In Bitcoin banking news, Blockrise CEO Jos Lazet took the stage at BTC Prague on June 11, 2026, and delivered a pointed argument: all neobanks you’ve ever used, Revolut, N26, and Monzo, are just prettier versions of the same old banking system, and Bitcoin-native companies now have the architecture to build something structurally different.

Lazet calls the alternative the anarchistic neobank: a full-service bank account in which users actually own their assets through self-custody, rather than holding an IOU from an institution.

To prove it isn’t just a conference thesis, Blockrise simultaneously announced the launch of IBAN bank accounts via a partnership with bunq, marking Europe’s first use of bunq’s Banking-as-a-Service platform.

Here is the central tension this article unpacks: current neobanks changed the interface but not the ownership structure. Bitcoin-native companies like Blockrise are betting they can change both and that doing so will unlock the next wave of real Bitcoin adoption.

Neobanks and Their Issues: Why Revolut Is Just a Prettier Bank

Think of traditional banking like an old clunker car. Neobanks like Revolut came along, repainted it, added a touchscreen dashboard, and called it a revolution. The engine underneath – fractional reserves, institutional custody, correspondent banking rails – is identical to what your grandparents used.

When you hold money or crypto on Revolut, you don’t own it the way you own cash in your pocket. You own a claim against Revolut.

If Revolut freezes your account, gets hacked, or goes insolvent, as the earlier crypto-friendly neobank Nuri did, your assets are caught in someone else’s balance sheet. This custodial model is the default for virtually every fintech app on the market today.

Lazet’s case is that crypto banking built on these same rails isn’t really crypto banking at all. It’s legacy banking with a Bitcoin price ticker bolted on the side.

DISCOVER: Best Meme Coin ICOs to Invest in 2026

What Anarchistic Neobanks Actually Mean and Why Bitcoin Makes It Possible

Market Cap

The term ‘anarchistic’ is intentionally provocative and refers to ownership, not lawlessness. Blockrise is fully regulated under the EU’s MiCAR framework and is registered with the Dutch central bank as an asset manager.

Lazet’s vision emphasizes a Bitcoin bank where users hold their own keys in segregated, on-chain wallets with a multisig structure; clients maintain one key while Blockrise holds another for management purposes. This aligns with Bitcoin’s principle: not your keys, not your coins.

Blockrise offers services such as payments and asset management, and allows users to withdraw their Bitcoin at any time. It earns from access and execution rather than holding clients’ assets.

Lazet highlights Bitcoin-backed loans as a key priority, enabling users to borrow against their BTC without selling, and they are collaborating with lending partner Arkade to develop these products.

EXCLUSIVE: Earn $10 USDC Via Binance Sign-Up

Blockrise Is Already Walking the Walk: Europe’s First bunq BaaS Deal

The bunq partnership is where the thesis meets the product. Blockrise has launched Euro IBAN bank accounts for its users, powered by bunq’s Banking-as-a-Service platform, making it the first company in Europe to deploy bunq’s BaaS infrastructure.

In plain terms: Blockrise handles the Bitcoin-native user experience; bunq provides the licensed banking plumbing underneath, including deposit protection up to €100,000 per user under the Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme.

What users get is a single account that bridges their Bitcoin holdings and their day-to-day euro banking, salaries in, bills out, BTC managed alongside. Bunq’s BaaS model lets crypto platforms outsource the licensing and compliance burden while staying focused on self-custody and Bitcoin-specific features that differentiate them.

Traditional banks integrating crypto services are moving in the same direction from the other side – but they start from custodial assumptions, not self-sovereign ones.

Blockrise currently supports Bitcoin and Ethereum, with custody and management fees of up to 1% each, plus a 15% performance fee on managed strategies.

The pricing model is evolving toward a subscription structure similar to Revolut’s tiered plans – another signal that the target isn’t crypto maximalists, it’s the mainstream user who wants simplicity without surrendering control.

EXPLORE: Best Crypto Presales With Asymmetric Upside in the Current Market

Follow 99Bitcoins on X For the Latest Market Updates and Subscribe on YouTube For Daily Expert Market Analysis.

Why you can trust 99Bitcoins

10+ Years

Established in 2013, 99Bitcoin’s team members have been crypto experts since Bitcoin’s Early days.

90hr+

Weekly Research

100k+

Monthly readers

50+

Expert contributors

2000+

Crypto Projects Reviewed

Google News Icon
Follow 99Bitcoins on your Google News Feed
Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now!
Subscribe now
Alex Ioannou
Alex Ioannou
On-Chain Journalist

Alex is a seasoned cryptocurrency trader and market analyst with over seven years of active experience in the digital asset space. Since entering the markets in 2017, Alex has specialized in identifying emerging "meta" trends and high-volatility narratives. Notably, Alex... Read More

Free Bitcoin Crash Course

  • Enjoyed by over 100,000 students.
  • One email a day, 7 days in a row.
  • Short and educational, guaranteed!

#1 Crypto Friendly Poker Room

  • Fully Anonymous Casino with Instant Crypto Withdrawals
  • No Hidden Deposit or Withdrawal Fees
  • Best-in-Class RakeBack Bonus
#1 Crypto Friendly Poker Room
Back to top