Coinbase Acquires BUX Cyprus, Rebrands as Coinbase Financial Services Europe

Coinbase Acquires BUX Cyprus, Rebrands as Coinbase Financial Services Europe
Coinbase Acquires BUX Cyprus, Rebrands as Coinbase Financial Services Europe

Happy New Year, FinTech Fanatic!

Coinbase has expanded its European footprint by acquiring BUX's Cyprus unit and rebranding it as Coinbase Financial Services Europe. The strategic move gives the cryptocurrency exchange a Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) license, enabling them to offer CFDs and passport their services across the European Economic Area (EEA).

The Cyprus regulator's registry shows approval for a "coinbase.com/international-exchange/europe" domain, though it's not yet live. Yorick Naeff, CEO of BUX, commented on the deal: "We are pleased with the sale of our MiFID licensed entity, BUX Europe Limited (BEU) to Coinbase, a globally recognised leader in the crypto industry."

This development follows a broader trend of crypto exchanges entering the traditional finance space, with Crypto.com recently acquiring Australian-licensed CFDs broker Fintek Securities, and Bybit holding a Mauritius license for forex and CFDs instruments.

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Marcel


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FINTECH REPORT

📊 A look back: Top 10 Cross Border Payment trends that defined 2024. This report by Almond FinTech underscores how efficiency, inclusivity, and innovation are reshaping the industry, offering a glimpse into the future of global finance. Click here to learn more.


FINTECH NEWS

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🇺🇸 Dave faces lawsuit over hidden fees. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a civil enforcement action against financial technology company Dave Inc. The lawsuit claims the company engaged in deceptive practices, including hidden fees, misleading advertising, and unclear cancellation mechanisms for recurring charges.

🇫🇷 Fast-growing French FinTech Aria eyes European expansion. Aria offers onboarding, credit and fraud risk management, and insurance. The startup has seen over 300% year-on-year revenue growth and raised €15 million in a Series A round. Continue reading

🇪🇺 What’s next for European FinTech? Sifted asked industry experts for their top predictions for 2025, highlighting key trends and innovations set to shape the sector in the year ahead. Explore the full article

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PAYMENTS NEWS

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🇺🇸 iWallet adds voice AI payments. This new technology aims to revolutionise how payments are processed, combining advanced security features with seamless usability. “Adding the ability for businesses to use AI for payments saves them a lot of time and money,” stated the company’s Founder and CEO.

🇨🇳 Alipay introduces AI tool for analyzing images in app. The “Tanyixia” feature allows users to analyze images of plants, animals, food, or cartoons to access relevant details like menu translations or medication instructions also allows to gather information from uploaded images.


DIGITAL BANKING NEWS

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SoFi's Member Growth

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🇺🇸 OCC to intensify oversight of larger banks. The OCC is increasing scrutiny on anti-money laundering (AML) practices. Recently, it issued a cease-and-desist order to Bank of America for deficiencies in Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and sanctions compliance, citing delays in filing suspicious activity reports. Read more

🇵🇰 Mashreq pioneers digital retail banking pilot. The bank plans to offer best-in-class Islamic banking solutions, aiming to onboard millions of retail customers over the next five years. This initiative highlights Mashreq’s role in driving financial accessibility and supporting Pakistan’s economic growth.

🇺🇸 Morgan Stanley’s E-Trade explores offering crypto trading. This move comes as the Trump administration takes a more crypto-friendly approach, with other large brokers like Schwab also exploring crypto services. E-TRADE's potential entry highlights the expanding role of cryptocurrencies in retail investing.

🇧🇬 Revolut is beta testing its product in Ukraine. Revolut’s beta test is a significant milestone in its journey to enter the Ukrainian market. With over 6 million Ukrainians living abroad, the app has the potential to earn revenue through cross-border transactions.

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🇩🇪 Deutsche Bank targets US fixed income for investment banking growth. The bank has rebuilt its trading operations since 2019, boosting revenues in Europe and Asia by 45% to €8 billion. It is also expanding its advisory arm to balance the capital-intensive fixed income business.


BLOCKCHAIN/CRYPTO NEWS

🇺🇸 Frax launches frxUSD, backed by BlackRock's BUIDL fund. This partnership bridges traditional finance and blockchain, offering fiat redemption and enhanced compliance with U.S. financial systems. The collaboration highlights the transformative potential of tokenizing real-world assets for modern finance.

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🇺🇸 Blockchain groups sue IRS DeFi rules. New IRS regulations set for 2027 require crypto brokers, including decentralized exchanges and platforms, to report digital asset transactions, sparking industry backlash. Blockchain groups argue the rules are unconstitutional, impose unlawful compliance burdens on developers, and stifle innovation.

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PARTNERSHIPS

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DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS

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M&A

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🇨🇾 Coinbase acquires BUX's Cyprus unit. The crypto exchange renamed the entity Coinbase Financial Services Europe, according to Finance Magnates. Through this acquisition, Coinbase has obtained a Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) license, allowing it to offer contracts for differences (CFDs) products.


MOVERS AND SHAKERS

🇬🇧 Freetrade co-founder Davide Fioranelli returns as a Non-Exec Director. Fioranelli has returned following a four year absence. The firm experienced a tough period, posting a £13.9 million loss in 2023, but has shown signs of improvement in 2024.


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