Binance Netherlands exit – Dutch Central Bank says registration failings are confidential

The details behind Binance’s failed efforts to register for a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license in the Netherlands will remain unclear due to confidentiality requirements of the central bank’s supervisory laws.

Binance announced that it would terminate its services in the Netherlands on June 16 with immediate effect, having failed to get the all clear from De Nedelandsche Bank (DNB). From July 17, Dutch customers will only be able to withdraw assets from the platform, while trading and deposits were stopped on the date of the announcement.

Binance claimed that it had undergone a ‘comprehensive registration application process’ to obtain a VASP license in the Netherlands and had also explored ‘alternative avenues’ to serve Dutch residents in the country. The exchange indicated that it would continue its effort to obtain authorization to provide its services and products in the country.

Cointelegraph reached out to Tobias Oudejans, spokesperson for DNB in charge Supervision, Fintech, Cryptos, Resolution and Payment systems to ascertain final details of Binance’s failed registration efforts.

Oudejans said that the central bank could not share more details about Binance’s registration due to legal requirements of supervisory laws:

“Because of confidentiality as demanded by our supervisory laws, we cannot elaborate on anything concerning our supervision on individual institutions or the possible licensing trajectories they may be in.”

Oudejans added that the DNB wanted to stress that its perceived silence over this specific supervisory outcome and similar issues ‘might wrongly be attributed to an unwillingness to comment.’ but was necessitated by Dutch laws.

Binance would have joined a list of 35 VASP that have completed registration with the DNB. This includes the likes of Coinbase Custody International Limited, Coinbase Europe Limited, eToro (Europe) Limited, BitPay and Bitstamp.

Related: EU’s new crypto law: How MiCA can make Europe a digital asset hub

Oudejans said VASP registration requirements in the Netherlands are in line with the similar requirements for other types of financial institutions under the DNB’s supervision. These are based on the Netherlands Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act, locally known as the Wet ter voorkoming van witwassen en financieren van terrorisme (WWFT).

The implementation of the European Union’s recently published Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA) could…