At the European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona, Firi Denmark’s Country Manager Karina Rothoff Brix spoke with Kaupr’s Morten Myrstad about MiCA regulation, euro-backed stablecoins, and why trust — not hype — defines crypto’s next chapter.
You can watch the video below and read a summary of the interview.
At this year’s European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona, the growing intersection between traditional finance and crypto innovation was at the center of many discussions. For Karina Rothoff Brix, Country Manager at crypto exchange Firi Denmark, the momentum behind stablecoins marks a turning point in how the industry is perceived.
“Stablecoins give traditional finance a real use case,” she told Kaupr’s Morten Myrstad. “We’ve heard for years that crypto lacks tangible applications in Western countries. But the growth of stablecoins is changing that — it helps people understand that crypto isn’t one thing. It’s a whole ecosystem.”
Brix had just finished moderating a debate on stablecoin regulation, where comparisons between Europe’s MiCA framework and the U.S. Genius Act drew strong views. While some believe Europe leads in defining crypto rules, Brix strikes a more cautious tone.
“We may be slightly ahead because MiCA is already in place,” she said. “But the U.S. is moving fast, and the clarity coming from there could quickly rebalance the field.”
Firi’s own compliance work reflects the complexity of moving between jurisdictions. The company initially applied for MiCA registration in both Denmark and Norway — a process Brix describes more as pragmatic than strategic.
“Viri has a Danish subsidiary and Norwegian roots, and the timing of national frameworks forced us to apply in both,” she explained. “When Norway joined MiCA this summer, we withdrew in Denmark and continued from Norway.”
Once licensed in Norway, Firi will be able to passport operations across the EU and EEA markets.
Despite global turbulence and exchange collapses in recent years, Firi has maintained steady growth. “We launched in Denmark three years ago during a very tough period, but we’ve built strong trust among customers,” Brix noted. Firi now serves more than 350,000 users in Norway and aims to bring its Nordic model to Sweden in the near future.
Asked about the consortium of nine European banks — including Danske Bank and SEB — preparing to issue a euro-based stablecoin, Brix welcomed the news. “It’s about time,” she said. “I didn’t expect such a large initiative, but it’s a very positive signal. The fact that they plan to launch it on Ethereum shows real acceptance of open blockchain infrastructure.”
Still, the road ahead remains uncertain. “Dollar-backed stablecoins dominate the global market,” Brix concluded. “Even with MiCA in place, Europe’s progress may stay narrow unless more actors join in. We need initiatives that truly benefit EU citizens.”
For Brix, one trend stands above all others: growing confidence. “Every new technology faces hiccups — it’s part of the process. What matters is that trust keeps strengthening. That’s what will carry this industry forward.”
