The report highlights that crypto cardholders exhibit spending behavior similar to traditional bank card users but adopt online payments at a significantly faster rate. While the European Central Bank reports that only 21% of card payments in the eurozone are made online, CEX.IO users already conduct 40% of their transactions digitally.

Everyday Use of Crypto Cards on the Rise

CEX.IO data reveals that 59% of crypto card spending goes to groceries, and 19% is spent on restaurants and bars — both figures surpassing ECB benchmarks. The average transaction value for crypto cards stands at €23.7, compared to €33.6 for bank cards, indicating crypto cards are preferred for small, day-to-day purchases.

Alexandr Kerya, Vice President of Product Management at CEX.IO, commented: “Crypto users in Europe are not just experimenting with new tech — they’re showing us what a cashless future could actually look like.”

Stablecoins account for 73% of crypto card transactions, with the rest split between major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Solana — used across groceries, dining, and transport.

Similar Trends on Other Platforms

Other companies, including Oobit and Crypto.com, have also reported strong demand in Europe for crypto cards used for everyday essentials and online shopping.

Barclays Bans Credit Card Crypto Purchases

Despite growing adoption, Barclays recently announced a ban on crypto purchases via its Barclaycard credit cards, citing concerns over volatility and lack of consumer protections.

The bank emphasized that crypto transactions offer no recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service or Compensation Schemes, leaving customers exposed to potential risks.

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European Markets Suffer Historic Losses!

On Monday morning, European stock markets plunged in panic. The German DAX index fell by as much as 10% at opening, sparking memories of the 2008 financial crisis. The UK’s FTSE 100 dropped nearly 6%, while France’s CAC 40, Italy’s FTSE MIB, and other European benchmarks followed suit with similar sharp declines.

Banking stocks were among the hardest hit. Major institutions like HSBC, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, and Commerzbank saw share prices plummet between 8% and 15%. The defense sector also took a hit, with Rolls-Royce losing 12% and Rheinmetall plunging a staggering 24%.

Asian Markets Join the Selloff!

The turbulence wasn’t confined to Europe. Asian markets also reacted sharply to Trump’s announcement. The Shanghai Composite Index dropped over 8%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed the day down by 13%, shocking investors across the region. Australia’s ASX 200 index slid to its lowest levels since late 2023.

You Might Be Interested In: Elon Musk Talks About the Name of a New Memecoin!

As fear swept through global markets, investors began unloading shares, especially in tech and industrial sectors across Asia.

How It Started: Trump’s Universal Tariff Shocks World Trade

President Donald Trump recently unveiled a sweeping trade move: a 10% universal tariff on all imported goods. The surprise announcement directly impacts America’s trade partners, particularly in Europe and Asia.

Trump defended the decision by stating, “Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix things. Short-term pain brings long-term gain.” But many economists believe this “medicine” may come with serious side effects for the global economy.

Fears of a Global Recession Resurface

Experts warn that such a move could slow global trade, increase inflationary pressures, and even trigger a global recession. Given the United States’ central role in the global economy, the ripple effects of such drastic measures are almost unavoidable.

Economist David Lerman commented, “There are no winners in trade wars. This decision undermines global economic confidence.”

Wall Street Awaits: All Eyes on U.S. Market Opening!

While U.S. markets were yet to open, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 futures were already in negative territory. Analysts are bracing for a sharp sell-off once Wall Street begins trading.

Investors are fleeing to safe-haven assets, with gold and bonds seeing increased demand. The overall sentiment across markets? Uncertainty and fear.

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Stock Sale to Fund More Bitcoin Purchases!

MARA Holdings, formerly known as Marathon Digital, announced in a March 28 SEC filing that it has entered an agreement with investment firms, including Cantor Fitzgerald and Barclays, to sell up to $2 billion worth of stock. The company stated that proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including acquiring more Bitcoin and covering working capital expenses.

This strategy mirrors that of MicroStrategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, which has used stock offerings to acquire 506,137 BTC, valued at approximately $42.4 billion.

MARA’s Expanding Bitcoin Holdings!

MARA Holdings is the second-largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder, with 46,374 BTC, worth around $3.9 billion. In July, CEO Fred Thiel stated that the company had adopted a “full HODL” approach, meaning it would not sell mined Bitcoin to fund operations but instead continue accumulating the asset.

You Might Be Interested In: Elon Musk Talks About the Name of a New Memecoin!

This new stock sale follows a similar move in early 2023, when MARA Holdings sold up to $1.5 billion worth of shares. Additionally, in November, the company issued $1 billion in zero-coupon convertible senior notes, primarily to fund more Bitcoin purchases.

Market Reaction and Bitcoin Price Update

Following the announcement, MARA‘s stock closed 8.58% lower on March 28 at $12.47. The stock continued to decline, falling another 4.6% in overnight trading to $11.89 on March 30. This drop comes amid broader concerns in the crypto mining sector after reports suggested Microsoft had abandoned plans to invest in new data centers.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin is trading just above $82,000, down 1.2% in the past 24 hours, after briefly touching a local high of around $83,500.

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The post MARA Holdings Plans Huge $2B Stock Offering to Buy More Bitcoin appeared first on Coin Engineer.

Related: Hamas’ Attack on Israel Shakes Markets as Oil Rises!

Israeli police cooperated with the cryptocurrency exchange Binance to close Hamas’ cryptocurrency wallets. They also collaborated with the UK police to freeze an account at Barclays bank in the UK. (People believed this account belongs to Hamas.)

Hamas’ cryptocurrency accounts were freezed by Israel

The Ministry of Defense made a statement. It said, “With the onset of the war, Hamas launched a fundraising campaign on social media and asked the public to deposit cryptocurrencies into their account.

Also, the Cyber unit and National Economic War Headquarters (MTL) took action to find and freeze the accounts with the help of cryptocurrency exchange Binance to transfer the funds to the state treasury.

The Israeli Police asserted their determination in combating the financing of terrorism and in confiscating the strategic financial assets of terrorist organizations with the collaboration of the Israeli Defense Forces and partners.

In March, CFTC, had sued Binance due to multiple infringements, some hinting at potential criminal activities such as money laundering. After this collaboration with the Israeli police, Binance affirmed they do not permit any terrorist organization to trade on their exchanges.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas had launched an attack against Israel on Saturday morning. Following this attack, the Israeli government had launched a counterattack against Hamas. Due to this war, oil prices had risen.

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