National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Offshore Financial Centre
CIMA
Cayman IslandsCayman Islands Monetary Authority
Source / Native Reference: 开曼群岛金融管理局
- Supervisory tier
- Offshore
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 8
- Active / regulated
- 7
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Financial Services Agency of Japan (JFSA) (FSA) is the Tier-1 statutory financial markets and securities supervisory authority in Japan. It grants and supervises financial services licences across broker-dealers, investment advisers, asset managers, and market operators, enforcing initial and ongoing prudential capital requirements, segregated client asset rules, market conduct standards, and public register disclosures.
Supervises Securities Investment Business licensees, Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), mutual and private investment funds, captive insurers, and international brokerage entities.
Prudential Tier Assessment
OffshoreRecognised international offshore financial centre supervisor regulating global hedge funds, institutional prime vehicles, digital asset exchanges, and cross-border securities dealers.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (CIMA)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by CIMA in Cayman Islands.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Service / Market Maker Securities Dealer | Securities Investment Business / Investment Dealer (Full Service Dealer Including Underwriting) | Acting as principal or market maker in securities, FX, CFDs, and commodities; executing client orders and managing portfolios. | USD $50,000 (Seychelles FSA SD / Vanuatu VFSC Class A–D statutory bond) to MUR 10,000,000 (~USD $220,000 Mauritius Full Service Dealer) or USD $300,000+ (Bahamas SCB / Cayman CIMA / Bermuda BMA). | Maintenance of unimpaired minimum net capital, local physical office and resident directors/MLRO, and Professional Indemnity Insurance. |
| VASP / Digital Asset Business (Class F / DARE) | Virtual Asset Service Provider & Digital Asset Exchange / Custodian Licence | Operating a virtual asset trading platform, digital asset derivatives exchange, custodial wallet service, or token issuance. | USD $100,000 to USD $1,000,000+ risk-based capital depending on custody volume and exchange turnover. | Cybersecurity penetration testing, cold/hot wallet segregation, independent custody audit, and quarterly regulatory filings. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under CIMA.
Contractual Custody & Segregated Trust Accounts (No Statutory Retail Compensation Fund)
- Maximum coverage per client
- EUR €0 / USD $0 statutory government compensation scheme (protection relies on segregated client trust accounts, minimum paid-up capital/bonds, and Professional Indemnity Insurance)
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Global cross-border retail and institutional clients onboarded outside restricted onshore jurisdictions (US, UK, Japan, Canada typically excluded by terms of business).
CIMA Statement of Guidance on Client Assets / Mauritius Securities Rules / Seychelles Securities (Conduct of Business) Regulations
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Mandatory separation of client funds from proprietary operating accounts; periodic reconciliation audited annually.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Client moneys must be held in designated client trust accounts at approved domestic or international commercial banks.
Cayman VASP Act, Bermuda DABA Class F/M & Bahamas DARE Act 2024
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- Full FATF Recommendation 15 & 16 AML/CFT and Travel Rule compliance supervised via annual AML audits.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Cayman Islands Securities Investment Business Act (SIBA) & Virtual Asset (Service Providers) Act (VASP Act)
- Bermuda Digital Asset Business Act 2018 (DABA) & Investment Business Act 2003
- BVI Securities and Investment Business Act (SIBA) & Bahamas DARE Act 2024
- Mauritius Financial Services Act 2007, Seychelles Securities Act 2007 & Vanuatu Financial Dealers Licensing Act [Cap 70]
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Annual audited financial statements prepared under IFRS/US GAAP and submitted within 3 to 6 months of financial year-endMandatory appointment of an approved Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer (AMLCO) and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO)Annual AML/CFT Independent Audit and Economic Substance (ES) annual filing
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Offshore licences permit international cross-border onboarding where lawful under reverse solicitation, but do not grant automatic onshore passporting into the US, UK, EU, or Japan.
Supervised institutions & CIMA licence records in our database
8 licence records referencing CIMA (7 regulated/registered).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AETOS | 1615633 | Regulated | AETOS Capital Group International Ltd | — | |
| HYCM | 1442313 | Registered | HYCM Ltd | 2018-05-17 | |
| Tradeview | 585163 | Regulated | Tradeview Ltd. | 2012-04-04 | |
| Lion | 1455005 | Regulated | Lion Brokers Limited | 2018-08-23 | |
| Vantage | 1383491 | Offshore | Vantage International Group Limited | 2018-05-25 | |
| ATC Brokers | 1448274 | Regulated | ATC Brokers Limited | 2018-11-05 | |
| EBC FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED | 2038223 | Registered | EBC Financial Group | 2024-03-14 | |
| Lion Financial Group | 1455005 | Regulated | Lion Brokers | 2018-08-23 |
CIMA (Cayman Islands): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under CIMA (Cayman Islands)?
CIMA (Cayman Islands Monetary Authority) supervises financial institutions in Cayman Islands under Cayman Islands Securities Investment Business Act (SIBA) & Virtual Asset (Service Providers) Act (VASP Act) and Bermuda Digital Asset Business Act 2018 (DABA) & Investment Business Act 2003. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Full Service / Market Maker Securities Dealer (Securities Investment Business / Investment Dealer (Full Service Dealer Including Underwriting) — min. capital: USD $50,000 (Seychelles FSA SD / Vanuatu VFSC Class A–D statutory bond) to MUR 10,000,000 (~USD $220,000 Mauritius Full Service Dealer) or USD $300,000+ (Bahamas SCB / Cayman CIMA / Bermuda BMA).); VASP / Digital Asset Business (Class F / DARE) (Virtual Asset Service Provider & Digital Asset Exchange / Custodian Licence — min. capital: USD $100,000 to USD $1,000,000+ risk-based capital depending on custody volume and exchange turnover.). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does CIMA provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under CIMA's framework, investor protection is governed by Contractual Custody & Segregated Trust Accounts (No Statutory Retail Compensation Fund) with maximum coverage of EUR €0 / USD $0 statutory government compensation scheme (protection relies on segregated client trust accounts, minimum paid-up capital/bonds, and Professional Indemnity Insurance) (Global cross-border retail and institutional clients onboarded outside restricted onshore jurisdictions (US, UK, Japan, Canada typically excluded by terms of business).). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with CIMA Statement of Guidance on Client Assets / Mauritius Securities Rules / Seychelles Securities (Conduct of Business) Regulations, performing mandatory separation of client funds from proprietary operating accounts; periodic reconciliation audited annually. with client moneys must be held in designated client trust accounts at approved domestic or international commercial banks..
How does CIMA regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
CIMA's digital-asset regime is structured around Cayman VASP Act, Bermuda DABA Class F/M & Bahamas DARE Act 2024 (Dedicated statutory digital asset licensing regimes used by top global institutional crypto derivatives exchanges, custodians, and tokenized funds.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: Full FATF Recommendation 15 & 16 AML/CFT and Travel Rule compliance supervised via annual AML audits.
How can I verify an institution's CIMA licence number and check our 8 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 8 licence records referencing CIMA (7 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open CIMA's official public register (https://www.cima.ky/search-entities-cima), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
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Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for CIMA (Cayman Islands) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on CIMA’s official public register.