Gemini Expands European Footprint with Crypto Derivatives and Staking Services

KEY FACTS: Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, has launched staking and derivatives services for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), boosting its European expansion with new offerings like Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL) staking and USDC-denominated perpetual futures contracts. Enabled by recent regulatory approvals under the EU’s MiCA framework and a MiFID II license from Malta, Gemini aims to become a leading exchange in Europe, capitalizing on the booming $20.2 trillion crypto derivatives market and a 39% surge in institutional staking activity in 2025. ___  Source: Gemini ___ # Gemini Expands European Footprint with Crypto Derivatives and Staking Services Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has launched new staking and derivatives offerings for users in the European Economic Area (EEA). The announcement, made on September 5, 2025, marks a pivotal step in Gemini’s ongoing expansion strategy, positioning the platform as a formidable competitor in the rapidly evolving European crypto landscape. This development follows Gemini’s recent regulatory achievements, including securing licenses under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in Malta in August 2025 and the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) in May 2025. These licenses enable Gemini to offer a comprehensive suite of regulated crypto products, including spot trading, staking, and perpetual futures contracts, all accessible through a single interface. Gemini’s latest offerings allow EEA users to stake popular cryptocurrencies such as Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL), as well as trade perpetual contracts denominated in Circle’s USDC stablecoin. According to Mark Jennings, Gemini’s Head of Europe, the goal is: > “...to be one of the major exchanges in Europe, and now that we have a full suite of products including spot exchange, staking, and perpetuals in the EU from a single interface, we believe that we’re a serious contender.” This ambition reflects Gemini’s intent to capture a significant share of the European market, which is increasingly becoming a hub for digital asset trading and investment. The launch comes at a time when the global cryptocurrency derivatives market is experiencing explosive growth. According to data from TokenInsight, while spot crypto trading volumes have declined by 32% in the first two quarters of 2025, reaching $3.6 trillion, the derivatives market has surged to $20.2 trillion in the same period. This shift underscores the growing demand for sophisticated financial instruments that allow investors to hedge risks and execute complex trading strategies in the crypto space. Gemini’s ability to roll out these new services is underpinned by its recent regulatory successes. In May 2025, the exchange secured a MiFID II license from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), enabling it to offer regulated crypto derivatives, such as perpetual futures, across the EU and EEA. This was followed by its approval under the MiCA framework in August 2025, which has further solidified Gemini’s compliance with the EU’s stringent regulatory standards for crypto assets. The MiCA framework, fully implemented in late 2024, has been a game-changer for the European crypto industry, driving a 39% surge in institutional staking activity in 2025, compared to 22% growth in non-EU regions, according to a June 2025 study by CoinLaw. The MiFID II license, granted to Gemini’s Maltese entity, Gemini Intergalactic EU Artemis, on May 8, 2025, allows the exchange to offer sophisticated financial instruments to both retail and institutional investors. Meanwhile, the MiCA license enhances Gemini’s ability to provide spot crypto services and staking, creating a robust platform that caters to a wide range of investor needs. These regulatory achievements not only demonstrate Gemini’s commitment to compliance but also position it as a trusted player in a market where regulatory clarity is increasingly valued. One of the key components of Gemini’s new offerings is its staking service, which allows users to earn passive income by locking up their ETH and SOL to support blockchain network operations. Staking has gained significant traction in Europe, particularly following the implementation of MiCA, which indirectly regulates staking activities. CoinLaw’s data indicates that Ethereum staking deposits in the EU surged by 28% in 2025, reaching a total of $90 billion in staked ETH. This growth reflects the increasing popularity of staking among both retail and institutional investors seeking to generate yields on their crypto holdings. Gemini’s push into derivatives comes at a time when spot crypto trading is losing momentum, particularly due to the rise of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The decline in spot trading volumes, coupled with the rapid growth of derivatives, has prompted major exchanges to shift their focus toward offering more complex financial products. Gemini’s derivatives offering, which includes perpetual futures contracts denominated in USDC, is designed for advanced traders looking to manage risk and gain exposure to crypto price movements without owning the underlying assets. The broader crypto industry is witnessing a similar trend, with competitors like Coinbase and Kraken making significant moves in the derivatives space. On May 8, 2025, Coinbase announced its $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit, one of the world’s largest crypto derivatives platforms, to bolster its presence in international markets. Similarly, Kraken acquired NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion on May 1, 2025, to expand its futures trading capabilities. These developments underscore the increasing significance of derivatives in the global cryptocurrency market and signal an “arms race” among exchanges to capture market share in this lucrative sector. Gemini’s European expansion comes on the heels of its filing for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. On September 3, 2025, the exchange announced plans to raise $317 million by selling 16.67 million shares of Class A common stock at a price range of $17 to $19 per share, targeting a valuation of $2.22 billion. The IPO, filed under the ticker GEMI on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, is backed by major financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley. This move shows Gemini’s ambition to scale its operations and compete with industry giants like Coinbase, which remains the largest U.S. crypto exchange by trading volume. In addition to its derivatives and staking services, Gemini has also ventured into tokenized assets, launching a tokenized version of MicroStrategy (MSTR) stock for EU investors in June 2025. This product, built on the Arbitrum blockchain, allows users to invest in traditional equities through a blockchain-based platform, offering greater accessibility and flexibility compared to conventional stock markets. Gemini has indicated that more tokenized stocks and ETFs will be introduced in the near future, further diversifying its offerings in the European market. --- --- --- Information Sources: - [Gemini Blog](https://www.gemini.com/blog/gemini-expands-global-footprint-and-offerings) - [Cryptorank](https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/2307c-gemini-scored-huge-eu-approval) - [The Cryptoscoop](https://www.thecryptoscoop.com/story/geminis-strategic-regulatory-leap-in-europe%25E2%2580%2594august-2025-analysis) - [Cointelegraph](https://cointelegraph.com/news/gemini-crypto-derivatives-europe-launch) ---  ___ _If you found the article interesting or helpful, please hit the upvote button and share for visibility to other hive friends to see. More importantly, drop a comment below. Thank you!_ ## This post was created via INLEO. What is INLEO? > [INLEO's](https://leofinance.io/) mission is to build a sustainable creator economy that is centered around digital ownership, tokenization, and communities. It's built on Hive, with linkages to BSC, ETH, and Polygon blockchains. The flagship application, [Inleo.io](https://leofinance.io), allows users and creators to engage & share micro and long-form content on the Hive blockchain while earning cryptocurrency rewards. --- --- ### Let's Connect Hive: [inleo.io/profile/uyobong/blog](https://inleo.io/signup?referral=uyobong) Twitter: https://twitter.com/Uyobong3 Discord: uyobong#5966 ---