National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • North America
NYSDFS
United StatesNew York State Department of Financial Services
Source / Native Reference: 纽约州金融服务管理局
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-1
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 7
- Active / regulated
- 7
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) (NYSDFS) is the Tier-1 statutory financial markets and securities supervisory authority in United States (New York). It grants and supervises financial services licences across broker-dealers, investment advisers, asset managers, and market operators, enforcing initial and ongoing prudential capital requirements, segregated client asset rules, market conduct standards, and public register disclosures.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-1Tier-1 national capital markets, securities, and derivatives supervisory authority in United States, IOSCO member standards-aligned.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (NYSDFS)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by NYSDFS in United States.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer | Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) | Dealing as principal or market maker in securities, FX, CFDs, futures, options, and underwriting. | USD $500,000 – $1,000,000+ (or EUR €750,000) minimum regulatory capital | Risk-weighted capital adequacy + minimum liquid capital buffer ≥ 25% of annual fixed overheads. |
| Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager | Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence | Order execution, reception and transmission of client orders, discretionary portfolio management, and investment advisory. | USD $150,000 – $250,000 (or EUR €150,000) minimum base capital | Strict client money segregation, best-execution monitoring, and quarterly regulatory financial returns. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under NYSDFS.
National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (United States)
- Maximum coverage per client
- EUR €20,000 – USD $100,000+ equivalent per eligible retail investor
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.
NYSDFS Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories.
NYSDFS Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Securities and Capital Markets Act of United States
- NYSDFS Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules
- Client Money & Custody Asset Segregation Regulations (United States)
- IOSCO Principles of Securities Regulation & National AML/CFT Rulebook
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Quarterly capital adequacy returns and annual IFRS audited financial statements submitted to NYSDFSAnnual independent auditor attestation on Client Money and Safe Custody complianceTransaction reporting, market abuse surveillance (MAR), and AML/CFT suspicious activity reporting
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Operates under United States national jurisdiction and IOSCO MMoU cross-border supervisory cooperation.
Supervised institutions & NYSDFS licence records in our database
7 licence records referencing NYSDFS (7 regulated/registered).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BitGo | Number pending check | Regulated | BitGo New York Trust Company, LLC | — | |
| Robinhood(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Robinhood | 2020-10 | |
| bitFlyer(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Bitflyer | 2018-11-01 | |
| Bitstamp(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Bitstamp USA, Inc | 2019-04-01 | |
| Gemini(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Gemini Trust Company, LLC | 2015-10-01 | |
| Fidelity(Global network record) | 1773897 | Regulated | Fidelity Digital Asset Services, LLC | 2018 | |
| Stripe(Global network record) | R-15077 | Regulated | Stripe Payments Company | 2017 |
NYSDFS (United States): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under NYSDFS (United States)?
NYSDFS (New York State Department of Financial Services) supervises financial institutions in United States under Securities and Capital Markets Act of United States and NYSDFS Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer (Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) — min. capital: USD $500,000 – $1,000,000+ (or EUR €750,000) minimum regulatory capital); Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager (Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $250,000 (or EUR €150,000) minimum base capital). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does NYSDFS provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under NYSDFS's framework, investor protection is governed by National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (United States) with maximum coverage of EUR €20,000 – USD $100,000+ equivalent per eligible retail investor (Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with NYSDFS Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules, performing daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances. with client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories..
How does NYSDFS regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
NYSDFS's digital-asset regime is structured around NYSDFS Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework (Regulates security tokens, crypto derivatives, and licensed digital asset intermediaries in United States.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
How can I verify an institution's NYSDFS licence number and check our 7 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 7 licence records referencing NYSDFS (7 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open NYSDFS's official public register (https://www.dfs.ny.gov/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
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Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for NYSDFS (United States) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on NYSDFS’s official public register.