Knaken Exchange
Summary
Knaken (Knaken Cryptohandel B.V.) was a Dutch cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2017 and based in Rotterdam that operated as a retail broker allowing customers to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies. In July 2026, a Rotterdam court declared both Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. and its client-fund custodian Stichting Knaken Payments bankrupt following a Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) petition alleging approximately €7 million in customer funds were missing, affecting roughly 30,000 users. A parallel criminal investigation led by the FIOD remains open as of late July 2026.
Connected Entities
1 entities · 10 linked investigationsTimeline(10 events)
2017-01-01
Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. founded in Rotterdam by Ronald Jonkers and Vincent van der Sanden.
Crypto Briefing / Tracxn2020-01-01
Alleged theft of 23 Bitcoin from Knaken, later cited by the company in court documents as a partial explanation for the customer fund shortfall. The AFM assessed this could account for at most €1.5M–€2M of the total gap.
TechTimes (court documents)2021-01-01
Knaken signs official cryptocurrency partnership agreements with AFC Ajax and Feyenoord for the 2021-2022 Eredivisie season.
Sponsorreport / Bitcoin Magazine NL2025-06-30
Netherlands enforces MiCA licensing deadline. Knaken's AFM license application is rejected, legally requiring the firm to halt crypto-asset services.
BeInCrypto / TFTC2026-06-01
Knaken's website and mobile app go offline abruptly, locking approximately 30,000 customers out of their accounts.
NL Times2026-06-08
Knaken issues communication instructing customers not to file damage claims, while describing efforts to 'investigate how we can shape the settlement.'
NL Times2026-06-29
FIOD raids Knaken's premises, seizing laptops, mobile phones, company assets, and digital data carriers as part of a criminal investigation into alleged fraud, embezzlement, or money laundering.
Crypto Briefing / NL Times2026-06-30
Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) files bankruptcy petition against Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. and Stichting Knaken Payments with the Rotterdam District Court, citing the public interest and approximately €7 million in missing customer funds.
NL Times2026-07-16
Rotterdam District Court declares both Knaken Cryptohandel B.V. and Stichting Knaken Payments bankrupt. Court-appointed trustee C.F.W.A. Hamm assumes control of both entities.
NL Times / CryptoSlate2026-07-28
Court documents reviewed by TechTimes show Knaken attributed its shortfall to a 2020 Bitcoin hack, but the AFM determined the hack accounts for less than half the total gap, leaving €3M–€3.5M unexplained.
TechTimesDecision Log
- #1publish⛓ pending7/31/2026, 12:05:09 PMhash: GChx54LuvwXAQfygQjeF1568SCUMMw7cdpMBmB57GzT1
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model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 7/31/2026, 12:04:55 PM
last updated: 7/31/2026, 7:05:10 PM
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