Bitpay gains MiCA authorization to offer crypto payment services across the EU

MiCA license opens EU market

Bitpay said its subsidiary, Bitpay B.V., has been authorized as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA. The company said the license covers payment processing, cross-border transfers, consumer spending, and partner-supported buying, selling, and swapping of digital assets.

The approval means Bitpay can work within the EU’s unified crypto framework instead of dealing with separate national systems in each market. That gives the company a route to offer services across all 27 EU countries from one regulatory foothold in the Netherlands.

What the approval could change

For merchants and partners, the authorization supports crypto acceptance, stablecoin-based payments, and cross-border payment use cases across the region. Bitpay presented the license as a way to help businesses use regulated digital asset services under the EU’s region-wide rules.

The company also said consumers may gain broader access to tools for spending and managing digital assets. Through supported partners, customers may be able to buy, sell, and swap crypto, depending on which services are available in their market.

Bitpay’s European chief compliance officer, Thom de Jong, described the authorization as an important milestone for the company and said it strengthens Bitpay’s ability to serve both businesses and consumers with regulated services across the EU. He said MiCA creates a common framework for responsible crypto innovation and framed the approval as confirmation of Bitpay’s compliance-focused strategy.

Stablecoins and cross-border payments in focus

The company highlighted the relevance of the approval for businesses exploring stablecoin settlement and international transactions. Stablecoins can move across blockchain networks outside traditional banking hours, but companies still need regulated providers for compliance, conversion, and payment processing.

A single MiCA authorization may also reduce some of the regulatory fragmentation that has complicated expansion across several European countries. With the Dutch approval in place, Bitpay can organize regional operations around one structure while working with merchants, consumers, and partners in multiple markets.

At the same time, the license does not remove the commercial, technical, or price risks tied to digital assets. The article noted that the practical effect of the approval will depend on merchant uptake, partner availability, and consumer demand.

Expansion plans after 15 years in crypto payments

Founded in 2011, Bitpay said it has operated through multiple stages of crypto adoption, from early merchant use to more recent interest in stablecoins, consumer payments, and blockchain-based transfers. The company said the MiCA authorization adds to a broader regulatory footprint that already includes money transmitter licenses and other approvals in several jurisdictions.

Jonathan Arler, Bitpay’s head of Europe, said the company now sees Amsterdam as a base for supporting merchants, partners, and consumers as demand grows for practical digital asset payment tools. Bitpay also said it plans further investment in its European operations, strategic partnerships, and regulated payment infrastructure.

The approval comes as MiCA is becoming a central framework for firms seeking to offer crypto services across the EU under a common rulebook. For Bitpay, the next step is likely to be turning that authorization into broader merchant and consumer adoption while meeting MiCA’s ongoing compliance requirements.