Munich Startup: What does your startup do?
Christoph Scholze, CEO and co-founder of Fija Finance: Despite growing crypto adoption, most digital assets are lying idle – unused in wallets. Studies show that over 80 percent of crypto holders want to earn interest on their crypto. Access to DeFi (Decentralized Finance), where this would be possible, is often too complex, too opaque – or simply not regulated. Fija solves this problem. We offer regulated, transparent, and seamlessly integrable DeFi strategies for financial and crypto platforms. With the Fija App – already live – users can compliantly, easily, and transparently earn interest on their cryptocurrencies. Our offering is primarily aimed at crypto platforms and financial apps that want to offer their customers access to interest on cryptocurrencies. Financial platforms, crypto brokers, wallet providers, and neo-brokers can easily integrate Fija products into their existing offerings and give their customers access to crypto interest and DeFi with the comfort of their existing financial app.
Regulatory safety & genuine blockchain solutions
Munich Startup: But that already exists!
Christoph Scholze: Not in this combination – and not at this quality level. Many providers are either unregulated and opaque (black box) – or regulated, but without genuine DeFi access. Fija connects both worlds:
- Regulatory safety (compliant with EU regulations such as MiCAR and MiFID)
- Genuine blockchain solutions: customers enjoy the benefits of blockchain such as 100 percent transparency and control over invested assets. Fija handles the complexity of technical implementation.
The result: DeFi returns directly via the familiar exchange or app – without extra wallets, without interface hopping. For platforms that want to offer their users future-proof interest products, Fija is the bridge-building solution.
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Christoph Scholze: We founded Fija in 2022. I had already been investing in cryptocurrencies for some time and was exploring DeFi. I found the opportunity to earn returns on my cryptocurrencies in a decentralized financial system great. However, I quickly realized that I would need to dive much deeper into individual DeFi apps and that I lacked far too much technical knowledge to seriously invest in DeFi. So I looked for a solution that would offer me transparent and regulatory compliance to use DeFi while taking over the selection and review of DeFi apps, monitoring, and risk management. I found nothing – so we built it.
Tim, Lieven, and Kati faced similar challenges. With backgrounds in DeFi, regulation, product, and tech, we had the perfect setup to build a solution that is both legally sound and technologically compelling. Our vision: “We want to enable everybody to earn on their crypto.”
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Christoph Scholze: Clearly: the balancing act between regulatory precision and technological innovation. Since we were and are the first to offer a regulatory compliant path to DeFi, we had to do a lot of educational work and repeatedly face resistance, which while typical for new technologies, quickly exceeds the resources of a startup.
We are convinced: DeFi should not only be accessible, but compliant-by-design. That’s why we were always clear about taking this path. In doing so, we’ve created a genuine competitive advantage, because we’ve built not only a technologically highly innovative product, but we’re also uniquely positioned regulatorily:
- EU-compliant base prospectus
- Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license and MiCAR compliant
- On-chain infrastructure, highly scalable to develop DeFi strategies
- 100 percent transparent DeFi strategies, fully implemented through smart contracts
- A business model and regulatory setup that works for every customer and partner
- A product that is technically scalable, easy to integrate, and usable for the masses
The fact that we’ve already convinced leading institutional partners shows: Fija is more than just a concept – we deliver.
Munich Startup: Where do you want to be in one year, where in five years?
Christoph Scholze: In twelve months, we want to:
- have demonstrated that Fija is the crypto earn solution for crypto exchanges and brokers in Europe and globally
- in doing so, Fija as a crypto earn solution will be integrated at various leading crypto exchanges
- and Fija will offer its solutions both under a MiCAR license and MiFID compliant via security tokens
In five years, Fija will be the leading provider of crypto-earn products, both in the B2B2C space through collaboration with crypto exchanges and brokers, and in the institutional space through its own asset manager.
France actually more attractive as a location for fintech startups
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Christoph Scholze: Munich scores with its unique mix of tech, finance, and legal expertise. Proximity to institutional players, law firms, and a growing Web3 community make the city a strong location – especially for projects that combine regulation and innovation.
In the center of Europe, Munich is perfectly positioned to bring our solutions to Europe and the world. In retrospect, however, one must consider whether Germany is the best location for a startup, particularly in the crypto/fintech space. Other countries, such as France, are doing much more to enable innovation and support startups in the founding and building phases.
Munich Startup: Quick exit or long-term commitment?
Christoph Scholze: Clearly: long-term commitment. We’re not building a short-term trend solution – but the technological and regulatory infrastructure for the next generation of the financial market. Fija should be the bridge between traditional markets and the DeFi world. That requires trust, substance – and strong partners who want to cross this bridge with us, not just as passengers but as co-creators.
