Expert analysis on regulatory developments, practical guidance, and thought leadership from our team.
47 new CIF licenses approved in 2025, €2.3M in fines, Triangleview suspended, new sanctions regime from August 2025. ESMA CSA 2026 inspections running now. Full guide including offshore counterpart structures in Mauritius and Seychelles.
The FSC Mauritius has clarified that investment dealer companies may not act as liquidity providers to other brokers. No current authorisation framework permits this activity except under an investment banking licence. Affected firms should seek immediate advice.
CMA Category 1 (full brokerage, AED 10M) vs CMA Category 5 (introduction, 3–6 months) vs DFSA Category 3A (USD 500K, 12–14 months) vs DFSA Category 4 (USD 10K, 4–6 months). The four UAE licence pathways for CFD and FX firms explained.
Zitadelle AG is a specialist fintech regulatory advisory firm led by Aleksandr Kazak — a former Swiss bank and MiFID II professional who has run ZAG for 10+ years. Supported by Valeria Teterina (ACCA, IFRS), Elena (EU attorney at law), Chrise Samuil (Malaysia corporate & finance), and Norshiela Binti Ahmad (fintech accountant, Labuan). We handle holding company registrations and financial licensing across Labuan, Mauritius, Cyprus, Seychelles, BVI, Cayman, and 25+ jurisdictions.
OKX, Bybit, eToro, KuCoin, HTX, and BitMEX operate from Seychelles. The VASP Act 2024 ended the no-license era on September 1, 2024. In 2025 the FSA started enforcing: live system walk-throughs, genuine substance requirements, and a new Code of Corporate Governance effective January 2026. The honest 2026 picture.
DMCC has been named Global Free Zone of the Year nine consecutive times and hosts 25,000+ companies. The 2025 FZCO suffix rule, tightened UBO obligations, and VARA's NOC pathway for crypto prop desks — everything you need to know about setting up a proprietary trading firm in Dubai in 2026.
Malaysia processed 18.4 billion e-payment transactions in 2025, growing at 17% CAGR. BNM's registered merchant acquirer list includes Stripe, Razer Merchant Services, ShopeePay, TNG Digital, GHL, FIS Worldpay, and 40+ others. Full guide to BNM merchant acquiring registration under the Financial Services Act 2013.
The Swiss Federal Council proposed two new FINMA license categories for crypto in October 2025 — the biggest shake-up to the Swiss framework in years. Crypto Valley hosts 1,749 companies. VQF SRO membership costs CHF 4,000–6,000 and takes 8–12 weeks. What the new rules mean, who is moving to Switzerland, and why the SRO route remains the smartest entry point for most crypto operators.
The regulatory landscape for virtual asset service providers has never moved faster. MiCA deadline July 1, 2026. US CLARITY Act advancing. Japan classifying crypto as financial instruments. Full VASP licensing guide across 17 jurisdictions.
The Companies (Amendment) Act 2024 came into force January 2026. CRS 2.0 activated. Tokenised funds framework published. 17,741 private funds registered. Full guide to Cayman company formation, exempted companies, and CIMA licensing in 2026.
March 31, 2026 changed everything for crypto businesses in Australia. AUSTRAC's expanded regime, the Crypto Travel Rule, enforcement actions against Cryptolink/Binance/Revolut, and 32% of Australians now owning crypto. Complete guide to DCE registration.
Kalshi hit $43 billion in trading volume in 2025. ICE just poured $2 billion into Polymarket. Robinhood is building its own exchange. This is no longer a niche — and the window to build internationally is open right now.
FCA EMI for sale, CySEC CIF acquisition, offshore broker licenses, EMI marketplace. Financial License Market lists 25+ verified regulated entities across 17 jurisdictions. The full 2026 market picture for buying and selling regulated financial companies.
Zitadelle AG launches TheCapitalVerse (thecapitalverse.com) — an independent fintech news and regulatory intelligence platform with cross-verified reporting. Full editorial launch June 2026.
B2BINPAY, Binance, Tether, Freedx, and Finprime.pro are CNAD-licensed. Why the El Salvador DASP is gaining traction with non-EU, non-US crypto operators targeting LatAm and emerging markets.
IC Markets, Admirals, ATFX, Fusion Markets, XM, FXTM all hold FSA Seychelles licenses. Why the license works for offshore forex and CFD brokers targeting non-EU markets, and how the 2024–2025 regulatory reforms changed the picture.
Exness, FXTM, FP Markets, IC Markets, Tickmill, FxPro and ATFX all hold FSCA FSP licenses. Why the South Africa FSP is Africa's most credible financial services authorization, what the 2024–2025 reforms changed, and how to acquire an existing licensed entity.
Hong Kong recorded 9,960 non-local parent companies in 2024 — a historic high. Why UK, US, French, and Asian founders keep incorporating in HK: 8.25% profits tax, 0% on foreign income, 100% foreign ownership, 24-hour incorporation, and unmatched China access. What actually changed in 2026.
Alvexo, FIBO Markets, and Royal Forex surrendered CySEC licenses. SVG banned forex. Mauritius and Seychelles application volumes are up. The full 2026 picture of forex brokerage licensing — who is leaving EU regulation, where they are going, and the multi-license strategy serious operators are using.
The Curaçao master license era is over. Stake (OGL/2024/1451/0918), Cloudbet (OGL/2024/328/0599), BC.Game hold CGA direct licenses. Yolo Group exited for Estonia. Orange seals expired October 2025. Physical presence mandatory January 2026. Full market analysis.
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