NEWS DIGEST – 22.08.2025πΒ
1) EU fast-tracks the digital euro after U.S. stablecoin law
πͺπΊ The EU is accelerating its digital-euro work in response to the U.S. GENIUS Act and the rapid growth of dollar stablecoins. Policymakers are now even weighing public blockchains (e.g., Ethereum/Solana) instead of only private rails.
Why it matters: This is the clearest signal yet that Europe fears losing payments share to USD-pegged coins. A digital euro on public chains would be a huge shift for CBDC design and could challenge dollar stablecoin dominance in the EU. Β
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2) DOJ pivots: steps back from βmoney-transmitterβ prosecutions
βοΈ Reuters reports the U.S. Department of Justice will scale back using money-transmitter statutes in crypto cases β a change many in the industry pushed for.
Why it matters: Reduces legal overhang for on-chain businesses that arenβt traditional remitters. Expect compliance to focus more on sanctions/AML and less on shoehorning crypto activity into outdated MSB rules. Β
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3) Peter Thiel piles into Ether as Wall Street warms to Ethereum
π§ The Wall Street Journal says Thiel is leading a cohort rotating toward ETH, citing Ethereumβs growing role in tokenized finance. His fund has taken substantial Ether-centric bets and backed companies pivoting to ETH strategies.
Why it matters: Big-name capital endorsing Ethereum strengthens the βETH = financial railsβ narrative and could keep institutional flows sticky even if BTC chops. Β
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4) Markets on edge before Powell: BTC slips, ETH holds up
π Bitcoin dipped to ~$112.9K while ETH eked slight gains as traders positioned ahead of Jackson Hole. Macro tone remains the driver; options and ETF flow data point to a defensive setup into the speech.
Why it matters: If Powell sounds less dovish, BTC could test ~$112K support; ETHβs relative strength may fade if risk sentiment sours. Keep an eye on weekend liquidity.
