KBC Bank To Launch MiCA-Regulated Crypto Trading in Belgium

Update (Jan. 16, 1:15 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add commentary from KBC Bank.

KBC, one of Belgium’s largest banks, is set to roll out Bitcoin and Ether trading to retail investors next month via its own custodial solution and investment platform.

From Feb. 16, KBC customers will be able to buy and sell crypto assets through the online investment platform Bolero, the bank announced Thursday.

“This will enable self-directed investors in Belgium to invest in cryptocurrencies within a secure and fully regulated environment, a first in Belgium,” KBC said.

Launched in compliance with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), KBC’s crypto trading will operate on the bank’s proprietary custodial architecture, the announcement said.

KBC claims MiCA compliance, but Belgium’s licenses are not on ESMA’s register yet

KBC said it would be the first Belgian bank to meet MiCA requirements. The company has submitted a full crypto asset service provider (CASP) notification to the competent authority, the National Bank of Belgium (NBB), a spokesperson at KBC told Cointelegraph.

“KBC is an authorized CASP, as it has received approval from the Belgian supervisory authorities to offer crypto services,” the bank’s representative noted, adding: “We comply with all legal obligations, including the reporting of crypto‑assets to the competent authorities.”

KBC initially announced plans to offer Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) trading via Bolero in July 2025, pending regulatory approval that was expected by the end of the year.

Related: France flags 90 unlicensed crypto companies ahead of MiCA cutoff: Report

The bank did not specify which authority it had coordinated with, but Belgian authorities have not issued any MiCA licenses yet, according to the public register maintained by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

Belgium’s MiCA framework has just come into effect

While the MiCA framework entered into full force in late 2025, Belgium had not adopted national laws implementing MiCA until recently. The member state published its implementing law in December 2025, with MiCA becoming legally effective in Belgium on Jan. 3, 2026, according to the Belgian Official Gazette.

The law officially designated two Belgian authorities for crypto asset market oversight, the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) and the National Bank of Belgium (NBB).

Belgium’s delayed MiCA implementation comes amid ongoing debate over whether the EU should grant centralized supervisory authority to ESMA as well as allow MiCA licenses issued in one member state to be passported across the bloc.

Some EU member states, such as France, have backed proposals to give ESMA direct oversight of major crypto firms, arguing that fragmented oversight could threaten the bloc’s financial sovereignty.

Related: Germany’s DZ Bank secures MiCA license for ‘meinKrypto’ platform

As a critic of passporting, France has even raised the possibility of blocking MiCA licenses issued by other member states, warning some companies may seek approvals in jurisdictions with more lenient standards.

Others, particularly Malta, have opposed such centralization, warning it could potentially hinder competitiveness and innovation.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026