What’s happening this week in Web3
A new step towards mainstream adoption in the Netherlands.
bunq and Blockrise are launching a Bitcoin bank account, combining traditional banking with crypto infrastructure. A signal that the line between fintech and digital assets continues to blur.
For years, Bitcoiners and Bitcoin businesses have clashed with their banks for the right to keep their bank account open.
Banks see bitcoin transactions and flag the account. They ask questions about your trade history. You answer your bank in a way that doesn't satisfy them and that results in your account being closed.
That fight ends now.
As of today, @bunq and @blockrise launched bitcoin-friendly bank accounts within the Blockrise platform. Every Blockrise client now gets a full IBAN in their own name, offered through the bunq infrastructure.
This means that every user is protected up to €100,000 by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme through bunq's European banking licence. Also, your bank now only sees a transfer to your own name, not to a Bitcoin platform.
Blockrise is launching this service today for all their Dutch clients with a personal account, shortly followed by business accounts and European roll-out.
Later on, the offering will be further expand with bank transfers, interest accounts, payment cards and much more.
Blockrise is the first-ever Bitcoin platform to make full bank accounts available to its clients, and the first business on bunq's new Banking-as-a-Service. Bitcoiners and companies with bitcoin can finally open a bank account like anyone else.
De vraag is niet meer óf Bitcoin in een serieuze vermogensstrategie thuishoort. De vraag is hoe.
Institutionele partijen stappen in, ETF's trekken miljarden aan en zelfs centrale banken diversifiëren. Bitcoin is geen randverschijnsel meer, dat heeft de markt al besloten.
Gisteravond bracht @blockrise in Rotterdam een selecte groep samen om die vervolgvraag scherper te maken: hoe richt je bitcoin goed in en wat is er nodig om die stap te zetten?
@jslzt ,CEO en oprichter van @blockrise , opende de avond.
Daarna nam @jsblokland1 , oprichter van het Blokland Smart Multi-Asset Fund en auteur van De grote herbalancering, de zaal mee langs de context die deze vraag urgent maakt:
- Waarom schulden, vergrijzing en fiscale dominantie het speelveld voor elke belegger hebben veranderd;
- Wat 25 jaar sparen of beleggen in obligaties reëel heeft opgeleverd (spoiler: koopkrachtverlies);
- De rol van goud én bitcoin als schaarse tegenhangers in een systeem waarin geld en schuld steeds meer samenvallen.
In de fireside chat met @jos_lazet en @jsblokland ging het daarna over de persoonlijke kant: hoe Jeroen als voormalig Robeco-fondsmanager tot zijn overtuiging over Bitcoin kwam, en welke stappen hij onderweg nam.
Dank aan iedereen die erbij was.
Locatie: Heineken gebouw, Rotterdam
At Blockrise, building happens together.
Last week product and marketing team dedicated a full morning to a creative UX session.
Whiteboards, sharp questions, deep dives, and a few ideas that did not survive the first round. That is part of the process.
The team left with more questions than answers. In a good way.
More to share as the work takes shape.
What a day in Rotterdam, the hometown of Blockrise.
Sunday, three teams ran the Business Estafette and duo at the NN Marathon. Together, they covered 42.195 km across legs of 8, 10.5, 11.5, 12.5, and 21.1 km.
The months of preparation looked like consistent effort and showing up.
Congratulations to everyone who ran on Sunday, and to everyone who trained through a Dutch winter to get there.
Does this sound like a mindset match? Check out our open roles and join the team (link in bio)
Colleen supports the team, so everyone can focus on what matters most.
"As Office Manager at Blockrise, my day-to-day focus is supporting a motivated and dedicated team by creating a comfortable, well-equipped, and productive work environment. In addition to managing the office, I support administrative processes, help organize events, and support HR and management so that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes so colleagues can focus on their work.
What energizes me most about my role is its variety. No two days are the same and I’m constantly challenged to think creatively and practically, ensuring that safety and security are considered in every decision.
Being able to contribute across different areas of the business makes my role both dynamic and interesting."
Yesterday CEO & Founder @ Blockrise Jos Lazet sat down with the Ondernemend Nyenrode Podcast.
Students asked him about his path as a founder, the (hard) lessons learned and how he identified the problem why he built Blockrise on bitcoin.
Then they put a statement to him, one that cuts to the core of what Blockrise is: a financial services provider, or a bridge to a new monetary system?
The episode drops soon on Spotify.
#bitcoin #podcast #neyenrode
Blockrise movie night: The Big Short
The team gathered for a viewing of The Big Short (popcorn included). Portfolio manager Max Geerdink followed it up with a quiz during the movie. Sharp questions, to say the least.
A great evening for the team!
Keeping the team current is how Blockrise keeps moving. And Blockrise moves fast.
Yesterday, Jos Lazet (CEO @ Blockrise) brought together the marketing, sales, and portfolio management teams for an early morning AI training session. Run in-house.
Over the past six months, Blockrise has been integrating @claudeai into daily workflows across the business.
The session covered what real use has taught the team: the practical difference between working in Chat, Cowork, and Code; how model selection affects output quality; and how personal instructions shape the way AI responds to your specific context.
The teams are growing and working alongside each other to refine prompts, sharpen settings, and raise the standard together. Blockrise is proud of how!
Lucas told us:
“As a Compliance Manager at Blockrise, my job is to ensure that the company operates in a way that aligns with relevant laws and regulations.
This involves maintaining company policies and procedures, advising product and engineering teams, and reporting key information to regulators.
Looking back on the previous year, we recently obtained our MiCAR license, which means that I am now working to ensure that we continue to be compliant with this new regulation.
I am also working to define the compliance requirements and impact of upcoming products and features. What I see as important for Blockrise right now is making use of our newly licensed status to enable responsible growth and expansion.”
Blockrise is building a foundation of trust.
2026 has just begun and January had a 11% decline.
Bitcoin shed another 12% in the opening weeks of this month. The drawdown has exposed a market in transition: long-term holders have stepped back, institutional flows have cooled, and short-term participants now dominate price action.
In this update, we cover market developments, our portfolio positioning, and the broader forces shaping the future of finance.
At Blockrise, bold steps have been taken to improve Blockrise's environment and strengthen the position of its clients.
Read the full update and discover how we are preparing for the opportunities and challenges of 2026 (link in bio)
Written by: Max Geerdink
𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
The February progress: Blockrise moves fast.
And the monthly all-hands serves as the primary forum for keeping the entire team aligned on where the company is heading.
It is a moment to step back from execution and see the bigger picture. Each session covers Engineering, Product, Marketing, OKRs, HR, Compliance, and Asset Management. Everyone understands how their work connects to company growth and client impact.
A small insight on recent progress:
January kick-off events set the direction for 2026.
Blockrise's team published an article on bitcoin-backed lending standards 2026, examining how bitcoin-backed lending has matured.
On the product side, the client dashboard received updates to improve onboarding and account overview (thankyou product & engineering team).
Progress continues! 🚀
