Welcome to another weekly cryptocurrency news roundup. This week we will present the latest news from across the world country by country. Next is Europe.
France
Bank of France Governor has Called ECB to Focus on Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Bank of France’s governor Francois Villeroy de Galhu who also sits on European Central Bank’s Governing Council has recently made comments regarding new legislation required to cover cryptocurrency exchanges in France and Europe. The chief had made lukewarm comments about cryptocurrency in the past but this is the first time that he has directly said that cryptocurrency needs regulation.
Galhu said:
“….work on exchanges and platforms which provide services at the interface between crypto-assets and the real economy”
The French Ministry of Economy has already formed a task force to consider regulation primarily addressed at containing cybercrime, money laundering and tax evasion in the continent.
Netherlands
Dutch Drivers can now pay for Electric Charging Through Cryptocurrencies
Dutch company ElaadNL has recently announced services of a new digitalized charging station in the country that accepts cryptocurrencies. The company is an innovative startup in the country in the field of smart charging as is an initiative of the Dutch grid operators.
The new crypto charging facility is now available in Arnhem”s Buiten Park in Northern Netherlands. The tech behind the new station is called Tangle which is the data structure at the heart of IOTA which uses a DAG rather than a conventional Blockchain to store the ledger data. Scalability is not an issue and this startup is one to look forward to.
Germany
Crypto Enthusiasts Reach Berlin for C3 Expo
Berlin was host to the first ever C3 Crypto Conference this month with the top exhibit attracting 2500 crypto enthusiasts, 50 speakers and over 70 exhibitors. The conference was held to attract Blockchain professionals, beginners and engage them in panel discussions from experts and see keynote presentations over a wide range of topics that include future of Blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
Speakers included fintech entrepreneurs making their mark in Blockchain, law services professionals including Dennis Weidner. The panel discussions also praised the cryptocurrency scene in Germany and commended it widely.
Ireland
MasterCard Looking to Enter the Blockchain Space
MasterCard is looking to expand its Dublin offices with new recruits belonging to different spaces including Blockchain. The world’s leading payment solution is confident that it will use Blockchain in the future for security and integrity within financial systems. It is currently working with Ripple to shape its Blockchain future.
Georgia
Georgia is now Second Most Active in Crypto Mining
European nation Georgia is second in the world in cryptocurrency mining according to latest reports. US tech firm Bitfury has a significant portion of mining operations in Georgia and a number of smaller mining companies have also made way towards the tiny European nation. One Political party has even raised funds through cryptocurrency for its campaign.
It is now second only behind China in Cryptocurrency mining. Cheap Hydroelectricity and friendly regulations have resulted in massive mining companies flooding to the tiny nation. The national bank of Georgia has therefore advised people to exercise caution while investing in cryptocurrencies.
United Kingdom
UK’s MP Says Blockchain will have “Monumental Impact”
British Member of Parliament Matt Hancock has delivered a speech to the Law Society this week that commended Blockchain Technology and said that it would have a “monumental impact” on people and their lives in the future.
On 19 April, the MP spoke of “vast areas of public life” that were going to be transformed by the Blockchain Technology in the future. He is also vouching for Britain to become more involved in the new revolution.
European Union
EU Pushes for Cryptocurrency Transparency
The European parliament has voted on Thursday to support European Council’s late 2017 proposal to bring new measures to stop illegal activities using digital currencies including money laundering and terrorism finance. The policy calls for reduced anonymity in future cryptocurrency practices thus bringing them under governmental control.
Under the new proposed measures, cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets and other platforms will have to be registered with the authorities and provide customer verification as well.
Dutch Green MEP Judith Sargentini, a member was of the opinion:
“With this new legislation, we introduce tougher measures, widening the duty of financial entities to undertake customer due diligence.”
