• Gemini secures a MiFID II license, expanding crypto derivatives in the EU and EEA.
• Gemini gains MFSA approval for regulated derivatives, including perpetual futures.
• Gemini’s MiFID II license allows EU derivatives trading for retail and institutional users.

Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, has achieved a significant regulatory milestone in its European expansion. The exchange announced that it has secured a MiFID II license from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). 

The license represents a key milestone in the firm’s European expansion strategy. Moreover, it allows the platform to serve regional retail and institutional customers.

Gemini’s European Expansion: What the MiFID II License Means

The MiFID II license is an essential move in Gemini’s continued entry into the European market.  After its launch, the exchange can offer regulated crypto derivatives such as perpetual futures to retail and institutional users. This initiative is one of Gemini’s moves towards expanding its presence in Europe, where the demand for crypto trading products continues to increase.

Gemini’s head of Europe, Mark Jennings, expressed enthusiasm over the approval, noting that the license would enable the exchange to offer advanced trading products to a broader audience. “This is a hugely exciting development in our 2025 European expansion,” Jennings said. The MiFID II framework—a European financial markets regulatory instrument—will ensure that the exchange’s offerings meet European standards for trading and transparency.

Derivative Products and Advanced Trading Features

Gemini intends to introduce its derivatives offering, including perpetual futures and other complex products expected to attract experienced traders. These products will be offered to Gemini’s advanced users in the EU and EEA, a move towards bringing more financial instruments to the region’s crypto market.

The exchange noted that it will work closely with regulators to meet all operational and technical requirements before deploying these products across Europe. Gemini’s dedication to regulatory compliance is particularly clear as the company intends to launch its derivatives services carefully and securely in the next few months.

Increasing Trend Toward Derivatives in the Crypto Industry

Gemini’s decision to make crypto derivatives available is part of a broader trend in the cryptocurrency exchange industry. With a growing need for advanced trading instruments, exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken have made great strides in the derivatives market.

In a related development, Coinbase recently acquired the Deribit platform, one of the largest crypto derivatives exchanges, for $2.9 billion. Likewise, Kraken acquired NinjaTrader, indicating a rising interest in derivative products among institutional and retail crypto traders. These moves emphasize the usefulness of derivatives as a revenue avenue for exchanges.

The exchange’s regulatory approval in Malta is among the efforts to preserve compliance with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA). Although the exchange has not yet received a full MiCA license, it has made notable progress in easing its position within the European crypto landscape.

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