Сrypto payments are gaining traction in European real estate

Brighty co-founder Nikolay Denisenko said the firm’s customers typically bridge funds from private wallets into accounts supervised under EU rules, then wire proceeds to notary escrow or seller bank accounts through SEPA/SWIFT once compliance checks clear. CoinDesk’s report describes more than 100 property purchases facilitated via this pipeline and highlights demand from wealthy buyers who want faster settlement while keeping documentation inside existing AML/KYC frameworks.

The operational template reflects Europe’s regulatory backdrop. The EU’s Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) regime and the recast funds and crypto-asset transfers regulation embed the travel-rule requirement and standardized licensing for crypto-asset service providers, allowing CASPs and banks to exchange identifying information during transfers – a prerequisite for large real-estate closings that rely on traceable sources of funds. Brighty markets itself as EU-licensed with Fireblocks custody and fiat rails, aligning with this compliance architecture.

Precedent deals helped normalize the playbook at the notarial level. Portugal recorded a landmark May 5, 2022 deed in Braga where a flat changed hands entirely in Bitcoin, with no conversion to euros, under guidance circulated to Portuguese notaries that year; since then, law firms and brokers have published step-by-step procedures for crypto-settled conveyances. While Brighty’s recent activity spans multiple jurisdictions, Portugal’s case study remains a widely cited proof-of-concept for EU property transfers funded in crypto.

Jurisdictional policy also shapes where crypto-paid deals cluster. Andorra adopted a digital-assets law that entered into force in October 2022, and residency-by-investment programs have drawn cross-border buyers who pair low taxes with crypto holdings; this lists Andorra among Brighty’s corridors alongside Malta and Cyprus, both long-standing hubs for international property purchases and private banking.

Stablecoins are central to execution. Under MiCA, euro-referenced tokens must maintain 1:1 liquid reserves and meet authorization standards, which makes EUR-stablecoins (e.g., EURC/EMT) practical for euro-denominated closings while preserving audit trails for counterparties and notaries. Legal analyses emphasize that the crypto leg supplies source-of-funds evidence; title transfer, taxation and escrow still occur under existing civil-law procedures, not on a blockchain.

The trend remains niche relative to the broader luxury market, but dedicated wealth channels are forming. Industry research on “crypto banking” notes that ultra-high-net-worth clients increasingly seek regulated custody, instant settlement windows and programmable disbursements when moving into real-world assets (RWA) like property, a profile that overlaps with Brighty’s reported client base.