Europe’s media industry has been running on outdated systems for decades. Licensing deals remain slow and fragmented, crossing borders only with great difficulty. Independent creators struggle to find sustainable revenue streams, while social platforms capture most of the value by monetizing attention rather than content. The promise of global streaming was meant to bring openness, yet it has instead concentrated power in the hands of a few. This environment is what Hendrik Hey set out to change.
Hey, a household name in German media, has now positioned himself at the heart of Europe’s digital transition. As the founder of MILC (Media Industry Licensing Content), he has built a platform designed to tackle inefficiencies in licensing, distribution, and monetization. From Luxembourg, MILC has grown into one of Europe’s most trusted Web3 consulting ecosystems, helping traditional industries find practical ways to adapt.
From Science TV to Web3 Infrastructure
Hendrik Hey’s journey began in television. In 1996, he launched “Welt der Wunder,” a science and technology show that brought complex ideas into everyday homes. Its success laid the foundation for his media empire, including ownership of two national TV stations in Germany and Switzerland. This career gave Hey a front-row view of how media systems operated.
Over time, he realized that traditional licensing models were no longer fit for purpose. Rights were often tied up in contracts that were difficult to audit, while cross-border distribution remained slow and expensive. Through MILC, he designed a collaborative marketplace where every participant remains their own boss.
What started as a media solution evolved into a consulting framework that reaches beyond entertainment. Based in Luxembourg, MILC now advises enterprises in sectors as diverse as finance, energy, and education. By focusing on practical, working applications, it helps businesses adopt blockchain, AI, and immersive tools without disrupting their existing models.
As Hey explains, “The future of business lies in bridging traditional companies with Web3 innovation,” Hey says. “Our role is not just to implement blockchain solutions but to guide European businesses through a meaningful digital transformation that creates lasting value.”
A recent forecast underlines the relevance of this mission, as the global enterprise blockchain market is expected to reach more than 393 billion USD by 2030. MILC is already tapping into that growth by turning theory into functioning infrastructure.
Building Media Solutions for a Decentralized Age
At its core, MILC remains committed to solving the problems that once defined Hey’s career in television. Its rights marketplace enables tokenized IP licensing, secondary market trading, and smart contracts that execute agreements automatically. This removes the endless legal bottlenecks of traditional deals.
The platform also adds layers that reflect how media is produced and consumed today. Virtual production tools allow creators to test scenes with live audiences and refine projects in real time. AI-powered workflows shorten timelines, while tokenized rights ensure revenues flow transparently. In practice, a filmmaker can clear global licensing in days instead of months, or a music label can trade specific rights instantly with international partners.
The timing could not be more relevant. The global tokenization market is valued at around 2.8 trillion USD today, with projections of 13.55 trillion USD by 2030. Even a small share of that market represents a massive opportunity for platforms like MILC that combine compliance, transparency, and usability.
Beyond Media: A European Vision for Web3
What sets Hendrik Hey apart is his ability to apply lessons from media to wider industries. One example is his work with the ION Power Grid Association, a pioneering non-profit organization headquartered in Austria. Together, MILC and the ION Power Grid Association are creating decentralized energy networks powered by blockchain and AI. Smart city simulations are being tested, proving that the same tools that modernize licensing can also improve energy distribution and sustainability.
For Hey, this expansion reflects a consistent philosophy that the future of business lies in bridging traditional companies with Web3 innovation, and MILC’s role is not just to implement blockchain solutions but to guide European businesses through a meaningful digital transformation that creates lasting value.
Luxembourg has provided the right base for this ambition. With its reputation as a financial and technological hub and its strong regulatory frameworks under GDPR, MiCA, and the AI Act, Luxembourg enables MILC to scale across Europe with confidence. Regulation, in Hey’s view, is not a barrier but a foundation. Clear rules build trust, reduce risk, and make Europe attractive for global partners.
Hendrik Hey’s story is more than a personal success. It is a lesson in how to bridge industries and technologies. From his early days of translating science into accessible television to his current role guiding Europe into Web3, he has shown that complex systems can be made understandable, transparent, and usable.
MILC has grown from a media platform into a cross-industry infrastructure company. Its consulting work stretches from entertainment to energy. Its marketplace demonstrates how blockchain can solve real business problems.
As Europe steps further into its digital future, Hey’s leadership provides a model that others can follow. Innovation here is not about hype or speculation. It is about infrastructure that works, industries that adapt, and creativity that scales.
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 and https://www.ionpowergrid.com
