Gate has obtained a Payment Institution license in Malta under the European Union’s PSD2 framework, giving the exchange a regulated pathway to provide payment services across the bloc alongside its existing crypto authorizations.
The company said Thursday that its Malta-based subsidiary, Gate Technology, received approval from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). According to Gate, the license advances its strategy of integrating traditional payment infrastructure with Web3 services in Europe.
The new authorization expands Gate’s EU footprint beyond crypto trading. On Oct. 1, 2025, the exchange announced it had secured a license under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), enabling it to offer exchange and custody services throughout member states.
Under EU rules, crypto firms that want to provide payment services in stablecoins must hold either a Payment Institution or Electronic Money Institution authorization. With PSD2 approval, Gate can passport regulated payment services across the EU, extending its operations into fiat and stablecoin payment infrastructure in addition to trading.
Gate said its main exchange platform serves more than 49 million users globally, though it has not disclosed a breakdown of EU-based customers.
Payments authorization broadens EU scope
Under PSD2, licensed entities can execute payment transactions, process credit transfers and direct debits, and maintain payment accounts across the EU.
The MFSA’s public authorization register shows that Gate Technology is permitted to provide services under Malta’s Financial Institutions Act, including enabling cash deposits and withdrawals from payment accounts and performing the operations necessary to manage those accounts.
Gate CEO Giovanni Cunti said the license strengthens the company’s ability to deliver compliant payment solutions to both institutional and retail clients. The MFSA listing confirms that the authorization covers regulated account and transaction services, extending beyond crypto custody and exchange functions.
However, Gate has not yet detailed which payment products will launch first or provided a timeline for the rollout of expanded EU services.
Part of a broader EU compliance trend
Gate’s approval follows a similar step by OKX, which secured a Malta Payment Institution license on Feb. 16 to support offerings such as OKX Pay and the OKX Card.
Under MiCA, crypto-asset service providers integrating stablecoin payments into regulated financial infrastructure must comply with EU payments law. As a result, Payment Institution licenses are increasingly becoming a key requirement for exchanges aiming to combine euro-denominated payment flows with crypto trading services.
