KBC crypto trading set to debut for Belgian retail clients under MiCA regulation

Belgium is preparing for a new phase in digital asset investing as KBC crypto trading becomes available to local retail clients under the evolving MiCA regime.

KBC prepares Bitcoin and Ether rollout for Belgian investors

KBC, one of Belgium’s largest banks, will launch Bitcoin and Ether trading for retail investors via its Bolero platform as Belgium’s MiCA regime comes into force. From Feb. 16, KBC customers will be able to buy and sell crypto assets through the online investment platform, the bank announced on Thursday.

According to KBC, this launch will allow self-directed investors in Belgium to trade cryptocurrencies within a secure and fully regulated environment, which the bank described as a first in the country. Moreover, the service targets retail clients who already use Bolero for equities and other traditional instruments.

Launched in compliance with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), KBC’s new offering will operate on the bank’s proprietary custodial architecture. However, the announcement did not detail which external partners, if any, will support the underlying infrastructure.

MiCA compliance claims amid Belgian licensing gap

KBC said it expects to be the first Belgian bank to meet MiCA requirements and has submitted a full crypto asset service provider (CASP) notification to the competent authority in order to offer trading services. The bank is positioning itself as an early mover as the regulatory framework becomes fully operational.

“By offering the opportunity to purchase and sell crypto within a regulated framework, we are making innovation concrete and accessible,” KBC Group’s chief innovation officer Erik Luts said. His statement underlines the institution’s strategy to integrate digital assets into its broader retail investment offering.

KBC Bank’s European public affairs advisor Michal Cloots shared news of the initiative in a LinkedIn post on Thursday, highlighting the project as a milestone for the Belgian market. That said, the public post did not expand on timelines for potential expansion beyond retail clients.

The bank initially announced plans to offer Bitcoin and Ether trading via Bolero in July 2025, pending regulatory approval that was expected by the end of that year. However, the concrete launch date of Feb. 16 signals that the institution has now aligned its internal systems with MiCA requirements.

The new service builds on KBC’s own custodial setup, often described as a KBC custodial solution in internal communications. Nevertheless, the bank did not specify in its latest statement which domestic or European authority it has coordinated with for the CASP notification.

Belgium’s MiCA framework finally takes effect

Although the broader MiCA framework entered into full force across the European Union in late 2025, Belgium only recently adopted national laws to implement it. 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). Moreover, these bodies are now responsible for supervising providers offering services such as bitcoin ether trading to domestic clients.

Despite KBC’s claims of MiCA compliance, Belgian authorities have not yet issued any MiCA licenses, according to the public register maintained by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). However, firms can already submit notifications and prepare for full authorization once the national process is fully operational.

At the same time, KBC crypto trading will come to market as the domestic licensing pipeline is still taking shape, potentially setting a precedent for other local banks. The development also places Belgium in the broader European conversation about how strictly MiCA should be applied.

European debate over MiCA supervision and passporting

Belgium’s delayed implementation of MiCA comes amid an ongoing debate in the European Union over whether the bloc should grant centralized supervisory authority to ESMA. There is also discussion over allowing MiCA licenses issued in one member state to be passported across the EU.

Some member states, such as France, support proposals to give ESMA direct oversight of major crypto firms, arguing that fragmented supervision could threaten the bloc’s financial sovereignty. Moreover, advocates of centralization say unified oversight would reduce regulatory arbitrage.

As a critic of passporting, France has even floated the possibility of blocking MiCA licenses issued by other member states, warning that some firms may seek approvals in jurisdictions with more lenient standards. That said, no final decision has been taken at the EU level on these proposals.

Other jurisdictions, particularly Malta, have opposed stronger centralization, warning that it could hinder competitiveness and innovation in smaller markets. However, the debate remains active as more banks, including KBC, prepare to offer digital asset services under the new framework.

Cointelegraph contacted KBC for additional comment on its Belgian bank crypto strategy, but had not received a response at the time of publication. In summary, the Bolero crypto launch marks a key moment for crypto trading Belgium as MiCA regulation Belgium continues to take shape across the bloc.