Cryptocurrency payments company BitPay has received authorisation under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, allowing the company to expand regulated crypto and stablecoin payment services across all EU member states under a single regulatory framework.

BitPay announced that its Dutch subsidiary, BitPay B.V., has been authorised as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets, becoming one of the growing number of firms obtaining MiCA licences as the European crypto regulatory regime takes full effect.

The licence enables BitPay to offer regulated cryptocurrency payment processing, stablecoin payments, cross-border payment services and digital asset services across the European Union through MiCA’s passporting framework.

Single Licence Opens The Entire European Market

The MiCA authorisation allows BitPay to operate under a harmonised regulatory regime rather than navigating separate licensing requirements in individual European jurisdictions.

For merchants, the licence supports cryptocurrency acceptance, stablecoin settlements and cross-border payment solutions throughout the European Union.

Consumers will also gain broader access to regulated digital asset payment services, while partner integrations will continue supporting cryptocurrency buying, selling and swapping.

Thom de Jong, Chief Compliance Officer Europe at BitPay, said the approval strengthens the company’s European expansion strategy.

“Receiving a MiCA authorisation from the AFM is an important milestone for BitPay and strengthens our ability to serve businesses and consumers with regulated digital asset services across the EU.”

He added:

“MiCA creates a unified framework for responsible crypto innovation across Europe, and this authorisation adds a strong validation of our compliance-first approach for our customers.”

Stablecoins Become A Larger Part Of Payments Strategy

While BitPay has historically been associated with Bitcoin payment processing, the announcement places significant emphasis on stablecoins as commercial payment instruments.

The company said merchants will be able to support stablecoin-denominated transactions alongside traditional cryptocurrency payments, reflecting broader industry trends as regulated stablecoins increasingly move beyond trading into commercial settlement and cross-border payments.

Stablecoins have become one of the fastest-growing areas of digital finance, with payment providers, banks and fintech companies increasingly viewing tokenised dollars and euros as alternatives to traditional correspondent banking for international transfers and merchant settlement.

BitPay said the MiCA licence strengthens its ability to support those use cases within a regulated European environment.

Europe Emerges As A Key Crypto Payments Market

Jonathan Arler, Head of Europe at BitPay, said the company views the region as central to the future of digital payments.

“Europe is one of the most important regions for the future of payments. 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.”

MiCA has fundamentally reshaped Europe’s digital asset market by replacing fragmented national regulatory regimes with a single framework governing crypto-asset service providers, stablecoin issuers and digital asset market participants.

The framework allows authorised firms to passport services throughout the European Economic Area once licensed by a national competent authority.

MiCA Licensing Race Continues

BitPay joins a growing list of digital asset firms securing MiCA authorisation as companies position themselves for long-term expansion within Europe’s regulated crypto market.

Since MiCA began taking effect, exchanges, custodians, brokers and payment providers have increasingly sought licences in jurisdictions including the Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Denmark to access the wider European market.

For crypto payment providers, regulatory certainty is becoming an increasingly important competitive advantage as merchants seek partners capable of operating under recognised supervisory frameworks while supporting stablecoin and digital asset settlement.

Payments Remain BitPay’s Core Business

Founded in 2011, BitPay is one of the cryptocurrency industry’s longest-established payment infrastructure providers.

The company enables businesses to accept cryptocurrency while settling in digital assets or fiat currencies, reducing chargeback risk and facilitating cross-border payments. It also operates the BitPay Wallet, which supports storing, spending, buying, selling and swapping digital assets.

BitPay said it will continue investing in European operations, regulated payment infrastructure and strategic partnerships as digital assets become increasingly integrated into commerce, consumer finance and international payments.

The latest approval illustrates how MiCA is shifting Europe’s crypto industry from fragmented national oversight toward a regulated single market, allowing firms such as BitPay to scale payment services across the European Union under one licence while providing merchants and consumers with greater regulatory certainty.