 Are you looking to get your fintech authorised in The Netherlands? Contact our Platinum Partner and regulatory expert at CompliReg.
We are grateful to CompliReg for its support of NetherlandsFintech.com at our formation stage. It has extensive experience helping banks, MiFID, payments firms and crypto-asset (MiCAR) firms obtain authorisation across Europe. If you are seeking authorisation in the Netherlands complete its Enquiry Form Here. And see our Authorisation/Regulation Page. FintechNetherlands.com is always happy to hear from experts who can demonstrate their expertise on Fintech issues directly relevant to The Netherlands and who wish to join us as a Partner. We appreciate that establishing a fintech, obtaining authorisation and remaining supervisable while scaling and fundraising is challenging. We are happy to hear from experts who are honest, transparent and share our ethos on supporting innovation in The Netherlands and wish to join as Partners. If this is you, contact us and set out clearly (no sales/lead generation pitches) how you will be able to support this initiative. Your expertise might be academia, financial regulator, legal, financial (accounting), information technology, banking, investments, payments and crypto.
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Why the Netherlands is a magnet for fintech — numbers, MiCAR crypto leadership, and choosing your partners carefully. The Netherlands punches well above its weight in European fintech. It combines a deep payments culture, a pragmatic regulator duo (DNB + AFM), world-class infrastructure and a rapidly growing startup base. Below I summarise the hard numbers (with sources), explain why crypto under MiCAR is a leading vertical in the Dutch ecosystem, and finish with why partnering with NetherlandsFintech.com, Peter Oakes and CompliReg.com makes sense for firms entering the market. 1. How many fintechs are in the Netherlands? (the headline number) The EY Dutch FinTech Census 2023 identified 861 fintech parties in the Netherlands (up from 635 in 2019). That report shows the ecosystem is diversified (payments, financial software, regtech, crypto and more) and concentrated around Amsterdam and the Randstad. ([EY][1]) This 861 figure is widely cited in government and investment promotion material as evidence that the Netherlands is a mature, fast-growing fintech market. For the then latest, live counts and company lists, the EY report is a reliable baseline for general information ([EY][1]). However one must be aware that the word 'fintech' is not defined in absolute terms in law or regulation; thus a broad mix of companies and offerings will also claim to be 'fintech'. How many payment / e-money / AISP firms are authorised (DNB)? De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) maintains public registers for payment service providers and electronic money institutions (EMIs) that operate in the Netherlands. However for a snapshot of these numbers and how The Netherlands ranks across the universe of EEA Member States we are grateful to or good friends at Fintech Ireland which published the below visual of regulated fintech in the EEA as at 30 September 2025 which also compared the ranking to data 6 months previously as at 1 April 2025.  A few published snapshots (useful for historic context):
* Independent industry summaries and advisers referenced earlier counts: for example, market commentary in 2022 reported **~74 payment institutions and 11 electronic money institutions** authorised by DNB at that time (June 2022 snapshot reported by specialist advisers). These snapshots are valuable but dated — always cross-check the DNB/EBA registers for the current total. ([Advapay][3]) **Where to verify (live):** DNB's public registers for (a) Payment Service Providers and (b) Electronic Money Institutions; and the European Banking Authority (EBA) central register for PSD2 authorisations. These are the primary sources for current counts. ([De Nederlandsche Bank][4]) --- ## Crypto in the Netherlands: MiCAR makes it a leading vertical Crypto has quietly become one of the fastest-growing fintech segments in the Netherlands. The EY Census highlighted **cryptocurrencies / crypto firms as a growing category (around ~11% of fintechs in 2023)** — the sector has both startup innovation and international players choosing the Netherlands as a European base. ([EY][1]) Why the Netherlands leads on crypto under MiCAR: 1. **Clear national responsibilities under MiCAR.** Under the EU's MiCAR regime the Netherlands has split supervisory responsibilities: the **AFM (Autoriteit Financiële Markten)** acts as the licensing and conduct supervisor for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), while **DNB** retains prudential responsibilities for certain players (and for stablecoins such as ARTs/EMTs). This clarity gives applicants a direct path for MiCAR authorisation in the Netherlands. ([AFM][5]) 2. **MiCAR application window and registries are live.** From 22 April 2024 CASP licence applications could be submitted to the AFM; licences granted became effective from 30 December 2024. The AFM maintains a downloadable crypto register listing CASPs that have obtained authorisation or notifications. (This register is the right place to check "who's authorised now".) ([AFM][6]) 3. **Early authorised CASPs and a rapid path to EU access.** Early reports and practitioner commentary (January–June 2025) noted that only a small number of CASPs had appeared on the AFM register initially (practitioner summaries referenced **four CASPs** included in the AFM register in early 2025), but that the pipeline of applicants is growing as firms seek full MiCAR coverage to passport services across the EU. MiCAR's single-market licence logic makes the Netherlands attractive to CASPs that want an efficient EU hub. (Always check the AFM register for the up-to-the-minute count.) ([DLA Piper][7]) In short: MiCAR gives the Netherlands a credible, well-resourced route to EU distribution for crypto firms — and regulators (AFM + DNB) have clearly articulated roles and operational registration portals. That is why crypto is a leading vertical inside the Dutch fintech cluster today. ([AFM][5]) --- ## Authoritative registers & where to check live numbers * **EY Dutch FinTech Census 2023** — 861 fintechs (baseline industry census). ([EY][1]) * **DNB public registers** — payment institutions, electronic money institutions and other authorisations; use these pages for live counts. ([De Nederlandsche Bank][4]) * **AFM crypto register** — downloadable XLSX and online list of CASPs authorised or notified under MiCAR; consult it for the current list of authorised CASPs. ([AFM][6]) * **EBA central PSD2 register** — central register of payment & e-money institutions across EU Member States (useful for cross-checking DNB numbers). ([European Banking Authority][8]) > Note on counts: many advisory or consultancy pages quote snapshots (for example, 2021–2023 counts of PIs/EMIs). Those are useful signals, but **the authoritative numbers are in the DNB/AFM/EBA registers** and will change as firms are newly authorised or use passporting. --- ## Why partner with NetherlandsFintech.com, Peter Oakes and CompliReg.com If you are a fintech or crypto firm looking to enter the Dutch market or secure MiCAR/PSD2-era authorisations, there are three practical reasons to partner with these specialists: * **NetherlandsFintech.com** positions itself as a focused market gateway for firms seeking authorisation and local introductions — a practical "first stop" to connect with Dutch regulators, local partners and ecosystem members. The site explicitly links to regulatory partners and local advisors who specialise in Dutch authorisations. ([netherlandsfintech.com][9]) * **Peter Oakes** brings deep, operational fintech and regulatory experience. His public bios and CompliReg material show long experience with payments, e-money and fintech licensing, board roles in regulated fintechs and structuring authorisation projects — the kind of practical expertise you want when navigating both DNB and AFM processes. ([peteroakes.com][10]) * **CompliReg.com** (the team Peter Oakes founded) offers authorisation, training and regulatory compliance services aimed specifically at fintechs (e-money, payment institutions, MiCAR/CASP licensing). Their site and team pages make clear they run licensing projects and training sessions — useful operational support to shorten lead times and reduce application risk. ([complireg.com][11]) Put together: NetherlandsFintech.com (ecosystem gateway) + Peter Oakes (senior regulatory strategist) + CompliReg (hands-on authorisation project delivery) provide a coherent market entry stack — introductions, strategy and execution. That combination is attractive for firms who want a single, trusted set of partners to manage regulatory complexity and get live in the EU via the Netherlands. --- ## Quick further reading & registers (links) * EY — *Dutch FinTech Census 2023* (report & PDF). ([EY][1]) * DNB — public registers for Payment Service Providers & Electronic Money Institutions. ([De Nederlandsche Bank][4]) * AFM — Crypto companies / CASP register (MiCAR). ([AFM][6]) * DLA Piper / industry summaries on MiCAR in the Netherlands (practitioner commentary and timelines). ([DLA Piper][7]) --- If you'd like, I can: * Pull a live count today from the DNB/EBA/AFM registers and include a small table of current totals (EMIs / PIs / AISPs / CASPs) with timestamps; **or** * Draft a version of this article optimised for LinkedIn or a company blog with suggested graphics and a short newsroom blurb announcing market entry. Which would you prefer? [1]: https://www.ey.com/content/dam/ey-unified-site/ey-com/en-nl/insights/banking-capital-markets/documents/2023/ey-dutch-fintech-census-2023.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Dutch FinTech Census 2023" [2]: https://www.dnb.nl/en/public-register/register-of-electronic-money-institutions/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Register of electronic money institutions" [3]: https://advapay.eu/obtaining-a-payment-emoney-institution-license-in-the-netherlands/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Payment & E-money Institution Licence in the Netherlands" [4]: https://www.dnb.nl/en/public-register/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Public register" [5]: https://www.afm.nl/en/sector/cryptopartijen "Crypto companies" [6]: https://www.afm.nl/en/sector/registers/vergunningenregisters/cryptopartijen "Crypto-asset service providers" [7]: https://www.dlapiper.com/insights/publications/2025/01/articleeu-crypto-assets-regulatory-framework?utm_source=chatgpt.com "EU crypto-assets regulatory framework: application of the ..." [8]: https://www.eba.europa.eu/risk-and-data-analysis/data/registers/payment-institutions-register?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Register of payment and electronic money institutions under ..." [9]: https://netherlandsfintech.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "NETHERLANDSFINTECH.COM - Home" [10]: https://peteroakes.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "PETER OAKES - Home" [11]: https://complireg.com/about.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com "About" |
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