Meanwhile, the first life insurer licensed to operate entirely in Bitcoin, has raised $37.5 million in new funding from existing investors. Bain Capital Crypto led the round, joined by Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Morgan Creek Digital. The company, whose backers also include Sam Altman, has now raised more than $180 million.
The round follows a surge in international demand, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, amid broader macro instability. In early 2026, Meanwhile launched BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy for high-net-worth clients outside the United States. It is the company’s second product line after BTC 10-Pay, which is designed for US taxpayers. Meanwhile has since signed 15 brokers serving wealthy families, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE and Switzerland.
The policy works in a simple way. A client pays one premium in Bitcoin and receives a guaranteed death benefit in Bitcoin for life. The policy’s value grows in Bitcoin, and after the first year the owner can borrow up to 90% of it with no repayment schedule and no margin calls. Individuals, trusts or companies can own a policy, which suits succession and estate planning.
Zac Townsend, co-founder and CEO of Meanwhile, said the demand came from brokers whose clients kept asking for a regulated way to pass on Bitcoin. “Wealthy families around the world already hold Bitcoin. What they haven’t had is a regulated way to pass it on,” Townsend said. “Brokers came to us because their clients kept asking. This round lets us keep up with them.”
Two broker partners described what they are seeing. Giorgio Jeni, Partner and Head of Switzerland at Lioner, an insurance, trust and family office group, said digital assets are becoming part of mainstream wealth planning and stressed the need for sound governance.
“Digital assets are moving into the mainstream of wealth planning, and Lioner is equipped to evolve with them,” Jeni said. “As Bitcoin and other digital assets become part of the wealth landscape, high-net-worth individuals with international interests and ties are thinking more broadly about how they manage wealth for the future. Transparency, sound governance and strong regulation will remain important as new solutions emerge.”
Justin Man, CEO of Apeiron Group, a marketplace for high-net-worth life insurance, pointed to the shift from holding Bitcoin to planning around it. “We’re reaching a turning point where more high-net-worth clients are asking not just how to hold Bitcoin and digital assets, but how to plan around them and ultimately transfer that wealth to the next generation,” Man said. “Life insurance has always been a powerful tool for wealth transfer, but digital assets introduce additional friction around ownership, liquidity and seamless transfer. Meanwhile is the first insurance carrier to pioneer this space and has made a serious investment in serving high-net-worth clients, helping bridge that gap.”
The growth is showing up in the results. Meanwhile says its net long-term underwriting income has already passed last year’s total and is on track to more than double in 2026. Stefan Cohen, Partner at Bain Capital Crypto, said this supports the company’s approach. “Meanwhile owns every layer of a regulated life insurer and builds it like an AI-enabled startup,” Cohen said. “The growth this year proves the model, and we’re glad to back them again.”
Meanwhile Insurance Bitcoin (Bermuda) Limited holds the first Class IILT license granted by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, received in July 2024 after two years in the regulator’s sandbox. Its financial statements are denominated in Bitcoin, and policyholder Bitcoin is held with regulated institutional custodians. Products are offered to Sophisticated Persons only and are not available in all jurisdictions.
For most savers this is a niche product, since it is built for wealthy families who already hold Bitcoin. Its wider interest lies in what it suggests about digital assets being folded into traditional planning tools such as life insurance, with brokers in major financial hubs responding to client questions.
Herald View
The most telling detail here is that brokers came to Meanwhile because their clients kept asking. Demand that starts with advisers and clients tends to last longer than demand created by an insurer’s own marketing. The open questions are how an insurer manages a balance sheet denominated in an asset known for sharp price swings, and whether interest extends beyond the wealthy families the product is built for.
