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Haarlem-based fintech company BOTS Capital will discontinue its direct crypto services as of 10 June 2026 and is entering into a strategic partnership with Finst, a Dutch crypto and investment broker. Customers who traded in crypto through BOTS Capital can transfer their activities to Finst at no cost. The group affected comprises a maximum of 100,000 users.
BOTS Capital, founded in 2017 and to date financed with approximately €30 million in a Series A round, will from now on focus entirely on multi-asset investment funds supervised by the Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). The company offers automated investment strategies for retail investors through algorithms.
Existing BOTS customers who were active in crypto will have the opportunity to switch to Finst without incurring any costs. Finst is a Netherlands-based broker offering both crypto and traditional investment products. The transition is voluntary: customers decide for themselves whether to make the move.
The exact total number of customers BOTS Capital currently has, and how many of them specifically used the crypto services, is not known based on the available source material. The announcement refers to a maximum of 100,000 customers who are eligible for the cost-free transfer.
For customers who do not switch to Finst, or who make a different choice, BOTS Capital has not yet published further details on how their positions will be settled. Those affected are advised to monitor the official communications from BOTS Capital via bots.io for further instructions.
By discontinuing its direct crypto services, BOTS Capital is placing its full emphasis on multi-asset investment funds. These funds fall under the supervision of the AFM, meaning they must comply with stricter Dutch and European regulations than providers of purely crypto services.
BOTS Capital has long distinguished itself through the use of algorithmic strategies, in which automated systems execute investment decisions. By opting for the AFM-regulated fund route, the company is positioning itself more explicitly within traditional asset management, while retaining its technological core.
The move aligns with a broader trend in which crypto-related providers in the Netherlands and Europe are restructuring their activities under pressure from tightening regulation, including the European MiCA regulation that has been in force since late 2024. Whether that regulatory context played a direct role in BOTS Capital's decision is not made explicit in the announcement.
Finst will take over the crypto side for former BOTS customers. Finst operates as a broker in the Dutch market and holds a licence to provide crypto services. Through this partnership, Finst could significantly expand its customer base, depending on how many BOTS customers actually make the switch.
For Finst, the collaboration represents an opportunity to scale quickly without having to run an entirely new customer acquisition campaign. For BOTS Capital, it offers the ability to provide customers with a concrete, fully developed option rather than leaving them without an alternative when the crypto service is discontinued.
Details of the financial terms of the partnership between BOTS Capital and Finst have not been made public.
BOTS Capital's change of direction illustrates how Dutch fintech companies are reassessing their propositions as European regulation of crypto services continues to tighten. Where crypto could previously be offered as a relatively standalone component alongside traditional investment services, the stricter supervisory landscape is increasingly forcing providers to make a clear choice: commit fully to the regulated investment market, or focus specifically on crypto with the associated licences and compliance obligations.
For other founders and investors in the Dutch fintech scene, BOTS Capital's move is a concrete example of how a company with substantial funding and an existing customer base reorganises its activities around regulatory frameworks, and in doing so seeks a partner for the part it is stepping away from. Policymakers and regulators will likely view this development as a sign that the regulatory framework is having its intended effect on market structure.
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