EU Hits X with €120 Million Fine as Crypto Privacy Faces Major Threat

The European Union imposed a €120 million fine on X (formerly Twitter) under the Digital Services Act (DSA) on December 5, 2025, marking the first major DSA punishment. The EU cited three main issues: X's paid blue checkmark system misleading users, blocking researchers from accessing public data, and failing to provide transparent advertising information. X has deadlines to correct these issues or face further penalties.

This fine is presented as part of a larger European regulatory war on digital privacy tools, including the seizure of €25 million from the crypto mixing service Cryptomixer and the controversial 'Chat Control' proposal, which, despite becoming voluntary, still raises surveillance concerns. Furthermore, regulatory pressure is forcing crypto exchanges like Kraken to delist privacy coins such as Monero, and the upcoming MiCA regulation (fully active by July 2027) will prohibit privacy coins and enforce transaction tracking via the 'Travel Rule' for transfers over €1,000.

The article concludes that these measures, alongside the DAC8 framework requiring transaction reporting and proposals for a single EU crypto regulator, threaten the core principles of cryptocurrency—privacy and freedom. Technical conflicts also exist, as the permanence of blockchain contradicts the EU's 'right to be forgotten' data protection rules. Industry figures view this as an existential threat, potentially driving crypto innovation outside Europe.

(Source：Brave New Coin)