Blockchain firm Multiwallet will launch a Europe-targeted crypto custodial service regulated by Maltese regulators, the company revealed to Cointelegraph at the Malta Blockchain Summit on Nov. 2. Claiming to be fully compliant with Malta’s existing initial requirements for a crypto custodial service, Multiwallet is now seeking a custodial license from the Maltese government. As told to Cointelegraph, the upcoming custodial service will be regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority and the Malta Digital Innovation Authority to operate legally as a tool of managing cryptocurrency transactions across Europe. While Multiwallet claims to be fully compliant with the existing draft rules …

Singapore-based blockchain platform VeChain Foundation, U.S. blockchain startup CREAM, and the national investment partner of the Republic of Cyprus, Invest Cyprus, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), per a press release published Oct. 26. The MoU is focused on establishing a framework in the field of blockchain technologies and related use cases. Per the MoU, the parties will work on a number of national level investment strategies, which involve blockchain-powered economies and promote blockchain technology, particularly in financial services. The agreement also aims to inform government policy making in the blockchain industry, in addition to facilitating economic development in …

Blockchain technology company Bitfury is considering a potential Initial Public Offering (IPO), which could reportedly become the first major public listing in the crypto industry in Europe, Bloomberg reported Oct. 25. People familiar with the matter reportedly told Bloomberg that Bitfury is examining a range of options including raising debt financing or selling a minority stake. Should Bitfury go public in the following two years, its value could reach from $3 billion to $5 billion. However, the numbers could change depending on the markets and the health of the industry, purported sources told Bloomberg. Bitfury has reportedly contacted global investment …

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, is enhancing its Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) offering outside China, the company announced in a press release on Oct. 24. Following the roll out of its BaaS platform in China, Alibaba Cloud will expand its enterprise-level blockchain service to major international markets including Europe, the U.S., and South East Asia. Based on two blockchain network implementations — Hyperledger Fabric and Ant Blockchain — Alibaba Cloud’s BaaS is now targeting global enterprises, enabling them to set up secure and solid ecosystem for blockchain developments, the press release notes. The blockchain solution …

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has adopted changes to its standards regarding digital currencies and firms involved into cryptocurrency-related activities, according to an announcement published Oct. 19. Paris-based FATF, also known as Groupe d'action financière (GAFI), is an intergovernmental organization established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures to fight money laundering. The FATF has since developed a series of Recommendations recognized as the international standard for combating money laundering (ML) and the financing of illicit activities. In 2015, the FATF introduced guidance on a …

On October 12, Finance Magnates reported that payment giants Mastercard and VISA will both soon group cryptocurrency and Initial Coin Offering (ICO) jurisdictions in a new “high risk” category. What are the consequences for those ‘high risk’ merchants? According to the publication’s undisclosed sources, the ban will be applied to brokers who operate “from unregulated or loosely regulated environments,” and therefore have no license that would show that proper due diligence has been applied to their business. The action reportedly deals with forex, binary, cryptos, and ICOs. More specifically, the alleged move seems to target non-EU countries “in the Balkans, …

A U.K.-based industry body for the responsible finance sector revealed plans to introduce a blockchain tool to monitor firms’ sustainable commitments, Reuters reports Wednesday, Oct. 17. The Responsible Finance & Investment (RFI) Foundation is developing a blockchain-powered tool to track companies’ sustainable commitments and to detect those entities who do not comply with their ethical credentials. The new system is expected to enable the industry group to reduce so-called “greenwashing,” a practice that implies firms claiming that they are more ethical or ecologically friendly than they are in fact. The RFI Foundation’s initiative comes as a part of a plan …

San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has opened a new office in Dublin, Ireland, according to an announcement published Oct. 15. In addition to helping expand its operations in Europe, the new Irish offices are reportedly part of a contingency plan for when the U.K. leaves the E.U. Per the announcement, the Dublin team will take on a number of new business-related functions, while London will remain Coinbase’s main office in Europe. The Irish Minister for Financial Services and Insurance Michael D’Arcy commented on the exchange’s expansion: “I am delighted that Coinbase is opening an office in Dublin. This decision highlights …

On April 10, 2018, 21 EU member states and Norway signed up to create the European Blockchain Partnership. Including the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Ireland, they committed themselves to "cooperate in the establishment of a European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) that will support the delivery of cross-border digital public services, with the highest standards of security and privacy." Since April, a further five nations have joined the Partnership, with Italy becoming the latest to do so after it signed the Partnership's Declaration in September. As a member, it has committed itself to helping to identify, by the …

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced it is examining Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) to determine how they should be regulated, Reuters reported Oct. 8. The ESMA was established in 2011 in Paris, France, with an objective to develop a common rulebook for European Union (E.U.) financial markets and supervise them. The ESMA also works closely with the other European Supervisory Authorities competent in the field of banking (EBA), and insurance and occupational pensions (EIOPA). According to Reuters, the ESMA is assessing ICOs to see how they comply with the existing securities regulations on a “case-by-case” basis, as …

The United Kingdom (U.K.) Office of Communications (Ofcom) has received a £700,000 ($916,00) grant from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to explore blockchain technology, according to an announcement published Oct. 8. The grant will purportedly help the U.K. telecoms regulator examine how blockchain can improve the management of landline telephone numbers. Established in 2016, the BEIS is a government department supported by 46 agencies and public bodies and responsible for business, industrial strategy, science, innovation, and energy and climate change policy. Per the announcement, Ofcom is looking to involve industry participants to test the movement and …

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. On September 27, the EU Competitiveness Council met in Brussels to discuss how to support Europe’s digitization, particularly with regard to artificial intelligence — an area that has tremendous potential, but also faces extreme global competition. AI, of course, runs on data. The unfortunate reality is that U.S. tech companies control and exploit large amounts of European data, in turn monopolizing our digital economy. That’s why I, among 16 other executives, signed a letter to the council’s ministers—who engaged …