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Crypto exchanges 13.06: Bitcoin holds above 64,000
On Saturday Bitcoin holds above 64,000 dollars on the strongest ETF inflows in a month and US-Iran peace hopes, while 17 days remain until the end of the MiCA transition period.
Saturday 13 June in the Baltic and Nordic crypto sector: regulators are quiet over the weekend, but in the market Bitcoin holds above 64,000 dollars on the strongest ETF inflows in a month and US-Iran peace hopes, while 17 days remain until the end of the MiCA transition period.
Saturday, 13 June 2026, passed without new regulatory developments in the Baltic and Nordic crypto sector - regional supervisors do not issue announcements over the weekend. The main weekend event was in the market: Bitcoin held above the 64,000 dollar level, supported by the strongest exchange-traded fund inflows in a month and hopes for a resolution of US-Iran tensions. At the same time, the MiCA transition period countdown continues - 17 days remain until 30 June.
Market: Bitcoin holds above 64,000 dollars
After the mid-week decline, the market recovery continued over the weekend. On Saturday 13 June, Bitcoin traded above the 64,000 dollar level and in the afternoon stood close to 64,380 dollars. That is a notable improvement on Friday's level of around 63,500 dollars and marks the second consecutive day of gains.
The recovery was driven mainly by factors outside the crypto market itself. Market participants reacted to reports that a US-Iran peace agreement could be concluded within the next 24 hours, which eased geopolitical tension and restored appetite for risk assets. Sentiment nonetheless remains cautious: the crypto Fear and Greed Index stood at 13 points on Saturday, corresponding to "extreme fear", meaning the broader market is still distinctly pessimistic.
ETF flows: the strongest week in a month
The price rise was accompanied by a turn in institutional demand. After Bitcoin exchange-traded funds had recorded 13 consecutive sessions of outflows totalling around 4.4 billion dollars - the worst such streak since the products launched in 2024 - the funds registered their strongest inflows of the month over the weekend. This shift in flows was one of the main sources of weekend price support.
Investors should bear in mind that the turn occurred against a backdrop of geopolitical news and its durability is not confirmed. Attention shifts to next week's events, in particular the US Federal Reserve meeting on 16 and 17 June, whose outcome will largely set the mid-summer mood.
MiCA: 17 days until the end of the transition period
As a reminder, not as fresh news: the transition period of the European crypto-asset regulation MiCA is approaching its end. Counting from 13 June, 17 days remain until 30 June, and from 1 July all operators offering crypto-asset exchange, custody or other services in the European Union and European Economic Area must hold a full crypto-asset service provider (CASP) licence.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has stressed that firms without a licence must be ready with realistically executable wind-down plans to ensure an orderly exit from the market without harm to clients. ESMA expects these plans to be fully in place by the end of the transition period.
Baltics and Nordics: a weekend without new licences
In the regional picture nothing changed over the weekend, but the backdrop remains active. In Estonia, the old virtual asset service provider (VASP) licences lose their validity after 1 July - holders must either move to a full MiCA CASP licence or cease operations. Latvijas Banka has so far issued several CASP licences, including to TWINO Investments, Paybis Europe, Neverless and Backpack EU, positioning Latvia as a regulated entry point to the European single market. In Lithuania, where the national transition period already ended on 1 January, operating without a full CASP licence is prohibited and subject to supervision by the Bank of Lithuania and the FCIS.
Competition in the Nordics remains intense. Norway's Firi, the largest Nordic exchange, continues its expansion into Sweden, while Sweden's Safello, which in May obtained a rare dual authorisation (MiCA CASP and a PSD2 payment institution licence), is reorienting towards institutional clients. In Finland, Coinmotion and Northcrypto continue to operate, both holding MiCA licences issued by FIN-FSA.
What to watch in the coming days
Three things remain in focus in the coming days: the US Federal Reserve meeting on 16 and 17 June and its impact on risk assets, updates to ESMA's interim CASP register, and possible final licensing announcements from regional regulators before the 30 June deadline. Investors using Baltic or Nordic crypto exchanges are still advised to check their operator's MiCA licence status in the ESMA register or the national regulator's list before the deadline arrives.
Sources
- ESMA - Statement on the end of transitional periods under MiCA (PDF)
- ESMA - Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) overview
- Bank of Lithuania - Authorisation of crypto-asset service providers
- Finantsinspektsioon - The operating license in markets of crypto assets
- Latvijas Banka - Crypto-asset service providers
- CoinDesk - Bitcoin price
This article was prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The content was verified and edited by Toms Ābeltiņš. This article does not constitute investment advice.