The American cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, founded by twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has launched staking services and cryptocurrency derivatives trading in Europe.
Gemini's management reported that clients of the exchange from the European Economic Area (EEA) can stake cryptocurrencies ETH and SOL, as well as trade perpetual contracts denominated in stablecoins USDC, which are issued by Circle. Staking will be available to retail investors and companies.
"We intend to become one of the largest exchanges in Europe. Now that we have a full range of services, including spot trading, staking, and perpetual options for European traders, we can call ourselves a serious contender," said Mark Jennings, head of Gemini's European division.
Gemini's entry into the cryptocurrency derivatives market in the European Union occurred against the backdrop of declining spot trading in cryptocurrencies. Despite Bitcoin's bullish rally in 2025, spot trading volume fell by 32% in the first two quarters, amounting to $3.6 trillion in the second quarter, according to data from the TokenInsight platform. In comparison, trading volumes in cryptocurrency derivatives amounted to $20.2 trillion.
Jennings noted that in recent months, the international derivatives market has literally "exploded." According to his forecast, by the end of 2025, trading volume in cryptocurrency derivatives will grow to $23 trillion. Staking is also gaining popularity in Europe, noted the top manager of Gemini. He referred to CoinLaw data indicating that in 2025, the volume of deposits for Ethereum staking in the EU increased by 28% compared to last year, reaching $90 billion.
"The popularity of cryptocurrencies is growing, which increases the demand for alternative financial instruments with risk management capabilities, and through cryptocurrency derivatives, users implement complex strategies for long-term or short-term profit," added Jennings.
Gemini launched new services after receiving a license from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), allowing a wide range of crypto services to be offered to traders from EU countries. In May, the MFSA granted the exchange a MiFID II license, allowing it to offer derivatives and perpetual futures to professional investors from the EU.
