Bitcoin Updates Today: Blockrise Sets the Standard for MiCA Compliance, Paving the Way for a Regulated Bitcoin Era in Europe

Blockrise, a Bitcoin-focused startup based in the Netherlands, has obtained a crucial regulatory license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), allowing it to deliver fully compliant

financial services throughout Europe. The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) issued the license, enabling Blockrise to offer custody, trading, and asset management solutions to institutional and business clients. This achievement represents a major step forward for the crypto sector, highlighting increased regulatory certainty in the EU and establishing Blockrise as a trailblazer in regulated Bitcoin services .

The MiCA license, which came into effect in late 2024, primarily covers crypto issuance and trading, but does not yet regulate areas such as lending or decentralized finance. Nevertheless, Blockrise has launched a Bitcoin-backed lending product for corporate clients, providing business loans starting at €20,000 (around $23,150) with an initial interest rate of 8%. Companies can use their Bitcoin as collateral to obtain liquidity,

for these types of offerings among businesses looking to utilize their digital assets without selling them.

Blockrise’s business model relies on a “semi-custodial” wallet system, where users access their Bitcoin with a digital key provided by the platform. Unlike full self-custody, the company uses hardware security modules to create wallets and store keys safely, ensuring they cannot be accessed externally. This method

, appealing to institutional and wealthy investors who value transparency and risk control. Founded in 2017, the startup has also secured €2 million in seed investment from venture capitalists and angel backers, in its Bitcoin-centric approach.

Lazet shared a positive outlook on MiCA’s future expansion, mentioning that the regulation is likely to broaden to include lending, mining, and payments. “MiCA is essential for offering Bitcoin-backed loans, as the licenses cover custody, transfer, and brokerage,” he said,

in legitimizing crypto-related services. Blockrise’s entry into the European market is already to reconsider their Bitcoin strategies, as interest in crypto services continues to grow.

This regulatory success for Blockrise mirrors broader shifts in Europe’s crypto environment. With a single MiCA license, the company can now operate across all 27 EU countries without dealing with separate national rules. This unified system

but also speeds up adoption by providing a consistent regulatory framework for investors. As the first Bitcoin-exclusive platform to meet MiCA standards, for other companies aiming to combine innovation with regulatory compliance in the region.