New York Department of Financial Services

Created in 2011 through the merger of the New York State Banking and Insurance Departments, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) supervises and regulates the activities of thousands of financial institutions with trillions of dollars in assets. Its mission is to reform financial services regulation to keep pace with industry evolution, guard against financial crises, and protect consumers and markets from fraud. DFS is responsible for the oversight of a wide range of entities, including banks, insurance companies, mortgage servicers, and virtual currency businesses (through its BitLicense framework).