Circle gets Abu Dhabi regulatory nod to expand in Middle East

USDC stablecoin issuer Circle has received in-principle approval (IPA) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the company announced on April 29. The approval moves Circle closer to obtaining a full Financial Services Permission (FSP) license, allowing it to operate as a regulated money services provider in the…

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Australia’s finance watchdog to crack down on dormant crypto exchanges

Australia’s financial intelligence agency has told inactive registered crypto exchanges to withdraw their registrations or risk having them canceled over fears that the dormant firms could be used for scams. There are currently 427 crypto exchanges registered with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), but the agency said on April 29 that it…

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Bunq, Europe’s second-largest neobank, expands into crypto

Update (April 29 at 8:54 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include comments from Bunq’s CEO to Cointelegraph. Europe’s second-largest neobank, Bunq, is expanding into cryptocurrency, citing growing retail investor demand for digital assets worldwide. The Amsterdam-based neobank announced the launch of Bunq Crypto on April 29, a new offering enabling its users…

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Growth of crypto poses risks to investors, financial stability — Bank of Italy

The Bank of Italy identified Bitcoin and other digital assets as emerging risk factors in a recent report, citing concerns for both investors and the financial system. In its April 2025 Financial Stability Report, the Bank of Italy flags crypto volatility and rising integration with the broader economy, singling out stablecoins and non-financial firms’ crypto…

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Beijing to invest in blockchain, integrate into infrastructure

The Beijing city administration has announced a plan for local blockchain development and implementation over the next two years. According to an April 29 announcement, the plan was jointly developed by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee, the Cyberspace Administration Office, the Bureau of Government Services and Data, the Bureau…

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$649B stablecoin transfers linked to illicit activity in 2024: Report

Cryptocurrency compliance firm Bitrace found that $649 billion worth of stablecoins flowed through addresses classified as high-risk in 2024, according to an April 29 report. Bitrace defines high-risk blockchain addresses as those used by illegal entities to receive, transfer or store stablecoins. Crypto compliance firms typically score crypto wallet addresses based on their likelihood of…

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1inch launches on Solana with crosschain swaps in the pipeline

Decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator 1inch has launched on Solana, marking a significant step toward its vision of a “unified multichain” decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. According to a press release shared with Cointelegraph, the integration enables users to trade over 1 million Solana-based tokens directly through the 1inch decentralized application (DApp), benefiting from maximal extractable value-protected…

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Abu Dhabi institutional giants team up for dirham stablecoin

A trio of major Abu Dhabi institutions, including the Emirate’s sovereign wealth fund, have teamed up to launch a new dirham-pegged stablecoin. Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ, the United Arab Emirates’ largest bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), and the massive conglomerate the International Holding Company, have partnered to launch the stablecoin, pending regulatory…

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Gold-backed cryptocurrencies spike amid global trade uncertainty

Gold-backed cryptocurrencies have spiked in value amid the global trade war unleashed by US President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariffs. Tether Gold (XAUT) and Paxos Gold (PAXG) reached all-time highs on April 22, with Tether Gold touching $3,529 and Paxos Gold recording a peak of $3,520, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Two other gold-backed cryptocurrencies…

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