Today in crypto, the European Union will include cryptocurrency platforms in its latest financial sanctions against Russia. US-first Dogecoin and XRP ETFs hugely outpaced analyst expectations, and the US and UK signed an agreement to collaborate on AI, nuclear energy, telecom and quantum technology.
EU targets crypto platforms in latest Russia sanctions package
The European Union will include cryptocurrency platforms in its latest financial sanctions against Russia, marking the first time digital asset services have been directly targeted.
The measures, part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package, prohibit all cryptocurrency transactions for Russian residents and restrict dealings with foreign banks tied to Russia’s alternative payment systems, according to a statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen published Friday.
The package also seeks to block transactions with entities operating in Russian special economic zones.
“As evasion tactics grow more sophisticated, our sanctions will adapt to stay ahead,” von der Leyen said. “Therefore, for the first time, our restrictive measures will hit crypto platforms. and prohibit transactions in cryptocurrencies.”
She added, “We are listing foreign banks connected to Russian alternative payment service systems. And we are restricting transactions with entities in special economic zones.”
The sanctions are not yet final and require approval from all 27 EU member states.
Rex-Osprey’s XRP, DOGE ETFs “no slouch” on debut with $54 million volume
Investors piled into the first US-based Dogecoin (DOGE) and XRP (XRP) exchange-traded funds on their debut trading day on Thursday, with Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas saying the new crypto funds were “no slouch,” together seeing $54.7 million in trades over the day, while most new ETFs see around $1 million.
REX Shares and Osprey Funds jointly issued REX-Osprey XRP ETF (XRPR) saw $37.7 million in volume on the day, while their REX-Osprey DOGE ETF (DOJE) finished with $17 million in volume traded.
Both were early gainers with millions traded in their first hours on the market. Balchunas said XRPR had the “biggest day one” volume “of any 2025 launch,” while DOJE was “shockingly solid” early on.
He added the volumes were a “good sign for the onslaught” of crypto-related ETFs that are awaiting regulatory approval to launch, as asset managers have lined up to create ETFs from speculative altcoins or novel services like crypto staking.
US, UK to collaborate on AI, quantum computing, nuclear energy development
The United States and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to jointly develop artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, telecommunications and quantum computing for a wide range of uses, including space travel, military defense, targeted biomedical drugs and medical procedures.
The MOU, which is not legally binding and changes no existing agreements between the two countries, proposes joint research initiatives between a host of government departments and agencies in both countries to study these emerging technologies.
The two countries will form a task group to develop quantum computing hardware, software, algorithms and interoperability standards, according to the MOU.
Quantum computing has become a high-interest topic in the crypto community, as sufficiently powerful quantum computers could crack modern encryption standards that are central to crypto’s very existence.
The UK and US will also explore building 6G mobile telecommunications networks as part of the technological research and development effort.
cointelegraph.com