crypto-policy-map
← Back to the map

Is crypto legal in Netherlands?

Cryptocurrency is legal in Netherlands, but subject to regulatory restrictions.

Western Europe · NL · 8 of 9 dimensions sourced

Every value below cites the primary government, central bank, financial regulator, or tax authority. How this is sourced →

Netherlands crypto policy at a glance

CBDC status
Pilot

Stage of the central bank digital currency programme — research, pilot, or launched.

cbdctracker.org ↗ · as of 2024 · confidence: high
Legal status
Legal, with restrictions

Whether crypto is legal, restricted, or banned for individuals and businesses.

“As of 30 December 2024, providers of crypto-asset services will require a licence or authorisation from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) or another European regulator.”
AFM / De Nederlandsche Bank ↗ · as of 2024 · confidence: high
VASP licensing
Regime in force

Whether the jurisdiction licenses crypto/VASP service providers.

“In the Netherlands, this transitional regime ended on 30 June 2025. ... any person wishing to provide crypto-asset services in the EU must be authorized via either a CASP-license or a CASP-notification.”
AFM (MiCA) ↗ · as of 2025 · confidence: high
Stablecoin rules
Pending

Rules governing stablecoin and e-money-token issuance.

“Met de inwerkingtreding van de Europese verordening Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) zal er een specifiek kader gelden voor de uitgifte van asset‑referenced tokens en e‑money tokens (stablecoins) in de Europese Unie.”
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) ↗ · as of 2024-04-09 · confidence: high
Tax treatment
Income

How crypto gains are taxed and reported, including OECD CARF participation.

“Crypto's horen tot uw bezittingen in box 3. Van uw crypto's geeft u de waarde in het economisch verkeer aan op 1 januari (peildatum).”
Belastingdienst (Box 3) ↗ · as of 2026 · confidence: high
DeFi treatment
Addressed

How decentralized finance (DeFi) is treated by regulators.

“This study analyses crypto-assets and decentralised finance (DeFi), describing their opportunities and risks for the Dutch financial system and implications for supervision and regulation.”
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) ↗ · as of 2022-06-15 · confidence: high
NFT classification
Addressed

Whether NFTs are addressed in regulation.

“NFT’s (non-fungible tokens) zijn digitale bezittingen. De waarde van NFT’s behoort in de regel tot uw vermogen in box 3.”
Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax and Customs Administration) ↗ · as of 2023-04-01 · confidence: medium
Mining policy
Not yet recorded

Policy toward crypto mining — permitted, restricted, or banned.

Enforcement intensity
Low

Intensity of regulatory enforcement actions against crypto firms.

“De AFM waarschuwt consumenten regelmatig voor de risico’s van beleggen in cryptovaluta en voor niet-gereguleerde aanbieders.”

Explore Netherlands and compare it with other countries on the interactive crypto policy map →

Related

More in Western Europe