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<center>https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmRfm8eyUVXQLFB2VafmhApUcaQfTjvBE3E6HLyCgEy6kQ</center>
<h3> While the American SEC regulatory discussion is keeping American investors mentally stressed, Europe seems to be opening up or even embracing cryptocurrencies. From positive EU reports to Europe's largest ETF jumping into crypto, and Malta's welcoming stance, it seems like Europe is warming up to the cryptocurrency revolution.</h3>
<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTdTogEsBP64wtTZD38triu4bHkmhUaGgnSNLYPLPwg34/dividerline%20cartooney3.png</center>
<h3>EUROPE'S LARGEST ETF</h3> <div class="pull-right">
https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmNzNZLjCfJc687ErNJrUePdEgR43oewVW8QWnwcJNXy1g
<sub>[source](http://www.baystreet.ca/etfs/271/Why-Canadian-Dividend-ETFs-Still-Make-Sense-for-Income-Investors)</sub>
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Bloomberg reported on July 5th that [Europe's largest Exchange-traded Fund (ETF) is moving into crypto](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-05/tesla-drivers-are-getting-disgruntled-in-key-european-market). Flow Traders NV, an Amsterdam based speed trader, will be entering both the Bitcoin and Ethereum markets, despite criticism from the Dutch regulators. Through ETF's such as Flow Traders large institutions are able to enter the cryptocurrency markets. Flow Traders traded $284 Billion USD globally in this year's first quarter, including $167 billion USD in Europe, making it Europe's biggest trader of securities.
[Read more about the ETF on Bloomberg.com](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-05/tesla-drivers-are-getting-disgruntled-in-key-european-market)
<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTdTogEsBP64wtTZD38triu4bHkmhUaGgnSNLYPLPwg34/dividerline%20cartooney3.png</center>
<h3>POSITIVE EU REPORT</h3> <div class="pull-right">
https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmdxrxK3gcG48K9Pu3heZwvvYbusgmgdFV4UhoTjRM2UnW
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Though regulators are still unsure, the stack of positive reports is piling up. Recently the [newest EU report by the European Parliament's Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies, by request of the EU Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee](http://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/149900/CASE_FINAL%20publication.pdf), urged policymakers not to **neither ignore nor ban cryptocurrencies**.
The report states that cryptocurrencies pose no threat to the existing monetary order and the authors deem them unable to compete with money issued by banks. The authors also point out, however, that smaller jurisdictions may be more at risk of being affected, especially in countries where the sovereign currency remains inconvertible or does not enjoy public trust. The authors also concede that in extreme cases such as financial crises, hyperinflation, political turmoil or war cryptocurrencies can become a means of currency substitution in certain economies.
[Read the EU report here (dry, boring & long - be warned)](http://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/149900/CASE_FINAL%20publication.pdf)
<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTdTogEsBP64wtTZD38triu4bHkmhUaGgnSNLYPLPwg34/dividerline%20cartooney3.png</center>
<h3>MALTA IS BLOCKCHAIN ISLAND </h3> <div class="pull-left">
https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmQZuZCqix4BvUbFyqU1QDyATpSCYEYsU8FnF2bheDf5uk
<sub>[source](https://advapay.eu/en/blog/13-news/938-malta-blockchain-regulation-proposal-legal-personality-for-daos-and-smart-contracts)</sub>
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Malta keeps making headlines and marketing itself as 'blockchain island', now that [the Maltese parliament has officially passed three bills into law that establish a regulatory framework for blockchain technology](https://cointelegraph.com/news/malta-passes-blockchain-bills-into-law-confirming-malta-as-the-blockchain-island). Through this Malta has become the world's first country to offer complete regulations, offering a clarity and legal certainty that no other country can match.
Regulatory certainty is very important and is very attractive to blockchain enterprises, as it gives them a solid foundation to base their operations on, whereas in other countries that do not offer the same clarity blockchain businesses might face changing circumstances or even negative regulations in the future.
It is well-known that Binance, the world's largest retail cryptocurrency exchange, is moving to Malta due to it's positive regulations but it is also drawing the attention of other companies such as OKex, Tron, Monaco, Coinvest, Bitbay, Neufund and probably a slew of other smaller companies.
[Read the article about Malta's new laws on Cointelegraph here](https://cointelegraph.com/news/malta-passes-blockchain-bills-into-law-confirming-malta-as-the-blockchain-island)
<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTdTogEsBP64wtTZD38triu4bHkmhUaGgnSNLYPLPwg34/dividerline%20cartooney3.png</center>
Maybe I'm biased for being European myself, but I often feel like Europe is a lot more friendly and laid back towards cryptocurrencies from a regulatory point of view than, for example, the USA is. Of course the action in Europe takes place mostly outside of the EU borders, but Europe is intertwined and entangled in a lot of ways and in many cases Malta or Switzerland is just as good - _perhaps better_ - than being inside the EU itself.
Nations worldwide better get their act together. Those who delay and stall on providing regulatory clarity will be surpassed by those smaller nations willing to take the whole pie, if nobody else seems willing to take it.
In other good (European) news: [The controversial (_and terrible!_)copyright law that was proposed was just rejected](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44712475) by the European Parliament. Thank god we can all enjoy our internet memes for years to come. 👍
<center>[](https://steemit.com/@pandorasbox)<br><div class="pull-left"><sub>_(Art by: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Lichtenstein">Roy Lichtenstein</a>)_</sub></div>
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