European supervisory authorities (EBA, EIOPA, and ESMA – ESA) are warning consumers that crypto assets can be risky and that legal protection, if any, may be limited depending on which crypto assets they invest in.
As reported on the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) website on Monday, the warning is accompanied by an information bulletin that explains what the new EU regulation on crypto-asset markets (MiCA) means for consumers. Specific steps are recommended that consumers can take to make informed decisions before investing in crypto assets, such as checking whether the provider is licensed in the EU.
In addition, consumers are advised to familiarize themselves with the product or service and assess the risk before investing, check whether the crypto-asset service provider is licensed in the EU, and ensure that any wallets used to store their crypto-assets are sufficiently secure. These steps are particularly important at a time when consumer interest in such products and services is growing, partly due to aggressive promotion on social media by finfluencers.
According to the information available, from December 2024, the new EU Regulation on Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) will apply to certain types of crypto-assets and establish a consistent supervisory regime at both national and European levels for issuers and providers of crypto-asset services across the EU.
The tax debt of Ukrainian citizens who received income from posting content on the OnlyFans platform in 2020–2022 amounts to UAH 384.7 million as of September 1, 2025. This was reported by the State Tax Service in response to a journalist’s request, as reported by Ekonomichna Pravda; the information has also been confirmed by a number of Ukrainian media outlets.
The tax service clarified that this refers specifically to the tax debt of individuals on income from the service owner Fenix International Ltd for the period 2020-2022; data for 2023 has been received recently and is currently being processed.
It should be noted that the State Tax Service treats the income of Ukrainian residents from OnlyFans as foreign income subject to taxation in Ukraine (income tax and military tax; some authors work as sole proprietors). At the same time, the platform itself pays VAT in Ukraine on electronic services (the so-called “Google tax”): in 2023, the amount of such VAT exceeded $928,000.
Previously, the media raised the issue of conflicts between criminal law provisions on pornographic content and the need for authors to declare their income, but the fiscal authority’s position on the taxation of such income remains unchanged.
The price of gold continues to rise rapidly on global markets: December futures on the Comex exchange rose to $3,965 per troy ounce on Monday, a new historic high. Since the beginning of the year, gold has risen in price by almost one and a half times.
The main drivers of growth were increased demand for safe-haven assets and political instability in the US and Europe.
In Washington, federal agencies have been shut down for six days now, as Congress has been unable to approve a temporary budget. Against this backdrop, investors are pulling their money out of stocks and bonds and putting it into gold, which they see as a safer bet in times of crisis.
Adding to the nervousness is the political crisis in France: Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned after criticism of the composition of the new cabinet, causing another surge of volatility in European markets.
“We see both fundamental and situational factors for a further rally in gold. If current conditions persist, the price could reach $4,200 per ounce by the end of the year,” UBS analysts predict.
According to experts, if political uncertainty in the US and the EU persists, gold could consolidate above the $4,000 mark.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center presented an analysis of the world’s leading gold-producing countries in its video on YouTube — https://youtube.com/shorts/DWbzJ1e2tJc?si=9YBue5CS6dz-tA6_
According to the Arvio report for the first quarter of 2025, 7.19% of all real estate transactions in Croatia were concluded by foreigners. The most active among them are:
· Slovenia — about 30.2% of transactions with foreigners
· Germany — approximately 21.1%
· Austria — about 10.4%
Buyers from Ukraine did not make it into the top 10 list of the most active real estate buyers in Croatia, but there are dozens of transactions involving Ukrainians purchasing real estate in Croatia.
At the same time, Ukrainian buyers are quite noticeable in the Balkans as a whole — in Montenegro, they ranked 11th among foreign real estate buyers, and in Bulgaria, they are consistently among the top 10 most active investors.
In recent years, the number of deals concluded by foreigners in Croatia has been declining:
· 2022 — ~ 13,344 deals
· 2023 — ~ 12,278
· 2024 — ~ 11,623 deals
Foreign buyers are particularly active in coastal regions such as Istria and Kvarner, as well as in areas popular for vacation and secondary housing. New apartments and houses that require minimal renovation or are immediately ready for occupancy or rental are in particularly high demand.
Real estate prices in some regions of Croatia are showing steady growth — about 10% per year. In coastal and tourist areas, average prices for new projects and apartments are significantly higher than the market average.
Given current trends, it is predicted that the share of foreign buyers in the total volume of transactions by the end of 2025 will remain within 8%, possibly declining slightly due to rising prices and housing affordability issues. Prices on the coast are expected to grow faster than average, driven by supply shortages, high tourist demand, and a focus on new properties.
There is also likely to be increased demand from Europeans in neighboring countries (Slovenia, Austria, Germany) and “returning diaspora.” As for purchases from countries outside the EU, the situation is less clear, and no significant flows have yet been recorded in public sources.
Taxes, fees, and mandatory payments to the general and special funds of Ukraine’s state budget amounted to UAH 2.71 trillion over the first nine months of 2025, while cash expenditures amounted to UAH 3.63 trillion, which is approximately 25.0% and 22.1% higher than the corresponding figures for the first nine months of 2024.
According to operational data from the State Treasury Service, which the Ministry of Finance published on its website, general fund revenues increased by 24.5% to UAH 1.92 trillion, while expenditures increased by 20.4% to UAH 2.82 trillion.
In September this year, state budget revenues increased by 28.7% compared to September last year, to UAH 298.5 billion, including the general fund – by 69.6%, to UAH 208.4 billion. This is due to the receipt of grants worth UAH 53.9 billion last month, while in September 2024 there were none.
It is noted that the largest source of revenue in January-September this year remains VAT on goods imported into the customs territory of Ukraine – UAH 390.3 billion (UAH 342.3 billion in the first nine months of 2024).
After raising the military tax from 1.5% to 5% and introducing a condition for reserving a salary of UAH 20,000 this year, personal income tax and military tax moved from fourth to second place in terms of revenue for the first nine months of this year – UAH 260.9 billion compared to UAH 154.7 billion last year.
In third place this year is VAT on goods produced in Ukraine – UAH 231.6 billion for refunds of UAH 131.2 billion (UAH 197.6 billion for refunds of UAH 109.7 billion), while corporate income tax amounted to UAH 219.7 billion (UAH 200.9 billion) and fell to fourth place, with excise tax almost catching up with it at UAH 210.5 billion (UAH 150.9 billion).
In addition, dividends and parts of the net profit of state-owned companies amounted to UAH 64.5 billion (UAH 66.6 billion), import and export duties – UAH 40.0 billion (UAH 35.7 billion), and rent payments for the use of subsoil resources – UAH 31.5 billion (UAH 36.3 billion).
The Ministry of Finance added that another UAH 84.2 billion (UAH 38.6 billion) was added to the budget from the National Bank’s profits, and grants amounted to UAH 308.8 billion (UAH 268.3 billion).
Revenues from the unified social tax to pension and social insurance funds in January-September 2025 increased by 21.9% to UAH 479.2 billion, including in September by 19.3% to UAH 55.7 billion.
The Ministry of Finance also reported that as part of the financing of the general fund of the state budget, state borrowings to it in January-September 2025 amounted to UAH 1.32 trillion, or 92.9% of the plan, including UAH 382.3 billion received on the domestic market from the placement of government bonds (UAH 390.8 billion for the first nine months of 2024), including UAH 90.1 billion in foreign currency – $1.44 billion and EUR 638.3 million. At the same time, UAH 172.0 billion was raised through the issuance of military government bonds.
According to the release, approximately $22.6 billion or UAH 938.1 billion was received from external sources, including approximately $14.5 billion under the ERA, with the total volume of this mechanism amounting to $50 billion.
In addition, Ukraine received another EUR 6.14 billion from the EU under the Ukraine Facility preferential long-term loan, $0.96 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and $0.26 billion from the World Bank for the projects “Transforming Health Care through Reform and Investment in Efficiency” (THRIVE), “Creating Resilient Infrastructure in Vulnerable Environments in Ukraine” (DRIVE), and “Modernization of the Social Support System for the Population of Ukraine.”
Payments on the repayment of public debt for January-September 2025 amounted to UAH 450.9 billion, or 95.4% of the plan, and payments on servicing amounted to UAH 246.3 billion, or 96.3% of the plan.
As reported, the 2025 state budget was approved with revenues of UAH 2 trillion 327.1 billion, including the general fund – UAH 2 trillion 133.3 billion (excluding grants and international assistance), and expenditures of UAH 3 trillion 929.1 billion, including the general fund – UAH 3 trillion 591.6 billion. At the end of July, the Verkhovna Rada, at the government’s suggestion, increased this year’s budget expenditures by UAH 400.5 billion and revenues by UAH 147.5 billion, but in October, the government again proposed to increase defense expenditures by another UAH 317 billion.
In 2024, the state budget received UAH 3 trillion 120.5 billion in revenues, which is UAH 448 billion, or 16.8%, more than the 2023 state budget. The general fund’s revenue growth amounted to UAH 513.9 billion, or 30.9%, to UAH 2 trillion 177 billion, in particular, international financial assistance in the form of grants amounted to UAH 453.6 billion compared to UAH 433.9 billion in 2023.
State budget expenditures in 2024 increased by UAH 464.5 billion, or 11.6%, compared to 2023, to UAH 4 trillion 479.3 billion, in particular, under the general fund – by 15%, or UAH 454.5 billion – to UAH 3 trillion 488.8 billion.
In London, judicial authorities have confirmed the arrest of Chinese citizen Zhimin Qian (also known as Yadi Zhang), who pleaded guilty to cryptocurrency transactions linked to large-scale fraud.
According to British investigators, Qian ran a financial scheme in China between 2014 and 2017, involving approximately 128,000 victims. She converted the money she received into bitcoins and attempted to launder it through transactions in the UK.
During a search of a house in north London, 61,000 bitcoins were seized, which at the time of the investigation were valued at over £5 billion. This seizure is considered one of the largest in the history of crypto crimes.
Qian pleaded guilty to charges related to the illegal possession, acquisition, and laundering of crypto assets. Her extradition and final sentence are expected later.
This case is significant not only for British law enforcement in the field of cryptocurrencies, but also for global law enforcement cooperation in combating transnational money laundering schemes involving digital assets.
