Hundreds of high-net-worth individuals are increasingly using cryptocurrency to buy residential real estate across Europe as digital assets move closer to mainstream finance.
The trend is being driven by crypto payments firms that specialise in bridging digital assets with traditional property transactions.
Brighty, a Lithuania-licensed crypto payments app, has brokered more than 100 property deals for wealthy clients over the past year.
The platform enables customers to use crypto holdings to purchase apartments in destinations including the UK, France, Malta, Cyprus, and Andorra.
Brighty was co-founded by Nikolay Denisenko, a former lead backend engineer at Revolut.
Demand for crypto-funded property purchases has grown steadily as wealthy investors seek to diversify away from volatile digital assets.
We have between 100 and 150 wealthy customers, and it’s growing fast.
Nikolay Denisenko said.
The average spend for these people is around $50,000 per month, and apartment purchases range from roughly $500,000 to $2.5 million.
Denisenko added.
Industry data suggests the appetite is supported by a sharp rise in crypto wealth, with the number of global crypto millionaires climbing significantly in 2025.
Many banks remain cautious about processing large crypto-linked transactions due to concerns over compliance and source-of-funds checks.
Denisenko argued that modern blockchain analytics tools can address these concerns more effectively than traditional banking assessments.
The starting point is these investors hold crypto, and that can scare banks, even though these people have earned this wealth very transparently from Bitcoin.
Nikolay Denisenko stated.
Brighty applies extensive due diligence, including blockchain analysis from firms such as Elliptic, before accepting client funds.
Once approved, clients receive a fiat account in their own name to complete the transaction.
Property sellers are paid directly by buyers, rather than through Brighty, to maintain regulatory clarity.
Funds are not transferred directly from major exchanges such as Binance or Kraken.
Using crypto for property purchases can reduce settlement times compared with traditional cross-border transfers via SWIFT.
Buyers often convert stablecoins into euros to streamline local payments within Europe.
Brighty has observed a shift from dollar-pegged stablecoins to euro-pegged alternatives for large transactions.
Average euro-backed transfers rose sharply in late 2025 as wealthy clients opted for euro-denominated settlements.
It’s more convenient to use a euro stablecoin because you remove any exchange rate costs.
Nikolay Denisenko noted.
The firm is now working with European estate agencies to normalise crypto-funded property purchases.
Our wealthy customers are simply looking to de-risk their portfolios by putting some of their money into real estate.
Nikolay Denisenko highlighted.