Coinbase To Start Restricting Stablecoins in EU Based on MiCA Compliance

As a seasoned analyst with years of observing and analyzing the ever-evolving crypto landscape, I find this latest development between Coinbase and MiCA intriguing. The EU stablecoin market has long been dominated by Tether, but it seems that its days at the top may be numbered due to regulatory non-compliance.

Based on Algorand’s report, Coinbase is planning to impose restrictions on stablecoins that do not comply with the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) standards starting tomorrow for its European clients.

Two digital currencies, the EURD from Quantoz and USDC from Circle, remain active, but the departure of Tether from Europe has significantly affected their value.

Coinbase Prepares for MiCA

This news originates from the Algorand Foundation, an organization that manages a proof-of-stake blockchain and cryptocurrency. Algorand announced through a social media post that they had received a notice from Coinbase, and they listed the EU-compliant stablecoins (Circle and Quantoz) their users can now utilize instead. These two contenders are currently engaged in a competition to establish dominance within the EU stablecoin marketplace.

Dear valued Client,

The MiCA regulation, a fresh regulatory system for digital currencies across the EU, is opening up exciting new business chances. Previously, Tether was the leading stablecoin in this sector, but its failure to meet compliance standards has been evident. Now, various companies view this situation as an opportunity to take over Tether’s market dominance.

In response to its strategic plan, Tether has taken several steps. Firstly, it reduced its EU operations noticeably in November. Secondly, the company has heavily financed Quantoz, a move that led to the launch of one of two MiCA-compliant stablecoins recognized by Algorand. Notably, Circle’s USDC, another approved asset, can be seen as an attempt to challenge Tether in its former market.

Yesterday, it was revealed that Binance and Circle have formed a partnership, which appears to be an effort to strengthen their presence in Europe. Notably, Coinbase holds a portion of Circle, leading to this joint move despite the competitive nature between these two major cryptocurrency exchanges. By pooling their financial resources and capabilities, they could potentially make substantial headway in the European market.

Despite the potential effects of MiCA on the broader crypto market, it may not significantly alter the day-to-day activities of non-stablecoin firms such as Algorand. The company has experienced a strong upward trend in recent months, with its latest announcement allowing users to effortlessly utilize either USDC or EURD provided by Quantoz.

Essentially, the “Market Opportunity of MiCA” seems to have minimal influence on companies such as Algorand. Users on platforms like Algorand can still enjoy a similar experience regardless, and Algorand itself is not affected by Tether’s efforts to reclaim its market dominance.

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2024-12-12 21:19