Useful Articles / Netherlands
Crypto exchanges in the Netherlands: who is licensed, and the Box 3 problem
Two things make the Dutch market its own case: a payment rail that nothing else in Europe quite matches, and a tax system that charges you whether or not you made money.
Who can legally take you
Since 1 July 2026, MiCA authorisation is required to serve Dutch clients. The AFM supervises domestic providers, but a venue authorised anywhere in the EEA can passport in — so the entity serving you may sit in Vienna or Valletta.
| Venue | Licensed via | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Bybit EU | Bybit EU GmbH, Austria | Spot and margin, no perpetuals |
| OKX | OKX Europe Limited, Malta | Spot, margin and derivatives |
| Kraken | MiCA authorised for the EEA | Spot, margin and derivatives |
iDEAL is the thing that actually differs
Dutch retail runs on iDEAL, and its presence or absence changes the experience more than fee schedules do. An iDEAL deposit confirms in seconds and costs essentially nothing; a SEPA transfer to a foreign venue takes a day and involves more steps.
The international venues generally accept SEPA and card but not iDEAL. If instant euro funding matters more to you than product range, that is a real trade-off to weigh, and it is the reason a lot of Dutch traders keep a domestic account for funding and a second account for trading.
Box 3: the part that surprises people
You are taxed on holdings, not on gains
Dutch crypto sits in Box 3, the wealth category, alongside savings and investments. The charge is calculated from the value of what you hold on the reference date — not from whether you sold at a profit or a loss. A year in which your portfolio fell can still produce a Box 3 liability.
The system has been under reform for several years, with the calculation method repeatedly revised following court decisions. Rates, the deemed-return method and the tax-free allowance have all moved recently. Check the current position with the Belastingdienst or an adviser rather than relying on any figure you read on a site like this one.
The practical consequence: valuation date and record-keeping matter more here than in most of Europe. Keep exportable statements from every venue you use.
What the Dutch market lost
The same two things as everyone else in the EEA. USDT is gone from compliant venues, since Tether did not seek MiCA authorisation. And derivatives need a MiFID II licence on top of MiCA, which most authorised venues do not hold. Binance withdrew its application in June 2026 and ended EU retail service on 1 July.
Opening an account
For spot and margin from a licensed EU entity: Bybit EU. If you need derivatives alongside spot: OKX Europe. Referral links, no cost to you, and the reason this page is free.