Clearinghuis

Clearinghuis is a term used in Dutch-language finance to denote a clearinghouse, a financial institution that settles and clears trades, or a building that houses such activities. A clearinghouse acts as a central counterparty in many financial markets, guaranteeing the performance of both sides of a trade and reducing credit risk for participants. By netting multiple trades, it lowers capital requirements and streamlines settlement.

In practice, a clearinghuis performs functions including trade matching, clearing, margin collection, collateral management, settlement, and default management. It enforces standard rules for market participants, conducts risk assessment, and maintains contingency plans for member failures. Depending on jurisdiction, clearinghouses may be regulated as central counterparties and operate under national financial authorities and international standards bodies such as IOSCO and the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems.

The term clearinghouse originated in the 19th century, historically located in major financial hubs, and its modern form evolved with electronic trading and derivatives markets. While in Dutch texts clearinghuis refers to such institutions, in English the common term is clearinghouse or central counterparty. In some contexts, clearinghuis can also appear in literature or media as a fictional organization representing a clearing function.

See also: Clearinghouse, central counterparty, settlement, risk management, financial infrastructure.