ZBD becomes first to receive EU MICAR licence approval

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – DECEMBER 18, 2024 – ZBD, an innovative payments company leading the charge in digital economies, has made history by becoming the first company to receive approval for the new European Union (EU) crypto-asset service provider license under MiCAR (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation). This represents a major milestone in EU crypto-asset regulation and also a key moment in ZBD’s effort to create a digital-native payments platform based on the Bitcoin Lightning Network.

The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) has approved ZBD’s license application under MiCAR, which will be formally issued when the regulation takes effect on December 30, 2024. Under MiCAR, all Crypto asset service providers in the EU will have to follow a new regulatory framework. With this license in hand, ZBD is ready to offer its crypto asset custody, administration, transfers, and most importantly (for the investor), fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat exchanges. This achievement reflects ZBD’s dedication to ensuring its EU users continue to be served by the same demanding standards of compliance and protection.

Many of the world’s largest exchanges wrestle with navigating the MiCAR’s strict requirements, but with ZBD’s pioneering and proactive compliance approach, it leads its peers when it comes to crypto innovation. With its robust positioning and launch in the United States, ZBD has a unique opportunity afforded by MiCAR, as it prepares to enter the EU market.

“Being the first to receive MiCAR license approval is a significant leap forward for us,” says Marca Wosoba, COO of ZBD. “We’ve fostered a culture where compliance is at the forefront of our operations; we see it as an enabler for new functionalities rather than a barrier. MiCAR provided us with the opportunity to obtain licensing across the entire EU and facilitate our expansion in the region.”

This milestone aligns with ZBD’s broader vision of creating a digital-native payment infrastructure tailored for the gaming and entertainment industries. Unlike traditional FinTech companies that typically start with a fiat-first model before adding crypto functionality, ZBD flips this approach by building on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. This enables fast, low-cost, and globally scalable payments. Such flexibility allows ZBD to find product-market fit within gaming, offering use cases that traditional finance simply cannot accommodate—like instant reward payouts with no minimum thresholds. Gamers can earn money while playing and cash out immediately even if they’ve accumulated just a fraction of a cent.

“Having already established a stable revenue-generating business gives us an excellent entry point to expand our operations and move towards our vision of becoming a payments company that can instantly transfer money in any currency,” Wosoba adds. “It’s not just about being a crypto or Bitcoin business; it’s about being a digital-native payments company that utilizes Bitcoin on the Lightning Network as a core technology in our internal tech stack.”

As a proactive and strategic approach, ZBD was the first to secure MiCAR license and submitted its application at the earliest time. The fact that we achieved this important milestone through its strong collaborative relationship with the AFM, which was the first in the EU to accept and process applications, was crucial.

“We’ve maintained constant communication with the AFM since we submitted our application in April,” says Nelly Doudina Popoli, EU Head of Risk and Compliance at ZBD. “They posed over 200 follow-up questions and requested updates to our policies and procedures on a monthly basis. As a payments company carving out our niche in an industry dominated by larger incumbents, this transparent relationship with our regulator is an invaluable asset and validates our decision to establish our EU headquarters in the Netherlands.”

The MiCAR license positions ZBD to launch more complex payment products centered around Bitcoin while rapidly expanding within the EU throughout 2025. It also brings ZBD one step closer to realizing its ambitious vision as a transformative digital-native payments company. Following its ethos of building crypto-first before adding complementary fiat functionality, the company is also nearing completion of its application for an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license. This will enhance the range of services ZBD can offer under MiCAR by allowing it to perform various fiat payment services across the EU.

About ZBD

ZBD is at the forefront of payment innovation, pushing boundaries on how we transfer money online. In gaming, ZBD has established itself by powering instant real-money rewards for partners such as Square Enix and 1047 Games. Beyond gaming, ZBD enables unique payment-based use cases across interactive entertainment and adjacent industries. Whether streaming money alongside audio in podcasting apps like Fountain or implementing instant revenue sharing for ad impressions with ad tech innovators like Slice and AdInMo, ZBD makes money flow online as seamlessly as information.