Bitcoin at $84,328!

The Fear & Greed Index sits at 45 – Fear, showing cautious sentiment across the market as discussions around trust, transparency, and regulation continue.

Germany debates gold reserves in the US – Is Bitcoin the better alternative?

Germany’s political debate over its gold reserves stored at the New York Fed is intensifying, with calls for full repatriation due to growing geopolitical tensions.

• Michael Jäger from the European Taxpayers Association and MEP Markus Ferber demand on-site audits or a complete return of the gold reserves.
• Elon Musk stirred international attention by suggesting a live broadcast from Fort Knox – a location that hasn’t seen a public inspection since 1974.
• The Bundesbank still trusts the US Federal Reserve, stating no changes are needed.
• Experts argue that Bitcoin offers better transparency than gold. Its decentralized, auditable nature allows for public verification and eliminates reliance on third parties or physical access.
• Despite this, Germany currently shows no political will to consider Bitcoin as a sovereign reserve asset.

ECB doubles down on digital euro push – Stablecoins seen as threat

The European Central Bank (ECB) is intensifying its push for a digital euro in response to rising dominance of USD-based stablecoins.

• ECB Board Member Piero Cipollone warned that foreign stablecoins could undermine Europe’s monetary sovereignty.
• Cipollone proposes a public-private partnership to implement a euro-backed CBDC as a sovereign EU alternative.
• Despite this push, recent ECB research showed low consumer interest, mainly due to privacy concerns and lack of clear utility.
• Cipollone emphasized the urgency: “The time to act is now.” Progress on both the digital euro and cash legal tender status is needed, he said.

Kraken and Mastercard launch crypto debit cards across Europe

Kraken has partnered with Mastercard to roll out crypto debit cards in the UK and across Europe, giving users direct access to spend their crypto and stablecoins.

• The cards are integrated with Kraken Pay, a new tool enabling crypto payments and transfers in over 300 tokens.
• Since its January launch, over 200,000 of Kraken’s 15 million users have activated Kraken Pay.
• Co-CEO David Ripley said the goal is to make crypto use “undeniably relevant” for real-world purchases.
• Mastercard emphasized this as a major step in mainstreaming digital assets, building on partnerships with MetaMask and other Web3 players.