Tether Bets $20M on Mercado Bitcoin to Accelerate Tokenization in Latin America

ESMA reviews CASPs to assess custody security, governance, and operational resilience under MiCA rules. EU regulators will examine key management, incident response, and third-party service risks. Crypto custody firms face stricter oversight as MiCA shifts toward active market supervision. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched its first major review of crypto custody […] The post ESMA Launches First MiCA Crypto Custody Review: What Firms Face Next appeared first on Live Bitcoin News.

The post Bull Bitcoin Files Landmark Legal Challenge To Annul France’s DAC8 Crypto Data Surveillance Rules appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Bull Bitcoin exchange, recently licensed under MiCA, is challenging the European directive in French courts that sets up a mass surveillance database, putting millions of crypto users at risk.  Bull Bitcoin, the world’s oldest Bitcoin-only and non-custodial exchange, recently licensed under MiCA by France’s financial markets regulator AMF, has filed a legal challenge before the Conseil d’État, France’s supreme administrative court. The challenge seeks to annul Decree No. 2025-1276, the main measure transposing the European DAC8 directive into French law, on the grounds that it creates a massive surveillance grid and database that institutions can not secure from leaks and data hacks, ultimately putting civilians at risk of kidnapping and physical harm.  Alongside the legal action, the company is making dac8.com public: “a complete, fully source

The post AscenDex shutdown: Uncertainty over withdrawals as hot wallets lack funds appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Crypto exchange AscendEx has announced the cessation of its operations “with effect from 1 July 2026.” In a letter dated July 6, it cited a lack of an EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) licence, “as well as broader regulatory, financial and operational considerations affecting the platform.” However, towards the end of the letter, AscendEx reveals that it “relied on an agreed strategic transaction… and the counterparty did not perform.” The news comes almost two weeks after pseudonymous blockchain investigator ZachXBT voiced concerns over disruption to user withdrawals. In a June 26 message to his Telegram channel, he noted that the exchange’s “reserves appear to lack large cap tokens such as ETH, USDT, USDT, SOL, etc indicating they likely are facing liquidity issues.” Read more: SecondFi is shutting down after Cardano wallet exploit AscendEx-labelled addr

The post AscendEX Exchange Collapse Hands Europe Its First MiCA Test  appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) launched its first supervisory sweep of licensed crypto firms on July 8, putting custody resilience under EU-wide review. It comes days after MiCA took full effect and popular crypto exchange AscendEX (formerly BitMax) collapsed. ESMA has not connected the two events. However, the timing hands regulators a live example of what failed crypto custody costs users. ESMA Custody Review Targets Crypto’s Weakest Point In its July 8 release, ESMA said the Common Supervisory Action (CSA) will assess how crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) manage custody risks. National regulators will examine a risk-based sample of authorized firms from late 2026 into early 2027. The exercise targets risks specific to distributed ledger technology (DLT). Reviewers will test governance, key and storage management, transaction controls, incident detecti

The post Nexo Card Goes Live In Argentina Under Andres Ondarra’s Leadership appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Nexo, a popular digital asset wealth entity, is launching Nexo Card in Argentina. The development signifies a key moment for Nexo’s strategy for expansion in Latin America. As Nexo mentioned in its official announcement, the launch parallels Andres Ondarra’s appointment as Nexo Argentina’s General Manager, who previously served as an executive at Binance. Hence, this move signals a clear commitment to regional growth. Nexo Card Launches in Argentina to Boost Adoption of Digital Wealth With Nexo Card’s rollout in Argentina, Nexo endeavors to advance its Latin American strategy. This, at a time when Andres Ondarra has become Nexo Argentina’s General Manager, highlights the endeavors to turn Buenos Aires into its primary operational hub within Latin America. Together, the respective developments signify Nexo’s attempts to incorporate digital wealth instruments into daily financ

The post Tether Invests $20M in Mercado Bitcoin to Expand On-Chain Finance appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Tether invested $20M in Mercado Bitcoin, Latin America’s top on-chain finance hub. Mercado Bitcoin holds over 10 licenses, serving 4.5 million users across Brazil. The funding will expand payments, tokenization, lending, and on-chain capital markets.  Tether has taken a $20 million strategic stake in Mercado Bitcoin, the Brazilian company that has spent thirteen years building what is now the most comprehensively licensed on-chain financial platform in Latin America. The investment was announced on 07 July. Mercado Bitcoin started as a digital asset exchange in 2013 and has since accumulated a profile that most fintech companies spend decades trying to build.  It holds a Payment Institution license from Brazil’s Banco Central do Brasil, runs broker-dealer operations, manages a securitization platform, and offers asset management services. It currently holds more than ten lice

The post EU Parliament Signals Potential Expansion of Crypto Regulations appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. The European Parliament recently approved a policy document that suggests enhancing the regulatory framework for crypto assets within the European Union, extending beyond current MiCA guidelines. While the paper does not alter existing laws, it presents a strategic vision for the digital asset framework in the EU. Continue Reading:EU Parliament Signals Potential Expansion of Crypto Regulations Source: https://en.bitcoinhaber.net/eu-parliament-signals-potential-expansion-of-crypto-regulations

ESMA's review under MiCA signals a shift to stringent enforcement, impacting crypto custodians' operational standards across the EU. The post ESMA launches first coordinated crypto custody review under MiCA appeared first on Crypto Briefing.