno dei maggiori investimenti di una banca tradizionale coreana nel settore degli asset digitali.
L'affare, approvato dal consiglio di amministrazione di Hana Bank, prevede l'acquisto di circa 2,28 milioni di azioni Dunamu da Kakao Investment e si prevede che si chiuda entro metà giugno 2026, secondo le comunicazioni regolatorie e i rapporti dei media locali. Dopo la transazione, Hana Bank diventerà il quarto azionista di Dunamu.

KB Financial Group, la società madre di KB Kookmin, la banca più grande della Corea del Sud, ha annunciato il completamento di un progetto pilota che testa un stablecoin denominato in Won per pagamenti offline e rimesse transfrontaliere, mentre il settore finanziario del paese si affretta a prepararsi per la nuova legislazione sugli asset digitali prevista per il 2026.
Il gruppo bancario ha dichiarato che il proof-of-concept ha coperto l'intero ciclo di pagamento, inclusi
emissione di stablecoin,
pagamenti offline tramite QR-code,
regolamento dei commercianti e
trasferimenti internazionali.

La più grande banca d'Italia, Intesa Sanpaolo, ha più che raddoppiato la sua esposizione agli asset crittografici nel primo trimestre del 2026, aumentando le sue partecipazioni a circa $235 milioni rispetto ai circa $100 milioni alla fine del 2025, secondo rapporti che citano le ultime divulgazioni del portafoglio della banca.
La banca con sede a Milano ha ampliato le sue posizioni in fondi negoziati in borsa legati a Bitcoin, aggiungendo anche esposizione a prodotti Ethereum e XRP per la prima volta, sottolineando il crescente interesse istituzionale per gli asset digitali tra le aziende finanziarie europee.

Detectives kenyoti hanno arrestato una donna accusata di aver orchestrato uno schema di falso oro che avrebbe truffato un investitore americano di oltre $431,000 in USDT, nell'ultima truffa di alto profilo che mette in luce la crescente battaglia del paese contro i crimini finanziari e legati alle criptovalute.
Secondo la Direzione delle Indagini Criminali del Kenya (DCI), il sospetto, identificato come Mildred Kache, nota anche come Sabreena Ayesha, è stata arrestata presso il Crystal Villas nel quartiere esclusivo di Kilimani a Nairobi dopo che gli investigatori l'hanno tracciata attraverso quello che le autorità hanno definito un'indagine basata su forense.

Il Ruanda ha approvato una legge ampia per regolare gli asset virtuali e le criptovalute, diventando uno degli ultimi paesi africani a formalizzare la supervisione del settore degli asset digitali in rapida crescita, mentre l'adozione delle crypto aumenta in tutta la regione.
La legislazione, approvata dalla camera bassa del parlamento del Ruanda all'inizio di questo mese, stabilisce il primo quadro giuridico completo del paese per governare le attività relative agli asset virtuali, incluse le piattaforme di trading di criptovalute e altri fornitori di servizi di asset digitali.

I mercati crypto si stanno muovendo sempre di più in direzioni diverse poiché l'industria si frammenta in settori separati con driver distinti, una tendenza che alcuni analisti dicono potrebbe segnalare una fase più matura per gli asset digitali piuttosto che un mercato in indebolimento.
Mentre Bitcoin continua ad attrarre soldi istituzionali tramite fondi scambiati in borsa, l'attività della finanza decentralizzata ha rallentato, le stablecoin stanno guadagnando terreno come infrastruttura di pagamento, e le reti blockchain stanno elaborando volumi di transazione crescenti anche se molti token crypto faticano a salire di prezzo.