U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ended Aug. 1 came in at 199,000, below the 202,000 forecast. In Shenzhen, a company employee who stole confidential R&D folders and posed as an overseas hacker was sentenced after demanding BTC and USDT. The roundup also covers an increase in impersonation scams after the EU’s MiCA transition period ended, Circle’s renewed Coinbase deal, and a Chainalysis report on violent crypto theft cases.

European Union regulators are warning of a rise in impersonation scams after the MiCA licensing rules took effect. Scammers are posing as financial regulators and crypto firms, targeting customers of crypto service providers that failed to obtain an EU license. The fraudsters use fake websites and forged documents to trick users into transferring assets. France's Financial Markets Authority (AMF) said scammers have impersonated its representatives and directed users to move funds through fraudulent websites, according to AMF official Stéphane Pontoizeau. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said it has detected abuse of its identity and branding, including the use of forged documents. Under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), crypto companies have needed authorization since July 1 to operate in the EU. Unauthorized firms must wind down or transfer their EU business. An ESMA list updated at the end of July shows only 323 licensed crypto companies so far. By comparison, data provider VASPnet previously estimated that more than 1,700 unlicensed companies would have to stop operations.

Capital B purchased six more BTC for €0.3 million, bringing its treasury holdings to 2,834 BTC valued at €263.8 million, funded through a share issuance.

MiCA's July 2026 expiry, the US CLARITY Act and SEC-CFTC MoU, plus UK and Japan's FSMA-style regimes are forcing a global licensing reset, squeezing out thin-margin crypto venues.

CryptoComLearn reviewed five crypto debit cards for 2024, comparing supported assets, fees, cashback, availability, and compliance. For most users, realistic cashback usually falls between 0.1% and 2%.

ECB President Christine Lagarde helped derail Binance's MiCA application in Greece, according to The Big Whale. Binance now relies on France to secure EU-wide authorization before the June 30 deadline.

France's AMF warns unlicensed crypto firms to secure MiCA approval by June 30 or cease operations, with orderly wind-down plans required and potential fines for non-compliance.

Lise completes the world's first native tokenized IPO on a regulated exchange. ST GROUP, a French industrial SME, is the debut issuer. Settlement uses deposit tokens with real-time T+0 finality.