Binance, a major cryptocurrency exchange, is set to delist privacy tokens in several European countries including France and Italy. From June 26, customers in France, Italy, Poland, and Spain will no longer be able to trade privacy tokens such as Monero and Zcash on the platform. A total of 12 coins will be affected by the new restrictions, including Decred, Dash, and Verge. Binance stated that it is required to comply with local laws and regulations regarding the trading of privacy coins. The exchange has reached out to affected users to notify them of the upcoming changes.

Google has launched the beta version of Google Play Games for PC, which allows users to play Android games on Windows, in Europe and New Zealand. The program was first introduced in 2022 and is now available in over 50 countries worldwide. The current rollout includes more than 40 European countries and New Zealand. Google Play Games on PC requires specific system requirements and is still in beta, with more titles being added every month. Additionally, the company offers an emulator for developers to debug games and integration with Android Studio for game-makers to make adjustments and deploy their games.

Europe's startup ecosystem is thriving despite challenges faced by the tech industry. According to a report by venture capital firm Accel, Europe and Israel have produced an average of five tech companies for every venture-backed company worth $1 billion or more.

Cryptocurrency has become a popular topic among European financial institutions and governmental agencies. The challenge of managing cryptocurrency taxation is complex and affects economic stability, financial transparency, and national security. The European Union has established uniform rules and supervision for crypto markets, as well as tax transparency rules for service providers. However, taxing cryptocurrencies effectively poses several challenges, including volatility, anonymity, decentralization, and lack of global regulatory standards. To address these challenges, European nations can consider implementing strategies such as establishing a standardized valuation method, enhancing international cooperation, fostering transparency and reporting requirements, leveraging technology, and educating taxpayers.

（Cointime,May 15th）Patrick Hansen, a cryptocurrency advocate and influencer, has asserted that Europe already has the most crypto-friendly banks in the world, and the upcoming MiCA regulation could further strengthen this position. The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation is set to facilitate access to banking services for crypto-asset service providers, as explicitly stated in its goals.

The European blockchain industry is pushing to prevent laws that could harm smart contracts underpinning decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. The European Data Act, currently under negotiation, seeks to regulate data shared between smart devices using IoT networks but lacks clarity on regulating smart contracts underpinning DeFi. Advocates of DeFi have asked policymakers to address concerns over spillover of the Data Act to other blockchain developers, potentially killing DeFi. However, sources say European lawmakers are looking to promote the use of smart contracts via the Data Act and are not willing to regulate the technology. The matter will be addressed in a trialogue meeting on May 23.

The European Union's regulatory framework called Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) has been finalized and is set for a final vote on April 19, 2023. The MiCA regulations provide guidelines for handling cryptocurrencies and consumer protection, and divide crypto assets into different sectors, each subject to specific rules. Joachim Schwerin, principal economist at the Digital Transformation of Industry unit within the European Commission’s Directorate General for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), sees the benefit of blockchain technology primarily in applications for the real economy. Schwerin does not share the European Central Bank's view that stablecoins pose a threat to financial stability and believes that society needs stablecoins in many different forms. The MiCA regulation could become a global regulatory standard, and Schwerin sees great interest from other countries, especially the United States.

Digital asset-backed securities provider ETC Group has announced the listing of Europe's first index-based crypto ETP on Germany's Deutsche Börse XETRA in April. The ETP will be based on the MSCI Digital Asset Select 20 ETP and will track the value of 20 "leading digital assets," including Bitcoin, Ethereal, and Solana. The ETP will be physically backed, and the underlying assets will be deposited in cold storage according to the index composition and weighting. Investors with standard securities accounts will be able to buy and sell the product like shares or ETFs once listed. The move is a notable advance for the European crypto industry, as it legitimizes the market for investors from traditional finance.

MicroStrategy has increased its total Bitcoins holdings to 138,955 BTC, purchased for $4.1 billion at an average of $29,817 per coin.

According to a new study released by European investment firmRockawayX, VC investment in crypto startups based in Europe reached its all-time high in 2022 with $5.7 billion invested