MILC Metaverse: How Hendrik Hey Is Building Europe’s Web3 Media Future
Europe’s media industry is running on outdated foundations. Licensing processes are slow, and distribution is fractured across national borders. At the same time, social platforms dominate global attention but return little value to creators. The result is a market where innovation struggles to move beyond borders, and independent voices are left without the tools to compete.
This is the space where Hendrik Hey, “leading architect of Europe’s Web3 media infrastructure,” and his company, MILC (Media Industry Licensing Content), have stepped in. From Luxembourg, they are building a Web3-powered media infrastructure that turns Europe’s complexity into a competitive edge that supports fair monetization and compliance with strict regulatory frameworks.
The Problem in Media Today
For decades, the European film and television industry has been defined by fragmentation. Producers and broadcasters often operate within silos, with national licensing structures limiting cross-border growth. Independent creators face barriers to funding and distribution, while large platforms continue to centralize access to audiences. The rise of global streaming promised a more open marketplace, yet in practice, it has concentrated power further in the hands of a few conglomerates.
Traditional licensing systems also remain cumbersome. Negotiations that once required months of legal back-and-forth now clash with an audience that expects instant access. Rights are often locked in contracts that are difficult to audit and nearly impossible to enforce across jurisdictions. At the same time, creators and studios struggle with declining margins, while social platforms capture most of the revenue by monetizing attention rather than content.
It is clear that the system is no longer fit for purpose. The industry is waiting for a solution that not only modernizes workflows but also redefines the economics of digital media. Hey notes that “Selling digital scarcity in an infinite space was never sustainable. We never set out to become the next digital super-conglomerate. Instead, we designed a collaborative marketplace where every participant remains their own boss.”
Hendrik Hey: From Media Pioneer to Web3 Leader
Hendrik Hey’s path to Web3 began long before blockchain was part of the conversation. In 1996, he launched “Welt der Wunder,” a science and technology show that captivated millions by making complex topics accessible to everyday audiences. Over the years, he expanded into running two national TV stations in Germany and Switzerland, giving him firsthand insight into how media systems worked and where they failed.
That background shaped MILC’s foundation. Having navigated everything from content production to international syndication, Hey saw that inefficiency and barriers to collaboration were limiting the industry’s growth. Blockchain and Web3 offered a way to rewrite those rules.
“The true power of the metaverse is that it has no borders. Creativity should not stop at national frontiers, whether in Europe, Africa, Asia, or the US. Europe is unique in this context. While some see its diversity of languages, cultures, and markets as a challenge, we believe it is an advantage,” says Hey.
Hey has consistently drawn comparisons between Europe and other regions, pointing out that Europe’s diversity is an advantage rather than a hurdle. While U.S. adoption is often driven by hype from Big Tech, and Asia leans on state-backed mega-projects, Hey believes Europe’s opportunity lies in building a trusted, human-centered metaverse.
As Hey puts it, “Europe is already used to working across borders, negotiating between different identities, and finding collaborative solutions. In many ways, this prepares Europe to understand decentralization more quickly and seriously than highly centralized markets.”
Film and TV, rebuilt for a Web3 Europe
Production is changing fast with AI taking over routine tasks and virtual sets cutting costs and time. MILC connects these advances directly to licensing and distribution, allowing creators to test scenes with audiences, clear rights through smart contracts, and syndicate across markets. This opens doors for new talent and stories that once struggled for exposure. A documentary in France can license clips abroad, while a filmmaker in the Baltics can release across Europe at once. When rights are programmable, ideas become the real entry ticket, and Web3 shifts from theory to practice.
As Hey says, “The MILC Metaverse becomes a universal creative infrastructure, where a small African studio can co-create with a German broadcaster, or where an independent filmmaker from Eastern Europe can instantly reach audiences in the US.”
The market context supports the timing. Recent estimates put the global blockchain technology market at about 26.91 billion dollars in 2024, with projections near 1.88 trillion dollars by 2034 at a compound annual growth rate above 50 percent. Growth of this scale requires infrastructure that supports real industries, not just collectibles.
Regulation strengthens this foundation. GDPR sets a floor for user respect. MiCA gives token projects a path to operate in public. The AI Act clarifies what is in bounds and what is not. Hey says, “At MILC, we welcome regulation. Because at the end of the day, ideas must be protected. Technology is only valuable if it empowers human creativity.”
Hey believes people want more than scrolling through endless feeds. They want ownership. MILC is his answer: a working metaverse for media that connects creators with their audiences and makes collaboration possible across borders.
Read the full feature: https://nl.mashable.com/partnership/11889/milc-metaverse-how-hendrik-hey-is-building-europes-web3-media-future
About MILC
Hendrik Hey is the Founder of MILC (Media Industry Licensing Content), a pioneering company in the blockchain and metaverse space, with a strong background in media and content. MILC operates a real live metaverse platform that serves not only the media industry but also various industrial use cases. The company also focuses on Web3 consulting, aiming to support complex real-world industries on their way into Web3. MILC is a sister company of European media giant Welt der Wunder, which Hey founded over 25 years ago.
For more information, please visit https://www.milc.global
