Here's a wild stat that says a lot about Europe's regulatory playbook: in 2024, the EU raked in €3.8 billion from fining U.S. tech giants—more than the €3.2 billion collected in income tax from every publicly traded European tech company combined.

Let that sink in. The entire European tech sector contributes less in taxes than what Brussels extracts through penalties on foreign firms. Whether you see this as aggressive enforcement or a revenue model disguised as regulation, the numbers don't lie. For anyone navigating cross-border compliance—especially in crypto and fintech—this is a clear signal of how regulators are weaponizing fines as fiscal tools.