Regulator index & licensing matrix
Financial regulators, national licensing qualifications & public registers
Inspect the statutory mandates, license classes, minimum capital rules, investor compensation schemes, and official verification registers of the supervisory authorities in our coverage.
Coverage: Financial institutions headquartered across Singapore, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and emerging markets
17 matching regulators
Sorted by licence holders in our coverage • Click any authority for full statutory qualification dossier
| Regulator | Tier | Jurisdiction | Key license classes & protection | Est. | Licence holders | Dossier & registers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASIC | Tier-1 | Australia Asia-Pacific | AFSL — Retail OTC Derivatives Issuer (Market Maker) / AFSL — Responsible Entity (RE) / Custodian Financial Claims Scheme (FCS — APRA ADIs) & Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) • AUD $250,000 per account holder per APRA-authorised bank (FCS); up to AUD $150,000 for unpaid AFCA determinations covered by the CSLR (personal advice, credit, securities brokerage) | 1998 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| AUSTRAC | Tier-1 | Australia Asia-Pacific | AFSL — Retail OTC Derivatives Issuer (Market Maker) / AFSL — Responsible Entity (RE) / Custodian Financial Claims Scheme (FCS — APRA ADIs) & Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) • AUD $250,000 per account holder per APRA-authorised bank (FCS); up to AUD $150,000 for unpaid AFCA determinations covered by the CSLR (personal advice, credit, securities brokerage) | 2006 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| CMA | Tier-1 | United Arab Emirates (DIFC / ADGM / Dubai) Middle East & GCC | Category 2 / Category 3A (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) / Category 3C / Category 4 (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) Statutory Client Money & Safe Custody Trust Protection (DFSA COB 6.12 / ADGM COBS 14 / VARA Custody Rulebook) • 100% bankruptcy-remote statutory trust segregation of client money and virtual assets (no pooled retail cash compensation fund; protected via strict base/expenditure capital & PII insurance) | 2004 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| CMA | Tier-1 | United Arab Emirates (DIFC / ADGM / Dubai) Middle East & GCC | Category 2 / Category 3A (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) / Category 3C / Category 4 (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) Statutory Client Money & Safe Custody Trust Protection (DFSA COB 6.12 / ADGM COBS 14 / VARA Custody Rulebook) • 100% bankruptcy-remote statutory trust segregation of client money and virtual assets (no pooled retail cash compensation fund; protected via strict base/expenditure capital & PII insurance) | 2010 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| DFSA | Tier-1 | ["4"] Middle East & GCC | Category 2 / Category 3A (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) / Category 3C / Category 4 (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) Statutory Client Money & Safe Custody Trust Protection (DFSA COB 6.12 / ADGM COBS 14 / VARA Custody Rulebook) • 100% bankruptcy-remote statutory trust segregation of client money and virtual assets (no pooled retail cash compensation fund; protected via strict base/expenditure capital & PII insurance) | 2004 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| FFAJ | Tier-1 | Japan Asia-Pacific | FIEA Type I FIBO (第一種金融商品取引業) / FIEA Type II FIBO & Investment Management Japan Investor Protection Fund (JIPF) & Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan (DICJ) • JPY ¥10,000,000 per retail client via JIPF (for Type I securities firms); JPY ¥10,000,000 + interest per depositor via DICJ for Japanese banks | 1989 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| FSA | Tier-1 | Japan Asia-Pacific | FIEA Type I FIBO (第一種金融商品取引業) / FIEA Type II FIBO & Investment Management Japan Investor Protection Fund (JIPF) & Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan (DICJ) • JPY ¥10,000,000 per retail client via JIPF (for Type I securities firms); JPY ¥10,000,000 + interest per depositor via DICJ for Japanese banks | 2000 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| FSRA | Tier-1 | United Arab Emirates (DIFC / ADGM / Dubai) Middle East & GCC | Category 2 / Category 3A (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) / Category 3C / Category 4 (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) Statutory Client Money & Safe Custody Trust Protection (DFSA COB 6.12 / ADGM COBS 14 / VARA Custody Rulebook) • 100% bankruptcy-remote statutory trust segregation of client money and virtual assets (no pooled retail cash compensation fund; protected via strict base/expenditure capital & PII insurance) | 2013 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| FSRA | Tier-1 | United Arab Emirates (DIFC / ADGM / Dubai) Middle East & GCC | Category 2 / Category 3A (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) / Category 3C / Category 4 (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) Statutory Client Money & Safe Custody Trust Protection (DFSA COB 6.12 / ADGM COBS 14 / VARA Custody Rulebook) • 100% bankruptcy-remote statutory trust segregation of client money and virtual assets (no pooled retail cash compensation fund; protected via strict base/expenditure capital & PII insurance) | 2013 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| JVCEA | Tier-1 | Japan Asia-Pacific | FIEA Type I FIBO (第一種金融商品取引業) / FIEA Type II FIBO & Investment Management Japan Investor Protection Fund (JIPF) & Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan (DICJ) • JPY ¥10,000,000 per retail client via JIPF (for Type I securities firms); JPY ¥10,000,000 + interest per depositor via DICJ for Japanese banks | 2018 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| MAS | Tier-1 | Singapore Asia-Pacific | CMS Licence — Dealing in Capital Markets Products / CMS Licence — Fund Management (LFMC / RFMC) Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) / SGX Fidelity Fund • SGD $100,000 per depositor per Scheme member bank/finance company (increased from SGD $75,000 in April 2024); SGX Fidelity Fund covers defalcation by SGX member brokers | 1971 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| QCB | Tier-1 | Qatar Middle East & GCC | Class A / Commercial Banking Charter / EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Qatar) • USD $100,000 – $250,000 / EUR €100,000 equivalent per eligible depositor | 1993 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| SCA | Tier-1 | United Arab Emirates (DIFC / ADGM / Dubai) Middle East & GCC | Category 2 / Category 3A (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) / Category 3C / Category 4 (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) Statutory Client Money & Safe Custody Trust Protection (DFSA COB 6.12 / ADGM COBS 14 / VARA Custody Rulebook) • 100% bankruptcy-remote statutory trust segregation of client money and virtual assets (no pooled retail cash compensation fund; protected via strict base/expenditure capital & PII insurance) | 2000 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| SEC | Tier-1 | United States North America | Form BD (Clearing BD) / Form BD (Introducing BD) Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) • USD $500,000 per customer capacity (including up to USD $250,000 for cash claims) | 1992 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| SEC | Tier-1 | United States North America | Form BD (Clearing BD) / Form BD (Introducing BD) Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) • USD $500,000 per customer capacity (including up to USD $250,000 for cash claims) | 1987 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| SFC | Tier-1 | Hong Kong SAR Asia-Pacific | Type 1 & Type 2 / Type 3 Investor Compensation Fund (ICF — Administered by Investor Compensation Company Limited) • HKD $500,000 per investor per default for securities or futures contracts traded on HKEX (and northbound Stock Connect) | 1989 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
| VARA | Tier-1 | United Arab Emirates (DIFC / ADGM / Dubai) Middle East & GCC | Category 2 / Category 3A (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) / Category 3C / Category 4 (DFSA / ADGM FSRA) Statutory Client Money & Safe Custody Trust Protection (DFSA COB 6.12 / ADGM COBS 14 / VARA Custody Rulebook) • 100% bankruptcy-remote statutory trust segregation of client money and virtual assets (no pooled retail cash compensation fund; protected via strict base/expenditure capital & PII insurance) | 2022 | 0 | Full Dossier →Website ↗Register ↗ |
Supervisory verification & licensing FAQ
How many financial regulators are tracked in World Firm Ledger's coverage?
World Firm Ledger tracks 93 supervisory authorities relevant to financial institutions headquartered across singapore, asia-pacific, the middle east and emerging markets (17 Tier-1 prudential/G10 supervisors, 76 Tier-2 national supervisors, 0 Tier-3 regional/specialized authorities, and 0 offshore centres), of which 0 currently have licensed institutions on file in our dataset (7 total licence records) and 90 include a direct public register verification URL.
How should I verify a broker or institution on a regulator’s public register?
Click any regulator’s name or "Full Dossier →" to inspect its national licensing classes, minimum capital rules, and investor compensation limits, or use the "Register ↗" link to open its official public register. Search by the exact licence/reference number and confirm that the legal entity name, registered address, approved website domain, and permitted retail or institutional activities match the firm you are dealing with.
What is the difference between Tier-1, Tier-2, Tier-3, and Offshore supervisory regimes?
Tier-1 G10/prudential authorities (such as FCA, SEC/FINRA, CFTC/NFA, BaFin, FINMA, MAS, ASIC, JFSA, and SFC) enforce strict initial capital adequacy, daily client money segregation, and statutory investor compensation schemes. Tier-2 national supervisors maintain domestic conduct and prudential standards, while Offshore centres offer streamlined international business company licensing with lighter capital and no statutory compensation fund.
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Regulator names, websites, statutory qualification summaries and register links come from our structured regulatory knowledge base and imported dataset. Always verify primary licence standing directly on the supervisor’s official public register.
