Interpol Expands Silver Notice System, Identifies at Least €36M in Criminal Assets
According to AP, Interpol is expanding its Silver Notice system, which allows its 196 member countries to share information and assist in tracing and seizing cross-border criminal assets, including cash, cryptocurrency, vehicles and real estate. Trialed since January 2025, the system has involved 82 countries and identified at least €36 million in criminal assets. Interpol says criminals generally retain around 99% of their illicit proceeds. The first Silver Notice was requested by Italy for a senior mafia member, after which Brazil identified multiple properties and other assets linked to the suspect and his associates. Interpol members are expected to vote on the system’s full adoption at the General Assembly in Hong Kong in November 2026.
WSJ: ECB President Lagarde Personally Intervened to Block Binance from Obtaining an EU-Wide License via Greece
According to The Wall Street Journal, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde personally intervened to prevent Binance from gaining a foothold in the European Union. Binance had sought an EU-wide license through Greece’s financial regulator, and Greek officials initially told the company that its application had been completed.
Binance had prepared a press release describing the approval as a “major milestone,” while CEO Richard Teng planned to travel to Athens for a photo with the Greek prime minister. The plan ultimately failed to proceed, with the WSJ reporting that Lagarde personally intervened in the process.
Lagarde’s intervention in Binance’s EU license application was mainly driven by two considerations: first, she wanted to wait for the possibility that ESMA would take over EU-wide crypto license approvals; second, she was concerned that Binance’s expansion could strengthen the dominance of U.S. dollar stablecoins in Europe and undermine the development of the digital euro.