Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has terminated its services in the Netherlands, exiting the Dutch market after a failed bid to obtain a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license.
The termination of services is effective immediately, and no new customers from the Netherlands can open an account with the crypto exchange. From July 17 onwards, existing Dutch customers will only be able to withdraw assets from the Binance platform, and no further purchases, trades or deposits will be possible from today.
Binance claimed it explored many alternative avenues to serve Dutch residents in compliance with local regulations. However, no such avenues offered a path to VASP registration.
The crypto exchange is currently sending out emails to its Dutch customers with comprehensive information about the next steps they need to take with their Binance accounts.
We regret to announce that Binance is leaving the Dutch market as we have been unable to register as a VASP with the Dutch regulator.
We continue to be committed to working collaboratively with regulators around the world and are additionally focused on getting our business…
— Binance (@binance) June 16, 2023
In April 2022, the crypto exchange was slapped with an administrative fine of over $3 million for operating in the country without the required license and registration. At the time, the Dutch central bank claimed that Binance had a large customer base in the country and a significant daily trading volume running into billions, thus the hefty penalty.
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The crypto exchange stressed in its announcement that it is compliant with European Union standards on preventing money laundering and financing of terrorism rules. Binance cited its registration in EU countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden and Lithuania to showcase its EU compliance.
Binane’s departure from the Dutch market comes within days of its exit plans from Cyprus surfacing. On June 14, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission put Binance Cyprus “under examination for application for deregistration” on its website. At the time, Binance told Cointelegraph that it is focused on fully complying with the new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations in the next 18 months and is therefore concentrated on the larger EU market.
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