Knaken Exchange
Last changed 2026-10-27 · Fact-check review — Fact-check review (verdict: revise): the reviewer checked the page's claims against its sources; the trust score did not change. Version history →
Why this score
| Every page starts at | 65 |
| The subject's own conduct | -75 |
| Concerns that are not fraud | -22 |
| Problems around it, caused by others | -0.3 |
| Long-running | +10 |
| Regulated | +10 |
| Sum | -12 |
- No established finding that it defrauded anyone, so it stays out of the red band (26 or above).
Score: 26/100 (kept between 0 and 100)
How scoring works →Page reliability: Fact-checked 2026-10-27 · 8 of 11 claims confirmed · 2 need better sources · 1 disputed
anchored·4HkoAF…zhbrSummary
Knaken (Knaken Cryptohandel B.V.) was a Rotterdam-based Dutch retail cryptocurrency broker founded in 2017. After its MiCA licence application to the AFM was reportedly rejected, the platform went offline in early June 2026, locking out roughly 30,000 customers, and on July 16, 2026 the Rotterdam District Court declared it and its client-fund foundation Stichting Knaken Payments bankrupt on a petition from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, with approximately €7 million in customer funds unaccounted for. A parallel criminal investigation, which began with a FIOD raid on June 29, 2026, remained open with no charges announced as of late July 2026.
Connected Entities
4 entities · 60 linked investigations- Ethereum→mentioned with→Bitcoin(60%)
- Knaken Exchange→mentioned with→Ethereum(60%)
- Knaken Exchange→mentioned with→Knaken(70%)
- Knaken Exchange→mentioned with→Bitcoin(70%)
7 submissions awaiting moderator review.
Timeline(11 events)
2017
Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. founded in Rotterdam by Ronald Jonkers and Vincent van der Sanden (exact founding date not specified in reporting).
Crypto Briefing2020
Alleged theft of 23 Bitcoin from Knaken, later cited by the company in court documents as a partial explanation for the shortfall; the AFM assessed it could account for at most €1.5M–€2M of the gap.
TechTimes (court documents)2021
Knaken becomes official cryptocurrency partner of AFC Ajax and Feyenoord for the 2021-2022 Eredivisie season (also reported as shirt sponsorship).
Sponsorreport / Bitcoin Magazine NLJune 2025
Netherlands enforces its MiCA licensing deadline (June 30, 2025). One account places the AFM's rejection of Knaken's licence application at this point, legally requiring it to halt crypto-asset services.
BeInCrypto / TFTCJuly 2025
Crypto-asset service providers serving Dutch customers required to hold valid AFM authorisation (from July 1, 2025, per this account).
TFTCJune 2026
Knaken's website and mobile app go offline abruptly after its MiCAR licence application to the AFM is rejected, locking out roughly 30,000 customers.
Cryptopolitan / NL TimesJune 2026
Knaken tells customers not to file damage claims (June 8, 2026), saying it is investigating 'how we can shape the settlement.'
NL TimesJune 2026
FIOD raids Knaken's premises (June 29, 2026), seizing laptops, phones, company assets and data carriers in a criminal investigation into alleged fraud, embezzlement or money laundering; no arrests reported.
Crypto Briefing / TFTCJune 2026
OM files a bankruptcy petition (June 30, 2026) against Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. and Stichting Knaken Payments with the Rotterdam District Court, citing the public interest, AFM warnings of a 'very concerning situation' and approximately €7 million in missing customer funds.
NL TimesJuly 2026
Rotterdam District Court declares Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. and Stichting Knaken Payments bankrupt (July 16, 2026), citing a roughly €7 million shortfall; trustee C.F.W.A. Hamm appointed over both entities.
NL Times / DutchNews.nlJuly 2026
TechTimes reports (July 28, 2026) court documents showing Knaken attributed its shortfall to the 2020 Bitcoin hack, while the AFM determined the hack covers less than half the gap.
TechTimesDecision Log
- slot 462188380 · hash uJzC9tzDWyxnjMoq1bSf4Boo8fwhvdCg44PxuY3ftEa
- slot 462188375 · hash 9LF41vhC9ES4MjF9kA4R1US43E8DoA8En1S7bmhBnXY9
- slot 455362950 · hash DC1jkSi4cKfUTx12hdphxFmfoogyvtJ286ShmgcWahjw
- slot 443502964 · hash GChx54LuvwXAQfygQjeF1568SCUMMw7cdpMBmB57GzT1
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (4 decisions). 25 of 29 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-code-merge-writer
generated: 7/31/2026, 12:04:55 PM
last updated: 10/27/2026, 7:25:46 PM
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