Blockrise has obtained a MiCA license in the Netherlands and announces the launch of Bitcoin-backed loans aimed at EU businesses. The announcement positions the Rotterdam-based manager to expand custody and trading services and offer credit without asset sales.
The authorization was granted by the Dutch regulator (AFM) and enables Blockrise as a crypto-asset service provider with the ability to operate across the entire European single market. MiCA (Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation) is the EU regulatory framework for crypto-assets that sought to harmonize requirements among member states, with full entry into force in December 2024 and an extended transitional period in 2025.
According to the decision, the company will be able to deploy custody and trading of Bitcoin and expand its commercial offering beyond the scope of previous national registrations. The company maintains an exclusive focus on Bitcoin as the underlying asset, aimed at institutional investors and corporate clients, and bases its strategy on the perception of greater market dominance and reduced relative correlation compared to other crypto-assets.
MiCA and Blockrise’s operational scope
Blockrise will structure a line of Bitcoin-collateralized loans with a minimum entry amount announced at €20.000, according to the company’s communication. The mechanism allows holders to obtain liquidity without relinquishing ownership of their digital assets; the offering is integrated within the prudential and transparency requirements demanded by MiCA.
The firm previously closed a seed round for €2 million with venture capital investors and business angels, and plans a Series A targeting €15 million to strengthen infrastructure, expand headcount and consolidate its position as a Bitcoin-focused platform in the EU. In 2022 Blockrise was already registered with the Dutch central bank (DNB), a step that, according to the company, laid the groundwork for the transition to the European framework now obtained.
For product and compliance teams, the authorization requires adapting KYC processes, segregated custody and liquidity controls that MiCA requires of CASPs operating at EU-wide scale. For institutional investors the license reduces cross-border regulatory frictions and may improve accessibility to Bitcoin-collateralized loans in a supervised environment.
The MiCA license grants Blockrise pan-European regulatory capacity and enables a new Bitcoin loan service that starts at operational minimum levels defined by the firm itself.
