BaFin is the most important German financial supervisory authority. It operates with the aim of ensuring the functionality, stability and integrity of the German financial system. This comprehensive mandate includes the supervision and regulation of various types of financial institutions, transactions and infrastructures.
The most important elements of the financial system that are supervised by BaFin include banks, financial services institutions, insurance companies, stock exchanges and other financial market infrastructures. The organisation is responsible for consumer protection and the prevention of market abuse such as insider trading and other forms of manipulation that can disrupt the fair and efficient functioning of the markets.