Gemini Expands in Europe with New Features
Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, co-founded by the Winklevoss twins, is making strides in the European market by introducing new staking features and derivatives trading. As of now, users in the European Economic Area (EEA) can stake two prominent digital currencies—Ether and Solana—and transact in perpetual contracts priced in USDC, a stablecoin developed by Circle, as reported by Cointelegraph on Friday.
Regulatory Approvals and Market Position
This recent rollout follows Gemini’s regulatory approvals, including acceptance under Malta’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework in August and a prior nod under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) in May.
Mark Jennings, Gemini’s head for Europe, expressed enthusiasm about the exchange’s potential, stating, “Our vision is to establish ourselves as a leading platform in Europe. With our comprehensive product offerings—spot trading, staking, and perpetual contracts—available through a single interface, we’re ready to compete effectively.”
Trends in Trading Volumes
As Gemini ventures deeper into the derivatives space, this initiative comes at a time when traditional spot trading—where traders buy and sell cryptocurrencies at current prices—has exhibited a downward trend, particularly affected by the rise of crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Despite a surge in Bitcoin’s price throughout 2025, the trading volume for spot transactions fell by 32% in the first half of the year, garnering only $3.6 trillion in Q2, according to data from crypto analytics firm TokenInsight.
Contrasting this, the derivatives segment has seen explosive growth, achieving $20.2 trillion in trading volumes. Jennings highlighted this trend, noting that the global derivatives market could reach a staggering $23 trillion by the end of the next two years.
Growing Interest in Staking
The growing interest in derivatives aligns with a broader appetite for alternative financial instruments that allow users to implement advanced trading strategies in the crypto space. Jennings remarked that as user adoption accelerates, the demand for risk-managed products is steadily increasing.
Notably, in Europe, staking has gained traction, bolstered by the MiCA regulation framework, which became fully active in late 2024. According to a study by CoinLaw conducted in June, institutional interest in staking has surged with participation rates in the EU growing by 39% in 2025, compared to just a 22% uptick for non-EU participants. Ethereum staking deposits alone saw a remarkable increase of 28% this year, accumulating a total of $90 billion in staked ETH, further establishing its popularity among investors.
Jennings noted, “While Gemini Staking caters to both retail and institutional investors, we anticipate a strong interest from savvy retail investors seeking to maximize their cryptocurrency earnings through passive income opportunities offered by our centralized exchange.”
Future Prospects
This European expansion of staking and derivatives coincides with significant developments for Gemini in the United States, where the company recently submitted a Form S-1 for its initial public offering. The public offering is anticipated to include the sale of around 16.67 million shares, each priced between $17 and $19, potentially raising up to $317 million for the firm.
