The European Union is trying to figure out how to fund the next seven years of its existence, and crypto holders might end up footing part of the bill.
EU leaders are set to debate the bloc’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034, following the European Commission’s proposal on July 16, 2025, for a budget of nearly €2 trillion. That figure represents about 1.26% of the bloc’s gross national income. The conversation is centering on a familiar tension: net contributors want to keep their wallets closed, beneficiaries want the money spigot to stay on, and everyone is looking for someone else to pick up the check.
The own resources gamble
Here’s the thing about EU budgets. They’re funded primarily by national contributions, which means every spending increase turns into a political knife fight between 27 member states. The workaround being explored this time is a set of independent revenue streams, known in Brussels-speak as “own resources.”
Five new own resources are projected to generate approximately €58.2 billion annually at 2025 prices.
