In order to trade successfully, it is very important to choose the right broker. in the Netherlands, a large number of companies provide access to trading and you will have to choose the one for you among them. It is important to work only with reliable brokers providing all the required instruments for trading based on your trading strategy. TU analysts have selected the best bitcoin brokers for short selling in the Netherlands 2026. You can compare their features and trading conditions.
1
XM - Best for short selling in the Netherlands
XM is a globally recognized broker, operating in nearly 190 countries and serving over 15 million traders. In 2025, the company marks its 15th anniversary. It provides access to more than 1,400 trading instruments, including Forex pairs, stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and precious metals. Licensed by CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa), DFSA (Dubai), FSC (Belize), FSA (Seychelles), FSC (Mauritius), CMA (Kenya) and SCA (United Arab Emirates), XM offers a secure and regulated trading environment.
The broker ensures high-speed order execution without requotes, with 99.35% of trades executed almost instantly. Leverage is up to 1:1000 in some non-EU countries, while strict European compliance applies in other regions, and spreads start from 0.8 pips.
XM runs multiple bonus programs, adapts trading conditions to each client’s country, and provides negative balance protection. Accounts are available for traders of any level and strategy, and for passive income, the broker offers a copy trading platform for investors as well as experienced traders willing to share their strategies.
👍 Advantages of trading with XM for traders from the Netherlands:
•Regulation in six jurisdictions;
•Accounts designed for different strategies and levels of trader experience;
•Minimum deposit of $5;
•Various bonuses, trading competitions, and an affiliate program;
•100% order execution;
•No markup on tight market spreads;
•Access to more than 1,400 instruments;
•No deposit or withdrawal fees;
•24/7 multilingual support in over 30 languages.
👎 Disadvantages of XM for traders from the Netherlands:
•Copy trading and stock trading accounts are not available in all countries.
2
Pepperstone - Best for short selling in the Netherlands
Pepperstone (Pepperstone.com) was founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, by professional traders who were not satisfied with the quality of services provided by most brokers. The founders decided to avoid many of the disadvantages of competitors, including high commissions, delayed execution of orders, etc. The founders therefore focused on improving the technical component. The company has set itself the goal of changing the “rules of the game” and setting the bar high for online trading.
Today, Pepperstone offers clients all over the world some of the best technological solutions and favorable trading conditions. The company also provides professional tools that help traders not only master the fine art of trading, but also significantly increase trading efficiencies. In addition, Pepperstone’s platform is scrutinized by seven regulatory authorities, including ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission, AFSL No.414530), FCA (UK Financial Conduct Authority, 684312), DFSA (F004356), BaFin (151148), CMA, SCB (SIA-F217), and CySec (388/20). Moreover, with Pepperstone, clients' assets are maintained in aggregated accounts with several major, global banking institutions.
👍 Advantages of trading with Pepperstone for traders from the Netherlands:
•Attractive trading conditions.
•Fast order execution - 30 ms on average.
•1,200+ trading instruments.
•Low fees.
•No inactivity fee.
•Support service works only 24/7.
👎 Disadvantages of Pepperstone for traders from the Netherlands:
•No cent account.
•Not available to US clients.
•Limited passive trading opportunities.
•Limited analytical materials available on the site.
•No news section.
•Demo accounts can trade for free for 60 days.
3
Bybit - Best for short selling in the Netherlands
Bybit is a leading cryptocurrency exchange specializing in derivatives trading. Its proprietary trading platform is user-friendly but caters primarily to experienced traders who are comfortable with advanced financial instruments. Integration with TradingView provides seamless market analysis and trade execution. Bybit is regulated by the AFSA (Astana Financial Services Authority - Kazakhstan), holds a preliminary license from the VARA (Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority - Dubai) and secures MiCAR (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) license from Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA).
Bybit allows highly leveraged trading of up to 100x with a clear and transparent fee structure. For those seeking alternative investment strategies, Bybit offers copy trading programs for both derivatives and spot markets, enabling users to automatically replicate the trades of successful investors. The exchange provides 24/7 customer support, a safe banking environment, and instant deposits/withdrawals. Additionally, Bybit offers a crypto debit card, allowing users to spend their digital assets on everyday purchases.
👍 Advantages of trading with Bybit for traders from the Netherlands:
•Convenient trading platform;
•Integration with TradingView;
•Combination of futures and perpetual contracts trading;
•There is an order book;
•It has a minimum entry threshold;
•It is possible to open long and short positions with subsequent mutual recalculation;
•Opportunities for Muslim traders to participate in the crypto market.
👎 Disadvantages of Bybit for traders from the Netherlands:
•Difficult conditions for trading futures;
•Lacks a mechanism to protect the interests of traders.
4
AvaTrade - Best for short selling in the Netherlands
AvaTrade was founded in 2006 in Dublin, Ireland. The company has offices in 10 countries. It currently has over 300, 000 registered users and processes more than 2 million transactions every month. These factors contribute to AvaTrade being a reliable and trusted broker. They are accredited across five continents and are one of the market leaders. The broker is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC, 406684), the Japanese FSA ( 1662), and the South African FSCA ( 45984). AvaTrade holds accreditation by the Central Irish Bank ( C53877 ), the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Regulatory Authority (190018), and the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission ( SIBA/L/13/1049), CySEC ( 347/17). AvaTrade allows traders to trade stocks, securities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and currency pairs. In total, the offer more than 1,200 tools to customers.
👍 Advantages of trading with AvaTrade for traders from the Netherlands:
•a wide range of trading instruments;
•there is a license for the provision of services on the territory of 5 continents;
•customer service operates around the clock;
•provides competent assistance to users in 14 languages;
•a wide choice of convenient trading platforms;
•ability to trade from mobile devices;
•availability of an account for representatives of Islam (swap-free);
•for reliable storage of customer funds, the broker uses a segregated account;
•option for automated trading;
•no restrictions on trade and scalping;
•availability of training materials and conducting webinars.
👎 Disadvantages of AvaTrade for traders from the Netherlands:
•the site interface is not user-friendly;
•customer service efficiency and response time
•trading terminals are prone to occasionally freeze.
5
4XC - Best for short selling in the Netherlands
4XC offers access to trading Forex, metals, indices, oil, forward contracts, and cryptocurrencies, over 80 trading instruments in total.
4XC provides competitive conditions such as leverage up to 1:500 and spreads starting from 0.0 pips. The broker supports multiple account types including Standard, Pro, and VIP, each tailored to meet different trading needs and strategies.
For passive investing, the broker provides PAMM accounts and social trading service. The Signal Centre at 4XC enhances trading with premium AI signals integrated via the easy-to-use Acuity Trading Tool plugin, which seamlessly integrates into MetaTrader 4/5 platforms. Also, the broker provides additional free trading signals on its website.
👍 Advantages of trading with 4XC for traders from the Netherlands:
•Attractive trading conditions for beginners.
•Minimum deposit is USD 50 with leverage up to 1:500.
•Relatively narrow spread.
•Good educational opportunities.
👎 Disadvantages of 4XC for traders from the Netherlands:
•Withdrawal fee (except for the VIP account).
•Withdrawals are limited to one transaction per day.
•The FAQ section does not fully answer the questions.
Commissions & Fees
Brokerage fees are the amount of money that you pay for using the services that a brokerage offers in order to perform trading and manage investments. The brokerage fee structure and regulations vary from broker to broker, and there are two primary fee types which are:
Trading Fees: This type of fee is only charged when you perform a trade. It can be a conversion fee, margin rate, financing rate, spread, or commission.
Non-Trading Fees: This type of fee isn't directly related to your trading activity, and it can include inactivity fee, withdrawal fee, deposit fee, etcetera.
XM Commissions and Fees
Traders Union analysts have analyzed the main and additional commissions for each XM Broker account. There are no additional commissions on all accounts.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Ultra Low |
From 6 USD |
No |
|
Zero |
From 0 USD |
No |
Pepperstone Commissions and Fees
Pepperstone’s commissions and fee structure has been reviewed by our professional analysts for trading and non-trading commissions. The company's spread was considered as a trading commission. Our professional analysts also categorized additional fees charged for withdrawing funds as non-trading commission additional fees.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Razor |
From $0 |
No |
|
Standard |
From $1 |
No |
Bybit Commissions and Fees
The Traders Union experts analyzed the Bybit platform documents regulating the trading conditions for differentiation of commissions. The commission depends on which category is assigned to the trader: Maker or Taker. The Taker commission is 0.075%; whereas the Maker commission is 0.025%.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
From $ 20 |
No |
AvaTrade Commissions and Fees
The broker has been checked by our experts for the existence of explicit and hidden commissions, in particular a commission for trading volume and withdrawal of funds.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
From 0 to 20 US dollars, depending on the platform |
No |
4XC Commissions and Fees
Traders Union analysts reviewed the broker’s fee schedule. The key fees include spread (including the markup), swap, fixed fee on the ECN account, withdrawal fee (there is also a deposit fee for some payment methods). The fee is calculated in USD per 1 standard lot.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
from USD 10 |
0.5-3% |
|
Pro |
USD 0 |
0.5-3% |
|
VIP |
USD 0 |
no |
Summary
Many brokers are available for traders from the Netherlands, but not all of them offer good conditions. In this review, TU experts chose the Best bitcoin brokers for short selling in the Netherlands 2026. These are the most trusted companies that offer the best conditions for traders. You will also be able to review the general assessment of each broker.
Overall score of the best Bitcoin Brokers For Short Selling in the Netherlands
| XM | Pepperstone | Bybit | AvaTrade | 4XC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall score |
9.3 |
9.25 |
9.3 |
7.58 |
7.28 |
|
Execution of orders |
9.35 |
9.15 |
8.57 |
8.05 |
7.15 |
|
Investment instruments |
10 |
10 |
9.8 |
10 |
4.7 |
|
Withdrawal speed |
7 |
7 |
9.3 |
5 |
7 |
|
Customer Support work |
9.6 |
7 |
9.7 |
7.9 |
9.3 |
|
Variety of instruments |
8.02 |
6.32 |
0 |
8.45 |
10 |
|
Trading platform |
8.9 |
7.3 |
9.2 |
6.8 |
5.5 |
|
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FAQ
Why is a license important for a broker?
License is the key document testifying to the broker’s reliability. It means that the company complies with the requirements of the financial regulatory authority that issued it. It is recommended that you choose brokers with licenses from top financial regulators: the USA, European Union, the UK, as these jurisdictions have the strictest licensing requirements.
Does the choice of a beginner differ from the choice of an experienced trader?
Yes. A novice trader should primarily consider the availability of educational tools and a demo account, as well as basic assets. A more experienced trader is interested in wider opportunities on advanced account types, a wider choice of instruments for technical analysis, and a greater number of trading instruments.
Can you earn passive income in the financial markets?
Yes, the best brokers in the Netherlands offer passive income options. These could include copy trading, PAMM accounts, managed portfolios, etc.
What learning instruments can a broker offer?
Brokers offer various educational options. These include full-fledged educational courses, or video tutorials, articles, and books. Companies also often hold seminars and webinars.
Best Bitcoin Brokers For Short Selling by Countries
Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.