Blockrise Wins Dutch Mica License, Brings Bitcoin-backed Loans To...

Blockrise secures a MiCA license in the Netherlands, unlocking regulated Bitcoin custody and trading while paving the way for BTC-backed business loans across Europe.

Blockrise, a Netherlands-based Bitcoin-only startup, has secured a regulatory license that opens the door for fully regulated Bitcoin financial services across Europe.

The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) has granted Blockrise a license under the new Europe-wide Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework, the company announced Wednesday.

Issued on Tuesday, the MiCA license allows Blockrise to provide its Bitcoin (BTC) services, including custody solutions, trading and asset management, throughout Europe.

Additionally, Blockrise is debuting a new service that allows its business clients to obtain Bitcoin loans, even though MiCA does not yet regulate cryptocurrency lending services.

“MiCA is the basis for Blockrise to provide Bitcoin-backed loans, only provisioning to business clients in order to stay within the regulatory constraints,” Blockrise CEO Jos Lazet told Cointelegraph.

Starting today, Blockrise will offer a new credit service to all its corporate clients, with business loans starting at 20,000 euros ($23,150).

“Borrowers can collateralize their Bitcoin and open a loan against it,” Lazet said, adding that the current interest rate is 8%, but is revisited every month.

Implemented in full in late 2024, MiCA regulates crypto issuance and trading, though it doesn’t cover many industry services and areas such as lending, decentralized finance (DeFi) and more.

Addressing MiCA’s regulatory scope, the Blockrise CEO expressed optimism about the framework’s potential to scale in the coming years.

Source: CoinTelegraph