Mintos, one of the largest European platforms for investing in loans, announced on Thursday that it obtained an investment firm and electronic money institution licenses from the Latvian regulator Financial and Capital Market Commission (FCMC). According to the press release shared with Finance Magnates, the manoeuvre allows the firm to target retail investors.

As of press time, the company has granted around €7 billion in loans through over 90 alternative lending companies globally. “Adjusting the business setup and aligning all of the regulatory and licensing requirements has been a unique journey for us and the regulator. It took us almost two years to get here, and I am very pleased to see this come to fruition. The work with the regulator has been very constructive, ensuring that we and those that will follow and implement best practices when it comes to the regulated setup and investor protection,” Martins Sulte, Mintos’ CEO and Co-Founder, commented on the announcement.

Licensing Taking Effect Immediately

Starting today, Mintos is now under the supervision of Latvia’s FCMC, allowing clients with investments in Notes to get protection by the  MiFID II  MiFID II MiFID II stands for the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, and is the second iteration of a sweeping directive. As such it is known as MiFID II. The original Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) became effective in November 2007. It was intended as the foundation of the EU’s Financial Services Action Plan, a comprehensive project to create a single European market in financial services. MiFID is intended to create a level playing field for firms to compete in the EU’s financial needs and to ensure a consistent level of consumer protection across the EU. MiFID II rules come into force for the European financial sector on January 3, 2018, which are set to have far-reaching consequences for the industry. MiFID II ExplainedMiFID II relates to the framework of trading venues/structures in which financial instruments are traded. MiFID is concerned with regulating the operation of the full range of trading venues and the processes, systems, and governance measures adopted by market participants. The newest version of MiFID updates requires trading transactions and information to be more transparent than ever before. MiFID II requires that all prices are posted before and after trades are completed, no matter the type of trading platform on which transactions occur. Giving investors access to a whole new scope of data and information and enables them to make more educated decisions regarding their clients’ portfolios. One of the primary purposes of this new requirement is to allow retail firms and their customers to find the best deals available by comparing prices and other factors from the newly available data. MiFID II looks to substantially increase the protection of retail investors and severely limit the types of financial instruments with which retail investors can complete transactions without being legally obligated to consult a trader or similar professional. MiFID II stands for the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, and is the second iteration of a sweeping directive. As such it is known as MiFID II. The original Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) became effective in November 2007. It was intended as the foundation of the EU’s Financial Services Action Plan, a comprehensive project to create a single European market in financial services. MiFID is intended to create a level playing field for firms to compete in the EU’s financial needs and to ensure a consistent level of consumer protection across the EU. MiFID II rules come into force for the European financial sector on January 3, 2018, which are set to have far-reaching consequences for the industry. MiFID II ExplainedMiFID II relates to the framework of trading venues/structures in which financial instruments are traded. MiFID is concerned with regulating the operation of the full range of trading venues and the processes, systems, and governance measures adopted by market participants. The newest version of MiFID updates requires trading transactions and information to be more transparent than ever before. MiFID II requires that all prices are posted before and after trades are completed, no matter the type of trading platform on which transactions occur. Giving investors access to a whole new scope of data and information and enables them to make more educated decisions regarding their clients’ portfolios. One of the primary purposes of this new requirement is to allow retail firms and their customers to find the best deals available by comparing prices and other factors from the newly available data. MiFID II looks to substantially increase the protection of retail investors and severely limit the types of financial instruments with which retail investors can complete transactions without being legally obligated to consult a trader or similar professional. Read this Term investor protection framework, Prospectus  Regulation  Regulation Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the US’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Australian Security and Investment Commission (ASIC), and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) are the most widely dealt with authorities in the FX industry.In its most basic sense, regulators help ensure the filing of reports and transmission of data to help police and monitor activity by brokers. Regulators also serve as a countermeasure against market abuse and malpractice by brokers. Brokers adhering to a list of mandated rules are authorized to provide investment activities in a given jurisdiction. By extension, many unauthorized or unregulated entities will also seek to market their services illegally or function as a clone of a regulated operation.Regulators are essential in snuffing out these scam operations as they prevent significant risks for investors.In terms of reporting, brokers are also required to regularly file reports about their clients’ positions to the relevant regulatory authorities. The most-recent regulatory push in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 has delivered a material shift in the regulatory reporting landscape.Brokers typically outsource the reporting to other companies which are connecting the trade repositories used by regulators to the broker’s systems and are handling this crucial element of compliance.Beyond FX, regulators help reconcile all matters of oversight and are watchdogs for each industry. With ever-changing information and protocols, regulators are always working to promote fairer and more transparent business practices from brokers or exchanges. Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the US’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Australian Security and Investment Commission (ASIC), and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) are the most widely dealt with authorities in the FX industry.In its most basic sense, regulators help ensure the filing of reports and transmission of data to help police and monitor activity by brokers. Regulators also serve as a countermeasure against market abuse and malpractice by brokers. Brokers adhering to a list of mandated rules are authorized to provide investment activities in a given jurisdiction. By extension, many unauthorized or unregulated entities will also seek to market their services illegally or function as a clone of a regulated operation.Regulators are essential in snuffing out these scam operations as they prevent significant risks for investors.In terms of reporting, brokers are also required to regularly file reports about their clients’ positions to the relevant regulatory authorities. The most-recent regulatory push in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 has delivered a material shift in the regulatory reporting landscape.Brokers typically outsource the reporting to other companies which are connecting the trade repositories used by regulators to the broker’s systems and are handling this crucial element of compliance.Beyond FX, regulators help reconcile all matters of oversight and are watchdogs for each industry. With ever-changing information and protocols, regulators are always working to promote fairer and more transparent business practices from brokers or exchanges. Read this Term, Packaged retail investment, and insurance products (PRIIPs), Investor Protection Law and other regulations.

“The licenses will allow us to offer investors even more investment opportunities and will pave our way to becoming the go-to investment platform for retail investors in Europe who are looking to build their wealth long term,” Sulte added. Also, with the new license, the loans investing platform could start offering new products such as ETFs to retail investors.

Looking ahead, Mintos, launched in 2015 and with over 420,000 registered users, expects to passport its operations across the EU/EEA at any time this year. “Meanwhile, the electronic money institution license will allow Mintos to offer a payment account and other payment services,” the company pointed out.