Bankers Play Crypto: France’s ODDO BHF Dives Into Digital Cash 🏦💸

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In the shadow of Parisian spires and the clatter of cash registers, ODDO BHF, a titan of finance with a belly full of €173 billion, has decided to dip its toe into the crypto pool. They’ve conjured up a stablecoin called EUROD, a digital euro wrapped in the solemnity of tradition and the desperation of relevance. One imagines the boardroom debate: “Shall we cling to the past or pretend we’re hipsters?” The answer, it seems, is “Both. And charge fees.”

This marks their first foray into crypto, a move that feels less revolutionary and more like a nervous tic. After all, who better to digitize money than the folks who’ve been counting it for centuries? Just don’t expect them to let go of the ledger anytime soon. 🧾

ODDO BHF’s Stablecoin Complies With MiCA Regulation

On October 15, the 175-year-old banking behemoth dropped a hint: they’re launching EUROD, a stablecoin as stable as a cat on a windowsill. By December, it’ll be listed on Bit2Me, a Madrid-based crypto platform that’s probably still figuring out how to pronounce “blockchain.”

For Bit2Me, this is a badge of honor. After all, being partnered with Telefonica (yes, the telecom giant) and banks like Unicaja and BBVA must feel like winning the crypto lottery. It’s the financial equivalent of a farmer’s market suddenly getting Michelin stars. 🍴

EUROD, they say, will serve both retail and institutional clients, as if the average Joe and Wall Street could ever agree on anything. And of course, it’s MiCA-compliant, because nothing says “trust us” like a 200-page regulatory document. The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation is now the golden ticket, and ODDO BHF is just trying to keep up with the Joneses-crypto style. 🚀

This whole affair is a microcosm of the stablecoin frenzy, where banks and cryptos tango under the watchful eye of regulators. Just last month, Societe Generale-FORGE and Bitpanda deepened their alliance, proving that even in DeFi, everyone still needs a loan. Now, Bitpanda’s retail clients can play with EURCV and USDCV stablecoins like they’re Monopoly money. 🎲

Crypto Exchanges Reaches For MiCA License

Meanwhile, the TradFi crowd-those dinosaurs who still think “blockchain” is a type of cheese-has suddenly discovered crypto. Why? Because MiCA gave them a regulatory handhold, and nothing fuels confidence like a bureaucracy’s stamp of approval. 🏛️

In the EU, MiCA is the new sheriff in town, and everyone’s scrambling to kowtow. Gate Technology Ltd, a Gate Group subsidiary, recently secured its MiCA license from Malta, because who wouldn’t trust a sunny island and a spreadsheet? Gemini, run by the Winklevoss twins (yes, those guys), also got their license, presumably after a long chat with their lawyers. And Coinbase? They’re just another kid on the MiCA block now. 🎓

As the crypto world turns, one thing’s clear: tradition and innovation are now awkwardly sharing a limo. Whether this union ends in a fairytale or a fiasco remains to be seen. But hey, at least the fees will be stellar. 💰

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2025-10-15 19:11