ExtraMile by WisdomPlexus is a thought-provoking interview series with industry leaders and trendsetters. In each session, we discuss the newest technologies, marketing trends, security practices, and more.
For today’s conversation, João Augusto Teixeira, the Chief Compliance Officer of Bit2Me, joined us. Bit2Me is a cryptocurrencies and digital assets firm with more than 10 years of experience in establishing crypto infrastructure. It is trusted as one of the best crypto exchanges and is determined to disseminate education on crypto.
João is a seasoned fintech expert who has contributed across risk management, regulatory reporting, and compliance approaches. At Bit2Me, he oversees its entire regulatory strategy, ensuring compliance with global financial guidelines. Over the years, João has guided several companies in obtaining regulatory approvals and licenses.
In the discussions, we’ll dive into João’s professional journey, Bit2Me’s compliance strategies, the importance of staying safe from financial fraud, and more.
Welcome, João; glad you could join us today!
1. From being a legal advisor to a compliance expert, you have been leading firms to achieve success. What led you to shift your focus from law to compliance, and how has your journey been so far?
João. My professional career has been a long journey and, in retrospect, my move into Compliance was not so much a shift in direction as it was the convergence of two passions I had cultivated from the very beginning: law and compliance.
I started my career in the military, where I served for many years as a legal advisor. However, my role went far beyond traditional legal counsel. I was also deeply involved in internal control functions, conducting investigations within the framework of military police inquiries. From that early stage in my professional life, I was already fascinated by this duality: on the one hand, interpreting the law and providing legal advice, and on the other, investigating, monitoring, and ensuring that procedures were followed with integrity. I have always enjoyed having that blend of legal advisory tasks and what we now call Compliance.
That foundation shaped everything that came after. Later on, I decided to complement my practical experience with more specialized academic training, focusing on criminal law and, importantly, on technology. This combination of expertise in criminal law and technology was what opened the doors for me to the banking sector and, eventually, to the FinTech world. I realized that in such an innovative industry, where the legal framework was still taking shape, my hybrid profile was precisely what was needed.
2. You have been looking after Bit2Me’s compliance strategies for five years now. What does your regular routine involve as the Chief Compliance Officer of the company?
João. In such a dynamic environment, success doesn’t come from a single individual — it lies in the strength and structure of the team. I’m fortunate to lead a group of highly specialized professionals. Our Compliance department is organized into several units to cover every front: KYC (Know Your Customer), KYB (Know Your Business), KYT (Know Your Transaction), Anti-Fraud, Data Protection, Regulatory, FCC (Financial Crime Compliance), Legal, and Risk.
My role is to orchestrate these specialists. That’s why, rather than a fixed daily routine, my work follows a weekly cycle that allows us to be both proactive and reactive in an efficient way.
At the start of the week, we focus on alignment and strategic priorities. Mondays are dedicated to sync meetings with the leaders of each unit. We review KPIs and key issues from the previous week, identify trends, reallocate resources if needed, and set the strategic priorities for the days ahead.
During the week, I immerse myself in specific areas, working closely with different teams in more focused sessions.
By the end of the week, my attention shifts to a higher, more strategic level. I consolidate input from all the teams to prepare a report for Bit2Me’s leadership. This is when operational data is translated into a strategic overview of the company’s compliance and risk landscape.
I also manage relationships with both internal stakeholders (other departments) and external ones (regulators in Europe and Latin America).
So, my week is a continuous cycle — moving from strategy to operations and back again — ensuring that all these specialized teams play together like a well-tuned orchestra. My job is to be the conductor, making sure that, together, we protect our users and the company while enabling safe and sustainable growth.
3. Bit2Me received MiCA authorization recently in July 2025. What does this milestone mean for the organization, and what key requirements does the MiCA authorization impose on Bit2Me’s operational practices?
João. Obtaining the MiCA authorization is, without a doubt, the most important regulatory milestone in Bit2Me’s history, as well as a turning point for the entire sector in Europe. For us, it means three fundamental things.
First, it’s the ultimate validation of our business model and of our commitment to compliance from day one. For years, we operated in an environment of regulatory uncertainty, and MiCA now gives us the legal certainty we needed.
Second, it’s the key to our European expansion. The MiCA license grants us the “European passport,” which allows us to provide regulated services across the entire EU single market from our headquarters in Spain. This completely transforms our growth strategy, enabling us to scale in a much safer, more efficient, and more solid way.
Third, it gives us a decisive competitive edge. Being among the first to obtain this license demonstrates both our readiness and our agility. While many competitors are still in the process of adapting, we are already operating under Europe’s regulatory standard.
Of course, MiCA also significantly raises the bar when it comes to operational requirements. While at Bit2Me we had already voluntarily adopted many of these standards, the authorization formalizes them and imposes very strict obligations.
The key pillars are Governance and Prudential Requirements, ensuring our solvency and our ability to respond to any contingency. Our corporate governance structure, risk management framework, and internal controls are now subject to far more rigorous oversight by the CNMV.
Investor Protection is another crucial element. Our advertising and marketing materials must be clear, fair, and not misleading. Equally important, MiCA requires us to keep client assets fully segregated from the company’s own funds — a fundamental measure to protect our users. We have also strengthened our complaint-handling processes.
There are also market integrity obligations, such as implementing market abuse monitoring tools to safeguard fair trading, and complying with the Travel Rule, which requires identifying both senders and beneficiaries of transactions.
Finally, Operational Resilience is a central focus of MiCA, working hand in hand with the DORA regulation (Digital Operational Resilience Act). We must ensure the robustness, security, and continuity of our technological systems. This means having strong contingency plans and being able to demonstrate that our infrastructure can withstand cyberattacks and other major disruptions.
4. How has the accomplishment of MiCA regulation accelerated Bit2Me’s plans for European expansion? How does this move enhance the firm’s access to quality crypto products while improving user services?
João. Obtaining the MiCA license hasn’t just accelerated our expansion plans, it has completely transformed them, turning what was once an ambition into an actionable, immediate strategy.
Before MiCA, expanding across Europe was an incredibly complex and fragmented process. It required a country-by-country approach, dealing with local regulations, different VASP registrations, and, in many cases, operating in regulatory gray areas. It was slow, costly, and carried a high degree of legal uncertainty.
Now, with the European passport, we can operate across all 27 EU member states under a single, clear, and unified regulatory framework. This dramatically shortens our time-to-market and allows us to focus our resources on growth and product adaptation for local markets, rather than on regulatory bureaucracy.
In terms of improving access to high-quality products and user services, the impact is direct and very positive. It enables better access to assets (potentially more liquidity), the attraction of top-tier partners and products, and a unified standard of service and protection for all our users.
5. Tether, the leading digital asset issuer, invested €30 million in Bit2Me recently. How will this investment help your company to grow and scale among a larger customer base, advancing operations and global reach?
João. Tether’s investment is much more than a capital injection; it’s a strategic partnership and a strong vote of confidence from an industry titan in our vision — and, importantly, in our status as a fully MiCA-regulated entity in Europe and a reference point for compliance both nationally and internationally.
This investment acts as a catalyst, enabling us to execute our growth plans more ambitiously, enhance our products, and strengthen the company’s internal structure.
Specifically, Tether’s backing will help accelerate marketing and education initiatives, drive the development of new products, fortify operations and technology, and expand our global reach particularly beyond Europe, with a focus on Latin America.
In short, Tether’s investment doesn’t just fuel our growth; it validates our strategy of being Europe’s most reliable and regulated crypto platform, providing the resources to scale our trusted model to a global audience.
6. The cryptocurrency industry is becoming highly competitive. What sets Bit2Me’s B2M token apart in the challenging marketplace?
João. In a market crowded with thousands of tokens, many of which lack a clear purpose, B2M stands out for one fundamental reason: its utility is anchored in a complete, mature, and most importantly, regulated ecosystem of products. That’s the key.
While the value of many tokens depends on unregulated platforms or pure speculation, B2M’s intrinsic value is directly linked to the growth and use of Bit2Me, one of the first MiCA-licensed entities in Europe. This alone already places it in a different category.
Some of the competitive advantages of the B2M token include real utility, as it generates tangible benefits across our platform; community engagement, with users feeling part of the project, which in turn reinforces the token’s utility; and, crucially, strict regulatory compliance. From my perspective as Director of Compliance, this last point is the most important differentiator. Every service and benefit linked to B2M operates under the oversight and umbrella of our MiCA license.
This provides exceptional security and transparency in the utility token market. Users can trust that the benefits associated with B2M are sustainable and backed by a company with solid governance, audited processes, and accountability to one of the world’s most demanding regulators.
7. Compliance is crucial to prevent financial fraud. What significance does appropriate information play here? How do you keep yourself updated with the changing regulatory benchmarks?
João. Accurate information isn’t just “important”; it’s the cornerstone of any fraud and anti-money laundering prevention strategy. Without the right information, at the right time, any Compliance department would essentially be operating in the dark. Its significance becomes evident across key stages of the customer lifecycle.
The first line of defense against fraud is the information we gather through our KYC (Know Your Customer) and KYB (Know Your Business) processes. This isn’t a mere bureaucratic formality — it establishes an initial risk profile. Understanding who the customer is, their professional activity, and the expected origin of their funds gives us a baseline. Without this, it’s impossible to distinguish “normal” behavior from suspicious anomalies.
Once a customer is onboard, transactional data becomes crucial. We analyze it using some of the most powerful on-chain monitoring and analysis tools available, which allow us to detect anomalous patterns in real time. But technology alone isn’t enough. Our highly specialized internal team doesn’t just react to fraud; it takes a proactive approach, constantly studying emerging scams worldwide to adjust our controls in advance. We firmly believe that the best defense combines cutting-edge technology with human expertise.
That’s why we don’t rely solely on automated alerts. We have a dedicated team that conducts security calls to customers when transactions exhibit certain risk indicators. These professionals aren’t just support agents; they’re trained specialists who identify fraud risks in the information provided by customers during the call. They’re experts in spotting signs of social engineering, coercion, or deception, protecting users even when they aren’t aware they’re being targeted.
When an alert, whether technological or human, is confirmed, the information becomes actionable intelligence. Our FCC (Financial Crime Compliance) and Anti-Fraud teams gather and analyze all evidence to build a solid case. If needed, this package is presented to the authorities, enabling them to act effectively.
This combination of foundational information, advanced technology, and, above all, a proactive, expert human team is what allows us to provide a safe environment for our customers. The crypto regulatory landscape is one of the most dynamic in existence. Staying up to date is a critical business function, so we’re constantly investing in internal specialization and exploring new technologies to prevent fraud. We also maintain direct contact with law enforcement and regulators to exchange information whenever necessary.
8. Security and compliance are a must while managing cryptocurrencies and digital assets. How do we ensure security while trading and managing our digital assets easily and effectively?
João. We achieve the balance between maximum security and ease of use through a shared responsibility model. We’ve built a digital fortress that is audited and certified to the highest international standards. Our robustness is validated by ISO 27001 (Information Security), ISO 22301 (Business Continuity), and a triple Compliance certification (ISO 37001, ISO 37301, and UNE 19601). Operationally, this means that the majority of funds are stored in insured cold storage, and our anti-fraud systems protect the ecosystem 24/7.
On the customer side, we provide simple yet effective tools to give users full control over their security. This includes features like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and ongoing education to stay alert and recognize scams, delivered through Bit2Me Academy. Customers are also notified of any relevant activity on their accounts.
Bit2Me handles the structural and certified security, so that customers only need to use these straightforward tools to operate with complete peace of mind.
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