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Thursday, March 19
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Bitcoin-only app Relai gets EU green light under MiCA

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Bitcoin-only app Relai gets EU green light under MiCA

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Swiss Bitcoin-only investment app Relai is the latest crypto asset service provider (CASP) to receive approval under the European Union’s crypto regulatory framework.

France’s financial markets regulator, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), issued a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) license to Relai on Thursday, according to official records.

“We’re incredibly proud to be one of the first Bitcoin companies to get the MiCA license and are eager to expand to France first and Europe in a second step,” Relai co-founder and CEO Julian Liniger said in a statement shared with Cointelegraph on Friday.

Founded in Zurich in 2020, Relai operates a Bitcoin (BTC)-only platform that features buying, selling and saving BTC with self-custody, allowing users to take sole control of their holdings.

A breakthrough for Bitcoin industry in Europe

The acquisition of a MiCA license allows Relai to introduce several regulated services related to Bitcoin investment on its app.

With the license, Relai is authorized to support SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) payments within the EU and offer higher trading limits against euros.

Relai’s MiCA license is a major breakthrough not only for the platform but also for the entire Bitcoin industry across Europe, Relai EU co-founder Adem Bilican said.

Relai co-founders, Julian Liniger (left) and Adem Bilican. Source: Relai

“Our goal is clear: Bringing Bitcoin to as many people as possible. Simple, secure, regulated,” Bilican said.

Related: France turns up heat on Binance and rivals amid EU power struggle: Report

The MiCA license acquisition aligns with Relai’s roadmap, as previously announced plans to obtain the license were made in late 2024 when it raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by the US venture capital firm Ego Death Capital. Additional backers included Plan B Bitcoin Fund, Timechain and Solit Group.

The news came the day after Blockchain.com, one of the oldest crypto platforms operating a wallet and a blockchain explorer, announced it had received a MiCA license from the Maltese Financial Services Authority.