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BBVA Launches Bitcoin and Ethereum Trading as EU Crypto Regulations Tighten

In a landmark move, Spain’s banking giant Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) has gained approval from the Spanish financial regulator to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum trading to its clientele. This step is a result of the EU-wide enforcement of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation.

Key Insights

  • The authorization ends a prolonged journey, allowing BBVA to provide digital assets to its customers.
  • BBVA’s crypto journey follows in the footsteps of other major European banks like Deutsche Bank and Société Générale.
  • This approval highlights the changing dynamics of crypto markets across Europe.

The Bigger Picture

BBVA’s approval comes as MiCA takes full effect across the EU, marking a crucial phase in the bank’s strategy to offer digital asset services. Initially reported by CoinDesk in 2020, BBVA’s expansion into digital currencies was contingent upon regulatory clearance, previously planned for Switzerland due to its established regulatory framework.

Earlier this year, the bank ventured into Turkey’s crypto market through a local subsidiary.

Cyprus Outpaces EU Average In Working-Age Population Share, Eurostat Finds

Cyprus had a working-age population share of 61.6 per cent on January 1, 2025, placing the country above the European Union average of 58.3 per cent, according to Eurostat.

Cyprus Stands Above The EU Benchmark

The figures show that people aged 20 to 64 made up more than three-fifths of Cyprus’ population at the start of last year. In Eurostat’s regional demographic breakdown, Cyprus is treated as a single region because of its size, rather than being divided into multiple NUTS level 3 areas.

Wide Gaps Across The Bloc

Across the EU, 58.3 per cent of the population was of working age on January 1, 2025. The share reached at least 63.0 per cent in 39 NUTS level 3 regions, most of them in Germany. The group also included island regions in Spain, alongside several capital regions and their surrounding areas.

Capital And Island Regions Lead

At the top of the range was the Danish capital region of Byen København, where 68.9 per cent of residents were of working age. The same proportion was recorded in Spain’s island region of Eivissa y Formentera, while Fuerteventura stood at 68.3 per cent and Lanzarote at 67.3 per cent.

Rural Europe Skews Older

At the other end of the spectrum, working-age residents accounted for less than 55.0 per cent of the population in 189 EU regions. These areas were largely rural, including inland Portugal, much of rural France, most of eastern Germany, and rural areas in Bulgaria, Greece and the Nordic EU countries.

In six regions, fewer than half of the population was of working age. Those regions were Bornholm in Denmark, Creuse and Lot in south-west France, Etelä-Savo in south-east Finland, the Arrondissement of Veurne in Belgium and the French outermost region of Mayotte.

What The Data Measures

Eurostat’s regional demographic data measure the share of people aged 20 to 64, not the share of people who are actually employed. Cyprus’ 61.6 per cent figure was 3.3 percentage points above the EU average, though still below the highest regional levels recorded across the bloc.

The data underline how sharply Europe’s age structure varies from one region to another, with working-age shares differing significantly between urban centres, capital regions, islands and predominantly rural areas.

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