AFM
Autoriteit Financiële Markten · Netherlands
Negative-balance protection is required
AFM rules require CFD providers to protect retail clients from losing more than the funds in their account.
“de CFD-aanbieder verschaft de niet-professionele cli”
Source · checked Oct 5, 2026
Investor compensation
- Investor Compensation Scheme (beleggerscompensatiestelsel), limit: Not verified yet
What a Tier 1 regulator means
Major-market regulator with a statutory investor-compensation scheme, strict capital and client-money rules, and an active enforcement record. We use this tier in the regulation part of every Editor Rating. How regulator tiers work.
Where a AFM licence counts on Coinish
It is the local regulator for Netherlands: a company licensed by AFM counts as locally licensed there. As a regulator in the European Economic Area, its licensees can also serve other EEA countries under the EU passport once they have notified those countries; we record which ones each company serves.
How to check a AFM licence
- Open the AFM public register and search for the company name or licence number shown in the broker’s website footer.
- Check the legal name matches the company named in your account agreement: brokers often run several companies under one brand.
- Check the licence is current and covers the service you want (for example dealing in CFDs or holding client money).
Lists where AFM-licensed companies are ranked
Crypto exchanges in Germany (1) · Crypto exchanges in the Netherlands (1) · Crypto exchanges in Italy (1) · Crypto exchanges in Spain (1) · Crypto exchanges in Austria (1) · Crypto exchanges in Croatia (1) · Crypto exchanges in Portugal (1) · Crypto exchanges in Cyprus (1)
Tracked entities licensed by AFM
| Broker | Entity | Licence | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitvavo | Bitvavo B.V. | MiCA CASP · LEI 724500MX2WBKDJP9HE56 | Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, BG, Croatia, Cyprus, CZ, Denmark, EE, Finland, France, Germany, GR, HU, IS, Ireland, Italy, LV, LI, LT, LU, MT, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, SK, SI, Spain, Sweden |