Crypto currencies like bitcoin are a hype, that much is clear. The Netherlands has twenty crypto service providers registered with De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), which is not to say that the regulator has any insight into what goes on at those institutions. Moreover, anyone can turn to foreign service providers, which further obscures the picture. The Dutch Association of Stockholders (VEB) also doesn’t dare give a guess as to how many people are putting money into the cryptos and for how much money. “We don’t have any figures on that. The information about trading varies quite a bit from platform to platform.
 | Play now > > |
 | Play now > > |
 | Play now > > |
 | Play now > > |
The registration of the twenty parties with DNB is only a very limited ‘stamp of approval’. “That only provides assurance that these crypto currency providers are not involved in criminal transactions,” says a spokesperson. “But that’s as far as the supervision goes.”
The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) says it also has no idea how many consumers put money into crypto-currencies or for what amounts. “It is clear that it is a hype,” said a spokesperson. The AFM does supervise investment institutions, which in turn can invest in bitcoin and consorts.