Answer ... The Netherlands is a welcoming country for fintech companies. The Dutch financial regulators are known for their positive attitude towards financial innovation, and are actively promoting innovation and facilitating fintech companies through initiatives such as the Regulatory Sandbox and the InnovationHub. Furthermore, the Netherlands has a healthy economy and a thriving international business community (especially in Amsterdam), and is home to some of the biggest fintech players that exist today (eg, Adyen).

On the other hand, the Dutch regulators have a reputation to protect and are not known to be the easiest or quickest regulators in the European Union. The regulatory framework will therefore remain a challenge for many fintech companies.

The Dutch minister of finance recently announced that quantitative and qualitative research on the Dutch fintech sector will be conducted by a third party, which will serve as the basis for more concrete measures to facilitate and promote fintech in the Netherlands (www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2019/04/09/kamerbrief-innovatie-in-de-financiele-sector).