BaFin (German financial regulator)

BaFin (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) is the central supervisory authority for the German financial market.

What BaFin does:

• Supervises: approx. 2,700 banks, 700 insurers, 800 funds in Germany
• Authorises: banking licences, insurance products, securities prospectuses
• Warns: publishes warning lists about dubious providers (bafin.de/warnungen)
• Bans: can ban risky products (e.g. binary options since 2018)
• Penalises: can impose fines and withdraw licences

For you as a consumer:

✅ Check on bafin.de whether a financial provider is authorised
✅ Read the warning lists before every investment
✅ Submit complaints about banks/insurers to BaFin
✅ If a crypto provider has no BaFin licence: hands off!