Meanwhile, the first life insurer licensed to operate entirely in Bitcoin, has raised $37.5 million in new funding from its existing, the company announced. Bain Capital Crypto led the round, with participation from Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Morgan Creek Digital.

The raise brings Meanwhile's total funding to more than $180 million. Sam Altman is also among its backers. The lineup itself spans crypto-native and traditional finance capital: Apollo is a global asset manager, and Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures is the venture arm of Northwestern Mutual, one of the largest US life insurers.

According to the company, the round follows a surge in demand for its Bitcoin life insurance policies outside the US, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, amid broader macroeconomic instability.

"Wealthy families around the world already hold Bitcoin. What they haven't had is a regulated way to pass it on," Zac Townsend, Meanwhile's co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. "Brokers came to us because their clients kept asking. This round lets us keep up with them."

Single-Premium Product Built for Clients Outside the US

In early 2026, Meanwhile launched BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy aimed at high-net-worth clients outside the US. It is the company's second product line, following BTC 10-Pay, which is designed for US taxpayers.

Under BTC Life 1-Pay, 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 — a way to tap liquidity without surrendering the policy.

Policies can be owned by individuals, trusts or companies, a structure the company says makes them suited to succession and estate planning. Whole life coverage has long been a staple of traditional estate planning; here the familiar vehicle is rebuilt with Bitcoin as the unit of account.

Broker Network Spans Key Wealth Hubs

Since launch, Meanwhile has signed 15 brokers serving wealthy families, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE and Switzerland. Partners include Lioner, an insurance, trust and family office group with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich, and Apeiron Group, a marketplace for high-net-worth life insurance. Those markets sit squarely in the Asia, Europe and Middle East regions where the company says demand is surging, and the broker count is the operating figure to watch as that interest converts into distribution.

"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," said Justin Man, CEO of Apeiron Group.

Underwriting Income on Track to More Than Double

Meanwhile said its net long-term underwriting income has already passed last year's total and is on track to more than double in 2026. The company did not disclose specific figures. Because the insurer's financial statements are denominated in Bitcoin, that growth is measured in Bitcoin terms rather than in dollars.

"Meanwhile owns every layer of a regulated life insurer and builds it like an AI startup," said Stefan Cohen, partner at Bain Capital Crypto. "The growth this year proves the model, and we're glad to back them again."

Bermuda License and a Bitcoin-Denominated Balance Sheet

The company's operating entity, Meanwhile Insurance Bitcoin (Bermuda) Limited, holds the first Class IILT license granted by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. It received the license in July 2024 after two years in the regulator's sandbox, a supervised testing phase that preceded the full license. The insurer's balance sheet, reserves and audited financial statements are all denominated in Bitcoin. Policyholder Bitcoin is held with regulated institutional custodians.

This article first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and was written by Mathew Di Salvo.