European regulators are weighing whether parts of crypto lending and DeFi should be brought closer to the same regulatory perimeter that already covers more conventional crypto activities. In a targeted consultation connected to the review of the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework, the European Commission specifically flagged DeFi and crypto lending and borrowing as areas that were left outside the original rulebook. The debate is likely to intensify around “lending vaults” — on-chain structures that can funnel large pools of assets into credit markets while avoiding many of the hallmarks of a traditional lender. Their legal treatment, stakeholders say, has often relied on non-binding interpretations that the structures may fall outside MiCA and certain EU fund rules, leaving important questions unresolved about who, exactly, is responsible and what should be regulated. Key takeaways The European Commission’s MiCA review consultation asks stakeholders to address gaps that were...
Bitcoin and the wider crypto market rallied this week after a US Treasury move that effectively expanded long-dated bond buybacks without being labeled as quantitative easing. The shift reignited debate about whether ongoing liquidity measures—however framed—can support high-volatility assets such as Bitcoin and Ether. Bitcoin rose more than 23% toward $79,000 and Ether pushed above $2,400, according to the market moves described in the original reporting. The same theme has been spilling into corporate strategy across crypto, from treasury reallocations to mining expansions and even new avenues for regulated derivative trading. Key takeaways Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick linked Bitcoin’s strength to expanded US long-end bond buybacks, flagging $65,500 as a key technical level. Metaplanet is extending its Bitcoin treasury play into the US by taking a controlling stake in Nasdaq-listed Super League, to be renamed Superplanet. Cypherpunk Technologies is launching Zcash mining...