Zerohash Europe, a cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, has obtained an electronic money institution (EMI) license from the Dutch Central Bank (DNB). According to an announcement released on Monday, Zerohash Europe has become the first company to receive authorization under Europe’s flagship cryptocurrency regulation, MiCAR, while also holding full EMI status.
Zerohash received its MiCAR license from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) in October 2025. The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), which will fully take effect in July, is a set of EU-wide guidelines covering most cryptocurrency activities, such as token custody, issuance, and trading.
Although MiCAR registration acts like a permit for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) to operate on trading platforms, the European Banking Authority believes that “certain electronic money tokens,” i.e., stablecoins, are actually considered “electronic money” under existing directives and require additional regulation.
The bank issued a letter of non-action in June 2025 and further clarified in February that EMI requires companies seeking to support “stablecoin-driven financial flows” to obtain EMI licensing to better integrate stablecoins into the traditional financial system.
With both MiCAR and EMI licenses, ZeroHash can now legally offer cryptocurrency asset services and traditional electronic money transactions within the European Economic Area. The company specifically notes that it can directly partner with “banks, broker-dealers, fintech companies, payment service providers, and enterprise platforms operating in the European market.”
Roland Goldberg, General Manager of Zerohash Europe, said: "Europe has a large market for stablecoin applications. This announcement comes at a time when Zerohash is experiencing strong growth in Europe. Over the past few months, the company has expanded its operations within the EU in Amsterdam and is currently providing technical support to partners including Interactive Brokers Europe."
Zerohash has also applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a... national trust bank charter.
ZeroHash was founded in 2017 and has approximately 200 employees worldwide, with offices in New York, Chicago, North Carolina, and Amsterdam. In September last year, the company raised $104 million in its Series D round, led by Interactive Brokers, valuing it at $1 billion.
The company, formerly a Mastercard acquisition target, is reportedly in talks to raise an additional $250 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, following the collapse of previous acquisition negotiations.