Central Bank of Cyprus

The European Central Bank has launched Pontes, a new platform for settling transactions in digital securities. The move is part of the Eurosystem's broader work on blockchain and digital market infrastructure, aiming to let financial institutions settle digital asset trades using central bank money. The initiative is drawing attention across European banking and fintech circles as a step toward modernising euro-area settlement systems.

The Central Bank of Cyprus has fined Banque SBA €750,000 for breaches of anti-money laundering rules. The penalty is the latest in a series of regulatory actions by European authorities against lenders with weak compliance controls, and is being followed by banking and compliance professionals monitoring AML enforcement across the region.

The Central Bank of Cyprus has imposed a €750,000 fine on Banque SBA Cyprus, according to the Cyprus Mail. The penalty makes the French-linked lender one of the more recent banks to face regulatory sanctions on the island. Details on the specific breach behind the fine have not been widely reported, and neither the bank nor the regulator has given a detailed public explanation so far.