Crypto regulation in the Netherlands

Who regulates crypto in the Netherlands

The Netherlands divides financial supervision between two authorities, an approach known as the twin peaks model, and crypto sits across both, as of January 2026. The AFM is the conduct regulator: it authorises crypto asset service providers, supervises how they treat clients, and maintains the register of licensed providers. The DNB is the prudential and integrity regulator: it supervises financial soundness and anti money laundering, and it oversees the issuers of stablecoins. The Belastingdienst, the tax administration, handles the tax treatment of crypto, which the Netherlands applies through Box 3 rather than as a separate capital gains tax.

Before MiCA, the Dutch framework required crypto service providers to register with the DNB for anti money laundering supervision. MiCA replaced that national registration with a single EU authorisation, and the conduct supervision and licensing now sit with the AFM. The DNB retains its integrity and prudential roles. This division matters when you check a provider, because the licence you are looking for is the AFM CASP authorisation.

MiCA, the CASP licence, and the shortened transition

MiCA applies across the European Union, with the rules for stablecoins applicable from 30 June 2024 and the rules for crypto asset service providers from 30 December 2024, as of January 2026. Under MiCA, a provider must hold a CASP licence to offer services such as custody, exchange of crypto for funds, and the operation of a trading platform. A licence granted by the AFM can be passported across the European Economic Area, so an authorised Dutch provider may serve clients in other member states without a separate licence in each one.

The Netherlands made a notable national choice on timing. MiCA allowed member states to grant existing providers a transitional period of up to eighteen months, running to 1 July 2026, but the Netherlands set a shorter window that ended on 30 June 2025, as of January 2026. The practical effect is that Dutch providers had to obtain a full CASP licence sooner than peers in many other EU states, and the transition has now closed. For a user, this means any platform serving Dutch residents should currently hold a CASP licence from the AFM, and it is reasonable to expect to find it on the AFM register.

Anti money laundering and the transfer of funds rule

Alongside MiCA, anti money laundering obligations apply to crypto asset service providers, including customer identification and monitoring, supervised in the Netherlands by the DNB. The EU transfer of funds rule also applies, requiring authorised providers to collect and verify information that travels with a transfer, including transfers to and from self hosted wallets above a threshold of 1000 euro, as of January 2026. These obligations fall on the regulated providers rather than on individuals, but they shape the experience of using a platform: you may be asked to verify your identity, and to confirm ownership when moving crypto to or from a wallet you control.

Decentralised services and the limits of the rules

MiCA is built around providers and intermediaries, so its reach has limits. A service provided in a fully decentralised manner without any intermediary generally falls outside MiCA, as of January 2026, which means the authorisation and conduct protections do not apply to it and the risk rests with the user. Where there is an identifiable operator behind something marketed as decentralised, the AFM can still require that operator to be authorised. The European Commission is mandated to report on decentralised finance, so this boundary may move. The key point for a user is that the MiCA protections attach to authorised providers, not to every service that calls itself crypto.

How to act compliantly

Use a platform that holds a CASP licence from the AFM, or one passported into the Netherlands from another EEA state, and check the AFM register if in doubt. Keep records of holdings and trades for the Box 3 declaration, expect identity checks and transfer information requests as part of the rules, and treat fully decentralised services as outside the MiCA protections. The module below compares platforms that operate for Dutch residents.

Regulator and sources

• Autoriteit Financiele Markten (AFM) conduct supervision, authorisation of crypto asset service providers under MiCA, and the public register of licensed providers, current to June 2026.
• De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) prudential and anti money laundering supervision, oversight of stablecoin issuers, and the former pre MiCA registration of crypto service providers.
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA) and Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 (transfer of funds) the EU framework for crypto asset service providers and the information requirements for transfers, including self hosted wallets above 1000 euro.

Frequently asked questions

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