Who needs a TCSP licence, capital, indemnity cover and people on the ground: Hong Kong AMLO, Singapore CSP Act 2024 and Trust Companies Act, JFSC, GFSC, BVI FSC, CIMA, MFSA and CySEC.
What regulators read in a business plan and programme of operations under PSD2, MiCA, FCA, MAS and SFC: forecast horizon, stress scenarios, wind-down plans, RFIs and refusals.
FCA, MAS, ADGM RegLab, DFSA ITL, Bank of Lithuania, AIFC FinTech Lab and National Bank of Kazakhstan sandboxes: relief, duration, limits, exit to a full licence and when it is an extra loop.
How dealers in precious metals and stones register in Hong Kong, Singapore and the UAE: HK$120,000, S$20,000 and AED 55,000 thresholds, cash transaction reports, supervision and penalties.
Regulatory substance of a financial licence: head office in the licensing state, the two-manager rule, key function holders, resident directors and the outsourcing limit in the EU, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Annual cost of a financial licence: CySEC, FCA, SFC, MAS, Bulgarian FSC and FINRA fees, ICF, FSCS and SIPC contributions, client-asset audits, mandatory staff and expense-driven capital.
The EU regime for trading and settling tokenised securities: who gets a permission, the €500m, €1bn and €6bn caps, exemptions from MiFID II and CSDR, the ESMA register and the 2025 Commission proposal.
Captive insurers in Bermuda, Cayman, Guernsey and Malta compared: licence classes, capital, managers, cells, 2026 fees, fronting, Solvency II and tax rules.
The EU crowdfunding licence under Regulation 2020/1503: business loans and securities placement up to €5 m per project owner, capital from €25 000, passport.
SFC Type 9 or a Singapore CMS licence for an asset manager: capital, retail access, staffing and residence, timelines, fees, virtual assets and how to choose.
MAS licences for dealing (CMS) and financial advice: base capital from S$50,000 to S$5 million, resident CEO, review of up to six months, fees, client money.
Cayman, BVI, Bermuda and Seychelles VASP regimes compared: status, capital, fees, local presence, travel rule and why none opens access to EU or UK clients.
Kazakhstan banking licence under Law No. 258-VIII: basic (KZT 10bn, assets up to KZT 500bn) or universal (KZT 20bn); timelines, fees, owners, AIFC.
Broker licences in 16 regimes: MiFID II in seven EU states, FCA, SFC, MAS, SEC, the AIFC and offshore — capital, timelines, fees, compensation, passport.
Hong Kong VA dealing and custody licences under the AMLO: Type 1 scope, private-key test, HK$5 million and HK$10 million capital, no deeming; bill due Q4 2026.
Directive (EU) 2023/2225 from 20.11.2026: BNPL in scope, 50- and 14-day tests, Article 37 creditor admission, no social-media scoring; Germany, NL, Bulgaria.
Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria or Lithuania for a MiFID II firm: capital is the same, so fees, the clock, investor compensation, CFD rules, staff costs and tax decide.
Kazakhstan broker licence: AFSA in the AIFC (base capital USD 10,000–500,000, 2–3 months) or ARDFM (10,000–50,000 MRP minimum capital, 30 working days).
Seychelles FSA dealer and BVI and Cayman SIBA licences compared: capital, fees, resident staff, retail CFD rules and why none gives access to EU or UK clients.
EU investment firm licence: the nine Annex I MiFID II services, €75k–750k initial capital under the IFD, IFR classes, €20k investor compensation, passporting, reverse solicitation and sanctions for Russian UBOs.
FCA authorisation for a UK investment firm: RAO activities, capital from £75,000 under IFPR, CASS audit, SMCR, threshold conditions, statutory and actual FCA timelines, FSCS £85,000, appointed representatives.
US broker-dealer: Form BD, FINRA new member application (180 days), Rule 15c3-1 net capital from $5,000 to $250,000, buying a firm under Rule 1017, SIPC cover.
Cyprus Investment Firm under Law 87(I)/2017: €75,000–€750,000 initial capital, CySEC application fee from €7,000, decision within six months, ICF cover up to €20,000, CFD limits and sanctions for Russian UBOs.
Which product needs a PI, EMI, CASP, investment firm or bank licence; the EU, UK, Asia, UAE and US; capital from €20,000 to €5 million, FCA processing times, entry without own licence and EU sanctions for Russian UBOs.
SFC licensing under the SFO: Types 1, 2, 4 and 9, two responsible officers, FRR capital from HK$100,000 to HK$5 million, 10–15 week timelines, fees, substantial shareholders and virtual assets.
Nine vehicles for a non-resident owner compared: company tax, residence test, local director, payout tax, audit, fees, Stripe and bank access, worked example.
Thirteen boards for Asian issuers compared: profit and cap gates, public float, lock-up, fees, timelines and the gatekeepers that stop high-risk deals.
Dual citizenship in 24 countries: who loses a passport on naturalising abroad, who demands renunciation, reporting duties, military and tax links.
Bulgarian MiFID II investment firm: FSC licence, €75 000–750 000 capital, IFR own funds, decision in 3–6 months, €20 000 investor cover, EU passport.
Who bears the loss when a payment is fraudulent: PSD2 refunds and the €50 cap, gross negligence, euro Verification of Payee and UK APP reimbursement.