A French couple in their late 50s was coerced to transfer roughly $1 million in Bitcoin after criminals posing as police officers carried out a violent home invasion west of Paris, highlighting a growing wave of physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders.

Coinbase has launched regulated crypto futures trading for users in 26 European countries, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands, offering contracts on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, as well as equity-index futures. Ripple Prime clients also gained access to these futures through Nodal Clear, expanding institutional participation in Coinbase’s regulated derivatives markets.

MoonPay has partnered with Deel to let companies pay employees in stablecoins, starting in the UK and EU, with plans to expand to the US. The service sends wages directly to workers’ crypto wallets, offering faster and more flexible global payroll.

French authorities have arrested six suspects, including one minor, following the kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother in a crypto ransom plot, according to French media reports. The incident underscores growing concerns about the rise in violent “wrench attacks,” where criminals physically assault or kidnap victims to extort cryptocurrency transfers.

Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov has ignited a fresh debate over online privacy after sharply criticizing Spain’s proposal to restrict social media access for users under 16.

Gemini is closing all of its operations in the United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia, slashing 25% of its workforce in a revolutionary move to shift the exchange from crypto to put its prediction markets platform at the "front and center" of its platform.

French prosecutors raided X’s Paris office and summoned Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for questioning on 20 April 2026 over claims that the platform’s algorithms and its AI chatbot Grok spread illegal and harmful content. A French politician has publicly warned Musk not to travel to France, saying he could be detained, and compared the case to the earlier arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

Europe is moving ahead with a digital euro to reduce reliance on foreign payment systems, which are seen as a long-term risk. The ECB plans a pilot in 2027 and full rollout around 2029 to provide a public digital alternative alongside cash and keep banks central to payments.

OKX has launched OKX Pay and OKX Card in Europe, allowing users to spend stablecoins at Mastercard merchants and access DeFi and tokenised assets where regulations allow. The services operate under EU rules with mandatory KYC checks, combining everyday payments with regulated crypto use.

Russia has banned crypto exchange WhiteBIT and its parent company from operating in the country, accusing them of helping fund Ukraine’s military and moving money out of Russia through illegal schemes. WhiteBIT says it already blocked Russian users in 2022 and views the ban as confirmation of its pro-Ukraine stance.