BitPay has secured EU-wide authorization under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) rulebook, clearing the path for its Dutch unit to offer regulated crypto services across the single market.
The company’s Amsterdam-based subsidiary, BitPay B.V., was authorized as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). That green light lets BitPay “passport” its services across EU member states under MiCA’s cross-border rules.
What this authorization enables
- Regulated crypto payment acceptance for merchants across the EU.
- Stablecoin-based transactions and cross-border payment solutions for businesses.
- Consumer-facing tools to spend and manage digital assets.
- Support for partners to offer buying, selling and swapping of cryptocurrencies.
Compliance and strategy
Thom de Jong, BitPay’s Chief Compliance Officer Europe, said the AFM approval strengthens the company’s ability to serve both businesses and consumers across the EU while underscoring a compliance-first approach. “MiCA provides a common regulatory framework for responsible digital asset innovation across Europe,” he added.
From its Amsterdam base, BitPay plans to scale merchant, partner and consumer offerings as demand for regulated digital-asset payments grows. “Europe is one of the most important regions for the future of payments,” said Jonathan Arler, Head of Europe at BitPay. “From Amsterdam, BitPay is now positioned to support merchants, partners, and consumers as demand grows for practical ways to accept, move, manage, and spend digital assets.”
Market context and ripple effects
BitPay joins a wave of firms that have met the EU’s MiCA deadline, which required crypto-asset service providers to secure authorization after July 1. Notable recent moves include Ripple, which obtained full CASP approval from Luxembourg’s regulator after preliminary clearance in June, and Coinbase, which chose Luxembourg as its European hub to access passporting rights across the 27 EU states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Not all players cleared the bar. Binance withdrew its Greek license application and curtailed offerings in several European markets after the transition period, illustrating the pressure some firms faced during the licensing push.
Regulatory and compliance headwinds
Industry observers say customer migration to licensed platforms is changing risk profiles and raising compliance demands. Bruna Szego, chair of the EU Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA), has warned that platforms onboarding large numbers of new customers must maintain robust anti-money-laundering controls even while scaling.
Expansion of BitPay’s regulatory footprint
BitPay says the AFM authorization broadens its global regulatory coverage on top of existing money transmitter licenses and other approvals in multiple jurisdictions. The company plans further investment in regional infrastructure and strategic partnerships to expand regulated crypto payment services across the EU.
Founded in 2011, BitPay framed the MiCA approval as the next stage in its European expansion — positioning the payments firm to capitalize on the growing use of cryptocurrency payments, stablecoins, consumer finance applications and cross-border settlements across the bloc.
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