The Portuguese government intends to increase the budget of the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) by approximately 50% in 2027—from 97 million euros to 146 million euros—and make processing the backlog of applications for investment-based residence permits a top priority. A significant portion of the agency’s expenses will be funded by administrative fees paid by foreign citizens, particularly participants in the “golden visa” program.
These plans were presented by Portugal’s Minister of the Presidency, António Leite Amaro, during parliamentary hearings on the draft state budget for 2027.
According to the minister, the government expects to finance the immigration system primarily through AIMA’s own revenues. Specifically, revenues from the issuance and renewal of residence permits, administrative procedures, and other immigration services are expected to cover more than 100 million euros in expenses.
At the same time, special attention in 2027 is planned to be given to applications for investment residence permits, known as the Golden Visa.
Previously, the agency had focused significant resources on processing applications from foreigners awaiting legalization of their stay and on reviewing family reunification cases. Now, the government intends to expand its administrative capacity to process applications from investors.
Delays in issuing investment residence permits remain one of the most serious problems facing the Portuguese immigration system.
During parliamentary debates in October 2026, the minister reported a large backlog of cases under the investment residency program.
According to published reports of his remarks, there were 45,000–46,000 applications that had been pending administrative processing for a long time. By early October, approximately 6,000 cases had been processed, and appointments for biometric data collection had been scheduled for roughly 30,000 applicants.
However, the published reports do not allow for a definitive determination of how many applications remained pending as of early November. The scheduling of a date for biometric data submission also does not guarantee the issuance of a residence permit.
The issue concerns both initial permits and the renewal of documents for previously registered investors.
The 2027 budget allocates over 4 million euros for AIMA’s digital transformation and approximately 4.2 million euros for modernizing the infrastructure for serving applicants. An additional 1.4 million euros is earmarked for language training, professional adaptation, and support for integration programs.
The investment program for obtaining a residence permit in Portugal has been in effect since October 2012. It allows citizens of non-EU countries to obtain a residence permit provided they meet the established investment requirements. In recent years, the program has undergone several changes. In particular, as of October 2023, the purchase of residential or commercial real estate is no longer a standalone basis for new applications for an investment-based residence permit.
Currently, the main options for participation include investments of at least 500,000 euros in eligible investment funds that are not real estate-focused, funding for scientific research of at least 500,000 euros, support for the arts and cultural heritage of at least 250,000 euros, as well as certain forms of investment in businesses and job creation.
Despite prolonged administrative delays, the investment residency program remains in effect.
According to the AIMA report for 2025, published on September 22, 2026, 2,685 investment residence permits were issued over the past year.
By comparison, the total number of residence permits issued to foreigners for the first time in 2025 reached 337,880. Another 189,331 permits were renewed.
However, a significant portion of the permits issued pertained to previously submitted applications that had been pending for a long time. Therefore, these figures cannot be directly interpreted as the number of foreigners who arrived in Portugal for the first time during the year.
According to the latest official data published by AIMA, as of December 31, 2025, there were 1,585,854 foreign residents in Portugal. The corresponding report, *Relatório de Migrações e Asilo 2025*, was released on September 22, 2026.
This represents approximately 15% of the country’s population, depending on the statistical estimate of the total population used.
The largest foreign community consists of Brazilian citizens—493,622 people, or 31.1% of all foreign residents.
In second place are Angolan citizens—99,050 people—and in third place are Indian citizens, with 91,405 residents.
Ukrainians rank fourth among Portugal’s largest foreign national groups. As of the end of 2025, there were 84,889 Ukrainian citizens in the country, accounting for approximately 5.4% of the foreign population.
Next are citizens of Cape Verde—71,005 people—followed by Nepal—about 56,000—Bangladesh—55,579—and Guinea-Bissau—51,935.
Other large foreign communities include citizens of the United Kingdom—47,726 people, Italy—42,418, Pakistan—42,042, and São Tomé and Príncipe—41,800.
Of particular significance is the temporary protection program for Ukrainians who were forced to leave the country following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
According to AIMA data, Portugal granted temporary protection to 66,740 displaced persons from Ukraine between 2022 and 2025. In 2025, 5,802 people received such permits.
It is important to note that these figures reflect a specific migration status and the period during which protection was granted. They cannot be mechanically added to the total number of Ukrainian residents, as the statistical categories may overlap.
Portugal remains one of the major hubs for international migration in Southern Europe, and plans to increase funding for AIMA reflect the need to modernize the administrative system that serves more than 1.5 million foreign nationals.
The Hungarian government has proposed to stop issuing investment visas and residence permits to foreigners who invest in Hungarian investment funds and educational institutions starting January 1, 2027. The corresponding bill was published by the country’s Ministry of the Interior on November 4, 2026, and is open for public comment until November 12.
The proposed changes call for the removal of the Guest Investor Program—known as the “golden visa”—from Hungary’s immigration laws.
A government statement dated November 5 clarifies that investment-based residence permits already issued will remain valid until their expiration dates; however, it will not be possible to renew them once the new rules take effect.
However, the decision to terminate the program has not yet been finalized. The changes must go through the legislative process before they can take effect.
According to the published draft bill, foreigners who have applied for an investment visa or residence permit by December 31, 2026, will be able to complete the process under the current rules.
A mandatory requirement is the payment of the corresponding administrative fee no later than the specified date.
Similar transitional provisions apply to applications for the renewal of previously issued permits.
Investors who have obtained a valid investment visa by January 1, 2027, will be able to apply for a residence permit even after the program has been terminated.
However, for third-country nationals eligible for visa-free entry to Hungary, the option to submit new applications for an investment residence permit directly within the country as of January 1, 2027, is proposed to be abolished.
This provision is particularly relevant for Ukrainian citizens, who currently enjoy visa-free entry and, provided they meet the established requirements, can apply for an investment residence permit without first obtaining a special visa.
Investment residence permits that have already been issued will remain valid until their expiration dates. Their holders and eligible family members will retain the right to work in Hungary for the duration of the permits’ validity.
Hungary reinstated its investment residency program in 2024. It allows citizens of countries outside the European Economic Area to obtain a residence permit valid for up to 10 years. Currently, there are two main options for participation.
The first involves purchasing investment shares in a real estate fund registered with the Hungarian National Bank for an amount of at least 250,000 euros. The investment must be maintained for a minimum period of five years.
The second option involves a non-refundable donation of at least 1 million euros to a Hungarian institution of higher education managed by a relevant public foundation. The funds must be used to support education, scientific research, or creative activities.
The direct purchase of residential real estate valued at 500,000 euros or more was originally included in the program but was removed from it at the end of 2024.
Under current rules, an investment-based residence permit is issued for a term of up to 10 years, with the possibility of a further extension for another 10 years. A new legislative initiative proposes eliminating the possibility of extension.
Official statistics on the use of the Hungarian investment residency program are published only to a limited extent. However, in a March 12, 2025, report, the Hungarian publication Szabad Európa cited information about applicants obtained from sources familiar with the work of immigration authorities.
According to this data, by the end of February 2025, 25 applications had been submitted directly for an investment residence permit.
The largest number of applications came from Chinese citizens—nine in total. Of these, four were approved, and five were pending review.
Vietnamese citizens ranked second with five applications, two of which were approved.
Two applications were submitted by citizens of the Republic of South Africa.
In addition, one application each was submitted by citizens of Burundi, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, Dominica, Israel, Afghanistan, India, Turkey, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Thus, citizens of China accounted for 36% of all applications for investment-based residence permits in this sample, Vietnam for 20%, and South Africa for 8%.
It should be noted that these figures refer specifically to applications, not to all permits issued. Some applications were still under review at the time of the study’s publication.
Separately, according to Szabad Európa, 192 applications for preliminary investment visas had been submitted by the end of February 2025.
Russian citizens constituted a significant group among the applicants. Of the 50 Russian applicants, four received visas, 24 were denied, 15 withdrew their applications or discontinued the process, and seven cases were still under review. National security concerns were cited as grounds for some of the denials. This information pertains to early 2025 and does not reflect the final results of the program for its entire duration.
In the available statistics from Szabad Európa regarding the 25 applications for investment-based residence permits submitted by the end of February 2025, Ukrainian citizens are not listed.
However, this does not mean that Ukrainians did not take advantage of the program later on. As of November 9, 2026, no comprehensive published statistics on the issuance of Hungarian investment residence permits for 2025–2026, broken down by citizenship, could be found. Therefore, it is not yet possible to determine the exact number of Ukrainian investors who took advantage of the “golden visa” program.
For comparison, according to Eurostat statistics, in 2025, Ukrainian citizens received 7,922 initial residence permits in Hungary on various grounds.
By this measure, Ukrainians ranked third among citizens of non-EU countries, behind the Philippines and China.
In total, 12,281 initial permits were issued to citizens of the Philippines, 11,348 to China, 4,703 to Vietnam, 3,859 to India, 3,715 to Turkey, and 2,936 to Russia.
It is important to note that these Eurostat data cover all major categories of initial residence permits, including those for employment, education, family reunification, and other grounds. They do not allow for determining the number of participants in the investment program and cannot be used as a ranking of “golden visa” applicants.
The proposal to abolish investment-based residency is part of a broader package of legislative changes concerning the law enforcement system, public safety, and immigration regulation. However, the government’s published materials do not contain a detailed, independent assessment of the program’s economic outcomes or the reasons for its proposed termination.
Previously, Hungarian media had highlighted the relatively limited number of applications, the difficulties in launching investment funds, and repeated changes to the requirements for program participants.
Against the backdrop of the possible closure of Hungary’s investment residency program, foreign investors may turn their attention to other European countries that maintain programs offering residence permits in exchange for investment, notably Greece and Portugal.
However, the terms of such programs vary significantly in terms of cost, available investment options, residency requirements, and the possibility of renewing permits.
The final termination of the Hungarian program as of January 1, 2027, will depend on Parliament’s approval of the proposed changes.
The total value of tokenized real-world assets (Real World Assets, RWA) distributed across blockchain networks exceeded $39 billion in early November 2026, according to data from the RWA.xyz analytics platform as of November 4.
According to the platform, the value of such assets increased by approximately 1% over the past 30 days, while the number of addresses holding tokenized instruments exceeded 5.5 million.
This category includes tokenized government bonds, investment funds, corporate debt instruments, gold, certain types of real estate and other traditional financial assets, the rights to which are represented by digital tokens.
One of the largest segments of the market remains tokenized US Treasury bonds and funds investing in US government debt.
As of November 3–4, the value of distributed tokenized Treasury instruments amounted to approximately $14.2 billion.
According to RWA.xyz, this segment includes around 120 financial instruments with a total of more than 85,000 holder addresses.
Among the largest platforms by the volume of relevant assets are Ondo, with approximately $3.1 billion, Franklin Templeton Benji Investments with $2.9–3 billion, Circle with $2.2 billion and Securitize with $2.1 billion.
Interest in tokenized government bonds is explained by the possibility of combining traditional interest-bearing instruments with the technological advantages of blockchain.
In particular, tokenization makes it possible to automate some operations, simplify the recording of ownership rights to assets and use digital instruments in settlements between financial market participants.
At the same time, tokenized bonds are not equivalent to ordinary cryptocurrencies, since their value is backed by traditional financial obligations and assets, while investors’ rights depend on the terms of the specific product.
The possession of a token also does not guarantee that it can be freely sold at any time. Liquidity depends on trading infrastructure, the number of market participants, redemption rules and regulatory restrictions.
RWA.xyz metrics distinguish between assets distributed directly among holders on blockchain networks and assets merely represented by digital records. These categories should not be mechanically added together, as they reflect different methods of tokenization.
The platform separately tracks stablecoins, whose total volume was estimated at approximately $285 billion in early November.
The tokenization of real-world assets is gradually becoming an independent segment of the financial industry, bringing together banks, asset management companies, financial technology platforms and blockchain developers.
According to Fixygen, the global cryptocurrency market is ending the last week of October 2026 with a decline in major digital assets amid renewed capital outflows from cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Bitcoin fell below $78,000, Ethereum traded near $2,250, and the most significant pressure on the market occurred on October 29–30.
According to CoinMarketCap’s historical data for October 30, the price of Bitcoin stood at $77,198, down 4.78% over seven days. Ethereum fell 6% to $2,241. Meanwhile, BNB lost 4.8% and traded at around $703.
Bitcoin
$77,198
−4.78% / 7 days
Ethereum
$2,241
−6.00% / 7 days
BNB
$703
−4.80% / 7 days
Price and weekly trends based on historical data from CoinMarketCap as of October 30, 2026.
Bitcoin’s price remained relatively stable at the start of the week. After closing at around $80,000 on October 25, the price rose to $81,250 on October 28, but fell to approximately $77,800 on October 29. During trading on October 30, the price dropped to $76,200, according to OpenBitcoin data.
The most significant drop occurred in the second half of the week, when buyers were unable to keep Bitcoin above $80,000. Ethereum’s decline was even more pronounced, indicating increased pressure not only on the leading cryptocurrency but also on the market for alternative digital assets.
One of the biggest factors putting pressure on the cryptocurrency market was a large-scale cyberattack on Binance. According to the exchange’s official statement on October 30, on October 29 at approximately 8:05 p.m. UTC, attackers gained access to the platform’s hot wallets and withdrew digital assets worth approximately $6.3 billion.
The attack affected various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, USDT, and USDC. The exchange temporarily suspended withdrawals and began cooperating with law enforcement agencies, blockchain analytics firms, and token issuers.
As of the evening of October 30, Binance reported that it had frozen approximately $3 billion in stolen assets. The company also announced that it had allocated more than $6.34 billion of its own funds to cover the consequences of the attack, including $5 billion in the form of digital assets that had been lost.
Binance management promised to compensate users for their losses using corporate reserves and the SAFU user protection fund. Meanwhile, the investigation into the attack’s mechanism continued. The initial theory that an employee’s work computer had been compromised was supplemented with information about other possible points of entry.
The scale of the incident heightened investors’ concerns about the security of centralized cryptocurrency platforms. The timeline for resuming withdrawals, the possibility of recovering the stolen assets, and the publication of the exchange’s verified reserves took on added significance for the market.
A second key factor behind the market decline was a shift in capital flows into U.S. spot cryptocurrency ETFs.
According to statistics from Farside Investors, during the trading week of October 26–30, net outflows from Bitcoin ETFs totaled approximately $202.4 million, while Ethereum funds lost $431.4 million. The combined outflow from these two categories reached approximately $633.8 million.
Millions of dollars, October 26–30, 2026. Negative values indicate outflows.
However, the performance of the funds was mixed. From October 26 to 29, Bitcoin ETFs attracted a total of approximately $440.8 million. However, on October 30, investors withdrew $643.2 million from them, completely offsetting the inflows of the previous four days.
The largest outflows during the week’s final trading session were recorded in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ($233.7 million), Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund ($201 million), and ARK’s 21Shares Bitcoin ETF ($129.5 million).
Ethereum funds showed negative flows on all five trading days. The most notable weekly outflow occurred in BlackRock’s products.
This trend indicates that institutional demand in late October was unable to offset investors’ growing caution. Ethereum proved particularly vulnerable, as it simultaneously faced falling prices and sustained capital outflows from ETFs.
An additional source of uncertainty was the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision on October 28 to keep the benchmark interest rate in the 3.75–4% range.
According to the official statement from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the U.S. economy continues to grow at a strong pace, though inflation remains elevated. Two committee members advocated for a rate hike of 0.25 percentage points.
The maintenance of relatively tight monetary conditions limits the appeal of speculative assets, which investors continue to classify as including cryptocurrencies.
At the end of the week, the situation was further complicated by a downturn in the tech sector. Investors reacted negatively to certain corporate earnings reports and the capital expenditure outlook for major tech companies.
As CoinDesk noted on October 29, the decline in tech stocks was accompanied by massive position liquidations in the cryptocurrency market. Over the course of a day, the volume of liquidations on cryptocurrency futures reached $356 million, of which approximately $205 million came from long positions.
The market capitalization of the largest cryptocurrencies declined, while stablecoins maintained significant market capitalization
According to CoinMarketCap data as of October 30, Bitcoin’s market capitalization stood at approximately $1.55 trillion, Ethereum’s at $273.8 billion, and BNB’s at $92.5 billion.
The market capitalization of the largest stablecoin, USDT, stood at $179.9 billion. Its price remained close to $1, which distinguishes the performance of dollar-pegged stablecoins from that of crypto assets, which have fallen significantly in value. At the same time, a large-scale cyberattack on Binance once again drew attention to the role of stablecoin issuers in freezing stolen tokens.
According to a Reuters investigation on October 30, coordination between cryptocurrency companies and token issuers made it possible to quickly freeze a significant portion of the stolen funds. However, the ability to similarly freeze Bitcoin itself remains significantly limited.
Thus, the last week of October brought a combination of several negative factors for the cryptocurrency market: a large-scale hack of a major exchange, an outflow of institutional capital, the Fed’s relatively tight monetary policy, and a decline in investor risk appetite.
The prospects for a recovery in early November will depend not only on technical price movements but, above all, on the ability of the cryptocurrency infrastructure to restore market participants’ confidence.
https://www.fixygen.ua/news/20261031/tizhneviy-oglyad-rinku-kriptovalyut-vid-fixygen.html
Binance, BITCOIN, CRYPTOCURRENCY, ETF, Ethereum, INVESTMENTS
In early November 2026, the global cryptocurrency market may attempt a recovery following Bitcoin’s drop below $78,000; however, the prospects for growth will depend on the situation surrounding Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange, the trend in institutional investments, and the overall state of global financial markets, according to the Fixygen portal.
By the end of the last week of October, Bitcoin had lost about 4.8% of its value, falling to $77,200, while Ethereum declined by approximately 6% to $2,240. Most of the decline occurred in the second half of the week, when the market faced a large-scale cyberattack on Binance and an intensification of capital outflows from U.S. spot cryptocurrency ETFs.
During November 2–8, the nearest indicative price zones for Bitcoin could be $76,000–78,000 and $80,000–82,000. These ranges correspond to recent trading lows and highs and are regarded as potential areas of support and resistance.
A return of Bitcoin above the psychologically important $80,000 level, accompanied by a recovery in positive capital flows into ETFs, could indicate strengthening demand and create conditions for a further increase in prices toward $82,000.
At the same time, a sustained move below $76,000 could intensify selling pressure and increase the likelihood of a continued correction. Such a scenario could materialize if cryptocurrency platforms experience new liquidity problems or institutional investments decline further.
One of the main events of the coming week will be the publication of an updated Proof of Reserves report by Binance, scheduled for November 2. The company intends to provide information on the availability of digital assets to cover its obligations to customers following the October 29 cyberattack, which resulted in the theft of cryptocurrencies worth approximately $6.3 billion.
According to Binance’s official statement of October 30, the company has set aside more than $6.34 billion of its own funds to cover losses, including $5 billion directly in the affected digital assets. In addition, approximately $3 billion in stolen funds has been frozen in cooperation with industry partners.
The exchange also plans to gradually restore cryptocurrency withdrawals after completing additional security checks. The speed at which operations resume, the results of the Proof of Reserves report, and customer reactions could become important factors influencing sentiment in the cryptocurrency market.
Investors will also focus additional attention on U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs. During the trading week of October 26–30, net outflows from these funds totaled $202.4 million. On October 30, investors withdrew $643.2 million, completely offsetting the positive flows of the previous four trading days.
A resumption of sustained capital inflows into ETFs could become one of the signals of returning institutional demand. Conversely, continued outflows could limit the recovery in prices even if the situation surrounding Binance normalizes.
Another factor remains the monetary policy of the U.S. Federal Reserve. The maintenance of relatively high interest rates supports the attractiveness of dollar-denominated financial instruments and may restrain investor interest in riskier assets, including cryptocurrencies.
As a result, two main scenarios are possible in early November. If confidence in Binance recovers, institutional flows stabilize, and conditions in stock markets improve, Bitcoin could attempt to return to the $80,000–82,000 range. If capital outflows from ETFs persist and new problems arise on cryptocurrency platforms, the market risks continuing its decline.
At the same time, the indicated price targets are scenario-based estimates derived from recent market dynamics rather than guaranteed levels of future prices.
Binance, BITCOIN, CRYPTOCURRENCY, ETF, FORECAST, INVESTMENTS
The Ukrainian Embassy in Romania presented an international initiative to raise $1.2 million for the purchase of ten modern ambulances for Ukrainian medical facilities. The presentation took place during the international forum “Rebuilding Ukraine: Security, Opportunities, Investment,” held on October 22–23, 2026, in Bucharest.
According to the Ukrainian diplomatic mission, the initiative is being jointly implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the state fundraising platform UNITED24.
As part of the conference, with the support of the embassy and the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Cluj-Napoca, a UNITED24 information booth was set up, where event participants could learn about the project and funding opportunities.
Ihor Prokopchuk, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Romania, appealed to representatives of international business, investors, and conference participants to support the purchase of specialized ambulances for Ukrainian medical professionals.
The funds are earmarked for the purchase of fully equipped ambulances capable of providing emergency medical care directly during patient transport.
Each vehicle will be equipped with a ventilator, a defibrillator-monitor, an oxygen system, and other medical equipment necessary to maintain vital functions.
Such vehicles are particularly needed in regions under attack by Russian missiles and drones, as they allow medical care to be provided to victims even before they arrive at the hospital.
According to the initiative’s initial terms, the estimated cost of a single fully equipped ambulance is $120,000.
The project is part of the broader UNITED24 campaign, supported by former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who has experience in the field of emergency medical care.
On August 10, 2026, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health announced the launch of a fundraising campaign for ten specialized vehicles. Ukrainian diplomatic missions in various countries joined the initiative.
Subsequently, the scope of the campaign was expanded. The official UNITED24 page now lists a total goal of $2.4 million to purchase 20 ambulances.
According to the platform, the vehicles are planned to be sent to medical facilities in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kherson regions, as well as to the Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine.
The Ukrainian healthcare system’s need for such vehicles remains significant. According to UNITED24, medical teams responded to over 4.5 million calls in 2025, and since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, 495 ambulances have been destroyed or damaged, including 46 in 2026.
The platform estimates Ukraine’s current need for Class C ambulances at 1,696 units, including 328 vehicles required directly by emergency medical centers.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Romania has called on Romanian companies, international partners, and representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora to help fund the project.
Donations are accepted through the official UNITED24 page: https://u24.gov.ua/uk/scott-kelly-fundraiser-for-ambulances
The international conference “Rebuilding Ukraine: Security, Opportunities, Investment” took place on October 22–23, 2026, at the ROMEXPO exhibition complex in Bucharest. It was organized by the Romanian think tank New Strategy Center in collaboration with the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The academic partner was
the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest.
The forum’s program included 31 thematic discussions focused on the recovery of the Ukrainian economy, attracting international investment, financing infrastructure projects, and the development of the energy sector, agriculture, the defense industry, transportation logistics, and cross-border cooperation.
Particular attention was paid to Romania’s role as a logistics and investment hub for Ukraine’s recovery. Investment opportunities in the Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kyiv regions were presented at the conference.
Representatives of Ukrainian and Romanian government agencies, international financial organizations, investors, and business associations took part in the discussions. Among the registered participants were representatives of the European Investment Bank, the German development bank KfW, Japan’s JBIC, Poland’s BGK, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, UkraineInvest, and the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs.
The forum continued a series of New Strategy Center events dedicated to Romania’s participation in Ukraine’s recovery, which were previously held in December 2023 and December 2025.
