Dutch Crypto Firms Secure Legal Victory Over Regulator’s Fees

Dutch cryptocurrency firms Bitvavo and Coinmerce have won a significant legal win against the Dutch central bank (DNB) in their battle against exorbitant fees according to a ground-breaking ruling. The DNB was found to have overstepped its legal bounds when it imposed costs totaling $2.3 million for anti-money laundering registrations, according to a Rotterdam court.

A Legal Triumph for Crypto Companies

According to the court, the DNB’s assessment of registration requests did not follow the guidelines for registration provided by EU anti-money laundering law. The court ruled that the present crypto legislation do not allow for the legitimate imposition of supervisory expenses on cryptocurrency service providers until the year 2021.

The court underlined that the businesses should still be regarded as being under regulatory oversight even if it ruled that the statute itself corresponds to good governance norms. It is significant to note that this decision only addresses expenses incurred in 2021; a separate court action is still pending regarding expenses incurred in 2022.

The Netherlands has taken a strict stance in regards to the regulation of cryptocurrency businesses, fining big participants like Coinbase and Binance heavily for their refusal to register. The DNB’s regulations pushed cryptocurrency exchange Gemini to leave the Dutch market, and Binance switched its Dutch customers to Coinmerce as a result.

Patrick van der Meijde, President of the United Bitcoin Companies of the Netherlands (VBNL), the industry organization leading the complaint, expressed satisfaction with the court’s verdict. He stated, “We are pleased that the court has found that the registration obligation, as resulting from [EU anti-money laundering legislation], has been violated in the Netherlands.” Van der Meijde emphasized that the excessive costs should not have been passed on to crypto companies, as they fell outside the DNB’s mandate.

European financial regulators often raise money to cover operating expenses by taxing monitored businesses according to their size. According to van der Meijde, the entire amount of crypto supervision fees for 2022 was 2.2 million euros ($2.3 million), and this sum is anticipated to climb yearly.

The DNB has not yet provided a statement in reaction to the court’s ruling. However, this decision marks a key turning point in the continuing conflict between Dutch regulatory bodies and cryptocurrency enterprises. It also emphasizes the significance of transparency and equity in the regulation of the cryptocurrency sector, which is still evolving quickly.