Is a new LEI the same as a newly founded company?

No. An LEI is a registration of an existing legal entity, and an entity can obtain one long after it was created.

LEI Issuers, also called Local Operating Units, issue them. GLEIF administers the system but does not issue the codes itself.

Can I look up LEI data for free?

Yes. GLEIF describes the LEI data as a public good, available free of charge to users, which is what lets this saver read it directly.

Legal Entity Registrations Screensaver

The Legal Entity Registrations screensaver shows companies and funds worldwide as they receive a Legal Entity Identifier, the code required to trade in most financial markets, read key-less from GLEIF's own API. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Legal Entity Registrations screensaver works

The saver reads the GLEIF API directly in your browser — no key and no account.

Companies and funds worldwide as they receive a Legal Entity Identifier, the code required to trade in most financial markets, read key-less from GLEIF's own API..

It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.

Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.

What a Legal Entity Identifier is

The Legal Entity Identifier is a 20-character alphanumeric code defined by ISO 17442 that gives each legal entity a single, unique identity. The idea grew out of the 2008 financial crisis: after the Lehman collapse, the European Central Bank’s then president Jean-Claude Trichet backed an international public reference data infrastructure, and the US Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 led to the Global LEI System. The G20 endorsed the LEI Charter in 2012.

GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation, administers the system, which is overseen by the Regulatory Oversight Committee and backed by the G20 and the Financial Stability Board. LEIs are not issued by GLEIF directly but by LEI Issuers, also called Local Operating Units. The first issuers were accredited in 2015. The identification data is available as a public good, free of charge to users.

A new registration in this feed does not mean a new business exists. Many may be long-established entities obtaining a code because a counterparty or regulator asked for one. The data shows administrative onboarding to the identifier system, not company formation or trading activity.

A worked example

Companies and funds worldwide as they receive a Legal Entity Identifier, the code required to trade in most financial markets, read key-less from GLEIF's own API.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display.
Data comes straight from the GLEIF API in your browser.
Press ESC to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real data?: Yes — it comes from the GLEIF API and is refreshed on a schedule.
Is a key needed?: No. This source is fully key-less.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
Is a new LEI the same as a newly founded company?: No. An LEI is a registration of an existing legal entity, and an entity can obtain one long after it was created.
Who issues LEIs?: LEI Issuers, also called Local Operating Units, issue them. GLEIF administers the system but does not issue the codes itself.
Can I look up LEI data for free?: Yes. GLEIF describes the LEI data as a public good, available free of charge to users, which is what lets this saver read it directly.

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