Journalist

Tanzeel Akhtar

Journalist

Tanzeel Akhtar

About Author

Tanzeel Akhtar is a seasoned journalist who has been reporting on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology since 2015. Her work has appeared in leading publications including The Wall Street Journal,…

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Last updated: 

August 14, 2025

Bitpanda, Europe’s leading cryptoasset platform, announced on Thursday that it has officially launched in the UK, giving British investors access to more than 600 cryptoassets.

In a press release shared with CryptoNews, the firm said UK-based users will be able to trade a range of assets, from major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum to emerging tokens and stablecoins.

“The UK is a global financial hub, and home to investors who are financially literate and tech-savvy,” said Eric Demuth, co-founder and CEO of Bitpanda.

“Demand for cryptoassets is rising rapidly, and we’re here to meet it. We believe the UK will grow to be one of our largest markets in the next two years. Today’s launch is just the beginning,” Demuth added.

A Platform for Investors of All Levels

Bitpanda said its platform is designed to focus on security, simplicity, and a user-first experience and seeks to set a new standard for cryptoasset investing in the UK.

In addition to its retail services, Bitpanda said it is introducing its B2B infrastructure arm, Bitpanda Technology Solutions (BTS), to the UK market.

BTS allows banks, fintechs, and cryptoasset platforms to develop and offer their own cryptoasset products through white-label integration. The tech is being used by institutional partners, including Deutsche Bank, Société Générale, Raiffeisen, and LBBW.

Local Leadership and Market Expansion

Bitpanda also appointed Pantelis Kotopoulos as UK country director. Backed by a local team, Kotopoulos will focus on building Bitpanda’s market share and improving its user experience for British customers.

“UK investors deserve a platform that matches their ambition,” Kotopoulos said. “At Bitpanda, we’ve built a platform that does exactly that—with more assets, a better and more intuitive user experience.”

As part of its UK launch, Bitpanda said it has entered into a global multi-year partnership with Arsenal Football Club, becoming the club’s Official Crypto Trading Partner.

This collaboration will focus on raising awareness and understanding of digital assets among Arsenal’s fan base, providing education and tools to help supporters engage with their finances securely and responsibly.

Binance Reopens Earn Products to UK Users

Earlier today, Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it has restored access to its full suite of Binance Earn products for qualifying UK Professional Users.

This follows clarification in UK financial regulation, confirming that staking is exempt from being classed as a collective investment scheme, and a review of how exemptions under the Financial Promotions Order and the Promotion of Collective Investment Scheme Order apply.

Author

Tim Alper

Author

Tim Alper

About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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Last updated: 

July 29, 2025

South Korea’s Central Bank has announced it will reorganize its structure to include a “cryptoassets department” as a wave of public sector stablecoin-related activity continues to build momentum.

The South Korean media outlet News1 reported that the Bank of Korea (BOK) has established a new division named the “Cryptoasset Department.”

Cryptoassets Department: New BOK Division to Monitor Crypto Sector

The BOK also announced that its Digital Currency Research Lab, which operates within its Financial Settlement Bureau, will be renamed the Digital Currency Lab on July 31. News1 explained:

“This appears to be an attempt to emphasize its status as a business unit.”

The bank added that it has also reorganized the roles of the teams that make up the lab, and will assign staffers to test token usability.

The BOK said its Cryptoasset Team Department would operate within its Financial Settlement Bureau.

This division, it said, will be responsible for monitoring the crypto market. Its remit will also include Korean won-pegged stablecoins and legislative matters.

The media outlet wrote that experts have interpreted the reshuffle as an “attempt to better respond to recent discussions on stablecoin issuance, while continuing work on its central bank digital currency (CBDC).”

CBDC Plans on Ice?

The BOK recently hit the pause button on its CBDC rollout plans, seemingly in direct response to the government’s stablecoin legalization plans.

The bank seems to believe that CBDC-based deposit tokens are no different from bank-supported KRW stablecoins.

The BOK Governor Rhee Chang-yong said last year that deposit tokens are essentially “stablecoins issued by banks.” Rhee said earlier this month:

“No matter if we are talking about a won stablecoin or a deposit token, we will need a digital currency in the future. We will carefully consider whether it is better to gradually move forward with a focus on the banking sector or to expand this to the wider private sector.”

South Korean Stablecoin Regulation Incoming

The bank’s move comes just hours after the nation’s two biggest political parties rolled out stablecoin regulation bills.

Both bills propose giving the Financial Services Committee sweeping regulatory powers over the stablecoin industry.

Critics think this will significantly diminish the role of the BOK. And the BOK has previously hit out at private sector stablecoin adoption plans.

It claims that KRW-pegged coins could undermine Seoul’s ability to conduct effective monetary policy.

Some of the country’s biggest tech firms have already registered KRW stablecoin-themed trademarks in anticipation of a green light from Seoul.

Author

Tim Alper

Author

Tim Alper

About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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Last updated: 

July 14, 2025

A group of Spanish lawmakers wants the country’s financial top regulator to force crypto to carry “traffic light”-style risk warnings.

The Spanish news agency EFE (via MSN ) reported that the Sumar group of MPs wants the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) to use the system for retail investors.

The group says that the system would let users “clearly and visually” identify the type of asset they are purchasing.

Sumar has sent a written proposal to the regulator. The group complained that a “significant portion” of tokens traded on crypto exchange platforms “lack material backing or any underlying value.”

Traffic Light Crypto Warnings Coming to Spain?

The parliamentary group also wants to rename cryptoassets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).

It proposes using terms like “crypto bets” or “unbacked assets.” The lawmakers justified their request by explaining that coins “do not grant their owners any rights to tangible assets or have any connection to productive activities.”

The traffic light warning system would see the CNMV apply one of three labels to each cryptoasset on an exchange or bank’s investing platform.

• The regulator would give a green light to cryptoassets that are registered, supported, and supervised. These coins would also need to demonstrate stable market performance.
• It would use yellow for cryptoassets that have “limited backing” or display moderate volatility.
• An orange light would identify “unsupervised” coins with high risk levels.
• And a final red label would be reserved for “speculative assets with no identified issuer or material backing.”

Crypto Concentrates Wealth, Say Lawmakers

Sumar said it is wary of “extreme forms of fictitious capital that do not generate value, but rather generate volatility, inequality, and wealth concentration.”

Carlos Martín Urriza, the Sumar spokesperson for Economy and Finance, said policymakers should protect retail investors from assets that are not backed by a verified asset or collateral.

He added that crypto trading is often more similar to betting than to investing. Furthermore, Sumar wants the CNMV to force banks and exchanges to ensure their customers read pre-purchase information on cryptoassets before allowing them to buy coins.

This should apply regardless of a token’s individual classification, Sumar said. It added that these mandatory warnings must be clearly summarized and contain visual elements.

Sumar suggested that the CNMV use prominent warning systems. It said the regulator should base its models on those already used in sectors such as gambling or tobacco sales.

Restrict Access to AI-powered Trading, MPs Urge

Sumar lawmakers also want to create specific regulations for algorithmic trading pools. And the group wants to restrict retail investors’ access to trading platforms that use AI or algorithms.

Sumar is a left-wing coalition comprising 20 parties that was first formed to run in the July 2023 general elections.

Although it does not have a representation in the Senate, it has 31 lawmakers in the lower house, the Congress of Deputies. It makes up one of the 11 political blocs in Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s ruling coalition.

This year has seen some of Spain’s largest banks move into the crypto sector as the popularity of coins continues to grow on the Iberian Peninsula.