Zebedee Europe B.V.

Zebedee Europe B.V. stands as a pioneering Bitcoin Lightning Network-powered fintech company that revolutionizes payment experiences within the interactive entertainment industry. Founded in 2019 by Simon Cowell, André Neves, and Christian Moss, the platform has evolved from a gaming-focused startup into a comprehensively regulated European financial services provider, uniquely bridging traditional finance with Bitcoin-based digital transactions.

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Note on fees: ZBD operates with transparent pricing of 1% transaction fees or a 1 satoshi minimum, significantly undercutting traditional payment processors like PayPal (2.99-3.49%) and Square (2.6-2.9%). Bitcoin deposits and Lightning Network transfers incur near-zero network fees, making micro-transactions economically viable for gaming applications.

ZBD's dual regulatory achievement—securing both MiCA authorization from the Dutch AFM in December 2024 and EMI licensing in July 2025—positions it among the most comprehensively licensed fintech platforms in Europe. This regulatory foundation, combined with its strategic ClearBank partnership, enables seamless integration of Bitcoin Lightning payments with traditional European banking infrastructure, creating unprecedented opportunities for cross-border gaming monetization and digital asset management.

Company History & Development

ZBD's journey began in 2019 when co-founders Simon Cowell (CEO), André Neves (CTO), and Christian Moss (Head of R&D) established ZEBEDEE with a vision to integrate real-time Bitcoin transactions into gaming experiences. The company's early development focused on creating developer APIs and infrastructure that would enable game developers to incorporate programmable money directly into their games, allowing in-game actions to trigger actual financial rewards.

The platform's breakthrough moment came in early 2021 when ZEBEDEE launched specialized Counter-Strike: Global Offensive servers where players could wager and win Bitcoin rewards through competitive gameplay. This demonstration of Lightning Network's capability to handle micro-transactions averaging $0.08 validated the technical feasibility of their approach and attracted significant attention from the gaming industry.

Funding milestones marked critical growth phases. The company raised $11.5 million in Series A funding in September 2021, followed by a transformational $35 million Series B round in July 2022. This Series B funding, led by Kingsway Capital and joined by The Raine Group and video game giant Square Enix, along with existing investors Lakestar and Initial Capital, brought total funding to approximately $46.5 million and provided crucial gaming industry connections.

The period from 2022-2024 saw aggressive expansion beyond core gaming applications. ZBD developed cross-border payment capabilities, partnering with platforms like Pouch.ph in the Philippines and Bipa in Brazil to enable instant, low-cost international transfers. The company also expanded into adjacent markets, powering Bitcoin rewards for podcasting apps like Fountain and implementing revenue-sharing mechanisms for advertising technology partners like Slice and AdInMo.

A pivotal regulatory milestone occurred in December 2024 when ZBD became one of the first companies to receive MiCA authorization from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). This achievement followed the company's strategic application in April 2024 and positioned ZBD to operate crypto-asset services across all 29 European Economic Area countries under harmonized regulatory frameworks.

July 2025 marked another regulatory breakthrough with ZBD's acquisition of an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license in the Netherlands, accompanied by a strategic partnership with ClearBank. This dual licensing structure enables ZBD to offer comprehensive fiat and cryptocurrency services, making it one of the few companies authorized to seamlessly bridge traditional European banking with Bitcoin-based digital payments across the entire EEA.

Business Model & Core Services

ZBD operates a multi-faceted fintech platform centered on Bitcoin Lightning Network infrastructure, serving both business-to-business developer tools and consumer-facing applications. The company's primary revenue streams encompass transaction fee generation, API licensing, and value-added financial services that collectively create a comprehensive ecosystem for programmable money in interactive entertainment.

The developer-facing business model revolves around API services that enable game studios and content platforms to integrate real-time Bitcoin rewards into their applications. Developers can trigger micro-payments based on in-game events—whether a player completes a level, wins a match, or achieves specific milestones. The platform charges a transparent 1% transaction fee or 1 satoshi minimum, significantly undercutting traditional payment processors while enabling economically viable micro-transactions as small as fractions of a cent.

Consumer applications generate engagement through the ZBD mobile app, which combines gaming rewards, surveys, daily polls, and social features. Users earn Bitcoin through various activities, creating a circular economy where rewards can be instantly transferred between different games and platforms. The app serves over 1 million registered users and facilitates withdrawal to traditional services like Cash App, Coinbase, or gift card purchases through partnerships with Bitrefill.

Cross-border payment services represent a growing revenue segment, leveraging Bitcoin Lightning Network's instant settlement capabilities to enable near-zero-cost international transfers. Strategic partnerships with regional payment providers in the Philippines, Brazil, the UK, and other markets allow users to convert Bitcoin earnings to local currencies instantly, addressing remittance and global commerce needs beyond gaming.

The newly enabled traditional banking services, facilitated through EMI licensing and ClearBank partnership, expand the business model to include fiat money storage, transfer services, and planned debit card offerings. This evolution positions ZBD as a comprehensive payment service provider capable of handling both cryptocurrency and traditional European banking requirements within a single integrated platform.

Regulatory Compliance & Trust

ZBD's regulatory standing represents one of the most comprehensive licensing achievements in European fintech, combining MiCA authorization with EMI credentials to offer an unparalleled range of compliant financial services. The company's December 2024 MiCA license from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets established ZBD as one of the first global platforms to achieve full European Union crypto-asset service provider authorization under the harmonized regulatory framework.

The MiCA license specifically authorizes custody and administration of crypto-assets, exchange services between fiat and cryptocurrencies, placement services, and transfer services across all 29 EEA member states. This comprehensive authorization enables ZBD to operate with passporting rights throughout the European Economic Area, providing legal certainty and consumer protection under EU-wide regulatory standards.

July 2025's EMI license acquisition from the Netherlands represents a strategic regulatory expansion, enabling ZBD to offer traditional electronic money services including fiat storage, transfers, debit card issuance, and virtual IBAN provision. The dual licensing structure positions ZBD among a highly select group of companies authorized to seamlessly integrate cryptocurrency and traditional banking services under unified European regulatory oversight.

The ClearBank partnership provides additional regulatory assurance through collaboration with a purpose-built, ECB-authorized clearing bank supervised by De Nederlandsche Bank. ClearBank's role in providing operational and safeguarding accounts ensures client fund protection and proper segregation of assets, meeting institutional-grade standards for financial services provision.

ZBD's proactive regulatory approach contrasts favorably with many cryptocurrency platforms that operate under transitional arrangements or limited national registrations. The company's commitment to comprehensive compliance, including implementation of KYC/AML procedures, transaction monitoring systems, and consumer protection measures, demonstrates genuine dedication to sustainable European market operation rather than regulatory arbitrage.

Economics & Value Proposition

ZBD's pricing model reflects its positioning as a next-generation payment service provider, offering dramatically lower costs than traditional payment processors while enabling previously impossible micro-transaction use cases. The platform's core 1% transaction fee or 1 satoshi minimum significantly undercuts industry standards, with traditional processors like PayPal charging 2.99-3.49% plus fixed fees and Square averaging 2.6-2.9% plus additional charges.

The Bitcoin Lightning Network foundation enables near-instantaneous settlement with minimal network fees, typically measured in satoshis rather than percentage-based calculations. This cost structure makes micro-transactions economically viable, allowing game developers to implement rewards as small as fractions of a cent while maintaining reasonable profit margins. The transparent fee structure eliminates hidden costs common in traditional payment processing.

For businesses integrating ZBD services, the value proposition extends beyond cost savings to include global reach, instant settlement, and elimination of chargeback risks inherent in traditional card payments. The platform's API infrastructure supports over 120 countries, enabling developers to create globally accessible applications without complex multi-currency management or regional payment partner relationships.

Consumer value derives from the ability to earn, store, and transfer Bitcoin through engaging activities rather than traditional investment approaches. The platform's gift card marketplace, powered by Bitrefill, provides practical spending options across thousands of retailers, while instant withdrawal capabilities to Cash App, Coinbase, and Kraken offer flexibility for users preferring traditional financial services.

The expanded fiat capabilities through EMI licensing create additional value propositions including EUR balance storage, upcoming debit card functionality, and virtual IBAN services for businesses. This combination enables users to seamlessly move between Bitcoin and traditional currencies, optimizing for convenience, cost, or specific use cases without platform fragmentation.

Technology & User Experience

ZBD's technology infrastructure prioritizes seamless integration and user accessibility, abstracting the complexity of Bitcoin Lightning Network operations behind intuitive interfaces designed for both developers and end users. The platform's core architecture enables instant, programmable payments through robust APIs while maintaining enterprise-grade reliability and security standards.

The developer experience centers on comprehensive API documentation supporting REST endpoints, WebSocket connections, and SDKs for popular gaming engines including Unity. The plug-and-play implementation approach allows developers to integrate Bitcoin rewards with minimal coding requirements, typically requiring only a few lines of code to enable payment functionality. Advanced features include automated retry logic, real-time transaction monitoring, and built-in fraud protection mechanisms.

Consumer applications demonstrate ZBD's commitment to removing cryptocurrency complexity from user experiences. The mobile app, available on iOS and Android, features gamified interfaces that make earning and managing Bitcoin feel natural rather than technical. Users can participate in various earning activities—games, surveys, daily polls, and challenges—without requiring cryptocurrency knowledge or wallet management skills.

Cross-platform integration capabilities distinguish ZBD from traditional payment processors. The "Log In With ZBD" functionality, utilizing OAuth 2.0 standards, enables seamless authentication and payment flows across different applications. This approach eliminates complex QR code scanning or manual address entry typically associated with cryptocurrency transactions, making the experience comparable to mainstream payment methods.

Platform performance metrics indicate robust scalability, with infrastructure designed to handle hundreds of millions of transactions for major gaming partners. The Lightning Network foundation provides sub-second settlement times and near-perfect uptime, critical factors for gaming applications where payment delays can significantly impact user experience. Real-time analytics and reporting tools provide developers with comprehensive transaction visibility and business intelligence.

Scalping-Friendliness (Commissions, Leverage & Slippage)

ZBD operates as a payment infrastructure platform rather than a trading venue, making traditional scalping metrics like leverage and slippage largely inapplicable to its business model. However, the platform's architecture does support high-frequency, low-value transactions that share characteristics with scalping-friendly environments in terms of speed and cost efficiency.

The Lightning Network foundation enables near-instantaneous transaction processing with minimal fees, making it economically viable for users to conduct numerous small transactions throughout gaming sessions. This capability proves particularly valuable for applications requiring frequent micro-payments, such as competitive gaming tournaments or real-time reward systems where rapid transaction processing is essential.

Commission structure remains consistently low regardless of transaction frequency, with the 1% fee or 1 satoshi minimum applying uniformly across all payment sizes. This flat-rate approach contrasts favorably with traditional payment processors that often impose higher percentage fees or minimum thresholds that make frequent small transactions prohibitively expensive.

The platform's API infrastructure supports high transaction volumes with robust rate limiting policies designed to prevent abuse while accommodating legitimate high-frequency use cases. Advanced fraud detection systems monitor transaction patterns in real-time, protecting both the platform and users from malicious activity while preserving legitimate high-volume transaction capabilities.

For users seeking to optimize earning potential through frequent platform engagement, ZBD's gamification features and daily challenges provide structured approaches to maximize rewards. The platform's instant withdrawal capabilities ensure that accumulated earnings can be accessed immediately, supporting flexible money management strategies similar to those employed by active traders.

Security & Risk Management

ZBD's security architecture implements enterprise-grade protection mechanisms across both Bitcoin Lightning infrastructure and traditional financial services, reflecting the platform's comprehensive approach to user fund protection and operational security. The company's regulatory compliance under MiCA and EMI frameworks necessitates institutional-level security standards and regular auditing procedures.

Fund security employs multi-layered approaches including segregated client asset storage, multi-signature wallet implementations, and comprehensive insurance coverage through strategic partnerships. The ClearBank collaboration provides additional protection through regulated safeguarding accounts that segregate client funds from operational assets, ensuring user deposits remain protected even in extreme operational scenarios.

The Lightning Network infrastructure incorporates advanced channel management and routing optimization to minimize counterparty risks while maintaining instant settlement capabilities. Automated monitoring systems detect unusual transaction patterns and potential security threats in real-time, enabling rapid response to emerging risks before they impact user operations or fund security.

Operational security measures include comprehensive access controls, regular security audits by third-party firms, and penetration testing to identify potential vulnerabilities. The platform's API infrastructure employs industry-standard authentication protocols, encryption standards, and rate limiting mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access and abuse attempts.

User-level security features encompass two-factor authentication, withdrawal whitelisting where applicable, and transaction confirmation mechanisms for larger transfers. Educational resources help users understand best practices for account security, while customer support provides assistance with security-related issues and incident response procedures.

The platform's regulatory compliance framework includes comprehensive KYC/AML procedures, transaction monitoring systems aligned with European standards, and regular reporting to supervisory authorities. These measures not only fulfill regulatory requirements but also contribute to overall platform security by reducing exposure to illicit activities and maintaining operational integrity.

Market Position & Suitability

ZBD occupies a unique position in the European fintech landscape as the first comprehensively licensed platform combining Bitcoin Lightning Network capabilities with traditional electronic money services. This regulatory achievement creates sustainable competitive advantages while opening opportunities in previously inaccessible market segments through MiCA and EMI authorization.

Gaming Developers and Studios represent ZBD's primary target market, benefiting from the platform's specialized APIs, competitive transaction costs, and global reach capabilities. Major partners including Square Enix and 1047 Games demonstrate institutional confidence in ZBD's technical capabilities and regulatory standing. The platform's ability to enable economically viable micro-transactions opens new monetization strategies previously impossible with traditional payment infrastructure.

Content Creators and Digital Publishers find value in ZBD's flexible payment integration capabilities, enabling innovative monetization approaches across podcasting, streaming, and social media platforms. Partnerships with applications like Fountain demonstrate real-world adoption in adjacent industries, while the OAuth 2.0 integration framework simplifies technical implementation requirements.

European Consumers and Gamers seeking regulated cryptocurrency exposure benefit from ZBD's MiCA compliance and user-friendly mobile applications. The platform's gamification approach makes cryptocurrency earning accessible to mainstream audiences without requiring technical knowledge, while comprehensive withdrawal options provide flexibility for different user preferences and financial needs.

Fintech Developers and Financial Services Companies may find ZBD's dual-licensed infrastructure attractive for white-label partnerships or API integration opportunities. The platform's combination of Bitcoin Lightning capabilities with traditional European banking services creates unique value propositions for companies seeking innovative payment solutions under regulatory frameworks.

Traditional Payment Service Users accustomed to conventional processors may find ZBD's learning curve manageable given its focus on user experience design, though the Bitcoin-centric approach may limit appeal for users preferring traditional fiat-only solutions. However, the expanding EUR capabilities through EMI licensing address this market segment's requirements.

Conclusion

Zebedee Europe B.V.'s transformation from a gaming-focused Bitcoin startup into a comprehensively regulated European fintech platform demonstrates remarkable strategic execution and market positioning. The company's dual MiCA and EMI licensing achievements create unprecedented opportunities to bridge Bitcoin Lightning Network innovation with traditional European financial services under unified regulatory frameworks.

Key competitive strengths include transparent and competitive pricing significantly below traditional payment processors, comprehensive European regulatory compliance providing long-term operational certainty, innovative technology infrastructure enabling previously impossible micro-transaction use cases, and strategic partnerships with both gaming industry leaders and established financial institutions like ClearBank.

The platform's focus on user experience design and developer accessibility addresses critical barriers to cryptocurrency adoption while maintaining the technical sophistication required for enterprise applications. ZBD's success in attracting major gaming partners and securing substantial venture funding from reputable investors validates both the market opportunity and execution capabilities.

Areas for continued development include expanding the traditional banking service portfolio through the EMI license, growing the developer ecosystem beyond gaming into adjacent interactive entertainment sectors, and leveraging the regulatory moat to capture market share during the European cryptocurrency industry's consolidation phase under MiCA implementation.

For gaming companies, fintech developers, and European consumers seeking innovative payment solutions under comprehensive regulatory protection, ZBD offers compelling value propositions that few competitors can match. The combination of Bitcoin Lightning Network efficiency, traditional banking integration, and regulatory compliance positions the platform advantageously for the evolving European digital finance landscape.