Circle Enables Bitcoin Buying and Selling in Several European Countries
Bitcoin blockchain-centric P2P Fintech firm Circle has now added support for bitcoin buying and selling in several European countries beyond the UK. Six months after bitcoin exchange and services firm Circle saw an electronic money license granted by the British government, the company is pushing on to other countries in Europe. Users from sixteen countries including the likes of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain will now be able to link their Euro-based credit and debit cards. Notably, there are no fees for buying bitcoin with debit cards, making Circle stand out in a growing list....
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Circle, one of the earliest and best-funded startups in the bitcoin industry has announced a curtain call on selling and buying the cryptocurrency. The former bitcoin startup hinted at folding as a bitcoin exchange in a blog late last night. An excerpt from that blog read: [W]e’re making payments more social than ever and diving headfirst into next-gen blockchain technology, rather than the buying and selling of bitcoin itself. While Circle will cease buying and selling of bitcoin, the company will continue to allow customers to hold bitcoin within their registered accounts, as well as....
Circle customers in Europe and the UK can now link cards from a wide array of countries, many of which can also hold euros in their Circle accounts. Circle describes itself as “more than a payment app” that has worked hard to make the process of moving money less “archaic.” The company exists to make online payments as simple and convenient as possible, while also enforcing additional safety measures and protecting user privacy. Circle’s website states: “Unlike existing systems that are closed and proprietary, we use open internet standards and protocols, including the blockchain (allowing....
Circle Internet Financial set off a wave of positive press last week when it revealed the news that it had become an electronic money institution registered under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. Though enthusiasm was high, there was confusion over the nature of the licensing and how it enables Circle to further its operations. Of note, is that the e-money license is not digital currency-specific, with the E-Money Directive being introduced in the UK in September 2009. The FCA, sources noted, is still debating how it will seek to regulate digital currencies in the UK.....
You could say there was a certain feeling that went beyond the news. On the surface, Circle's decision to stop offering bitcoin buying and selling services might have precedent. The company had long talked about its drive toward social payments, and its belief in the bitcoin protocol as a foundational layer for finance, not a currency for consumers. It may not even be that impactful. Circle will continue trading (buying and selling) bitcoin on behalf of its customers to move money, and it will continue using the protocol as the base for a new hybrid blockchian platform called Spark. Yet,....
Coinbase has announced its first expansion beyond the US market, launching bitcoin buying and selling services in 13 countries across Europe. With the beta launch, Coinbase will now allow consumers in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain to buy and sell up to €500 in bitcoin per day. Speaking to CoinDesk, CEO and co-founder Brian Armstrong framed Coinbase's European market entrance as the natural next step for his business, which now boasts more than 1.6 million wallet users in the US as well as a host of....