Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, is strengthening its European presence with the launch of staking and derivatives products.
The company announced on Friday that users in the European Economic Area (EEA) can now stake Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL), as well as trade perpetual contracts settled in Circle’s USDC stablecoin.
This expansion follows Gemini securing regulatory approvals under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in Malta in August and the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) earlier in May.
“Our goal is to become one of Europe’s leading exchanges. With a full product suite — spot trading, staking, and perpetuals — all accessible from a single interface, we believe we’re well positioned to compete,” said Mark Jennings, Gemini’s head of Europe, in a statement to Cointelegraph.
Derivatives on the rise as spot volumes cool
Gemini’s move into EU derivatives comes amid a downturn in spot crypto trading, which has been overshadowed by the growth of exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Despite Bitcoin’s price gains in 2025, spot volumes dropped 32% across the first two quarters, totaling $3.6 trillion in Q2, according to data from TokenInsight. Meanwhile, derivatives volumes surged to $20.2 trillion.
“The global derivatives market has exploded in recent months,” Jennings noted, projecting that the sector could reach $23 trillion by the end of 2025.
“As crypto adoption expands, there is rising demand for alternative, risk-managed financial products. Derivatives enable users to implement sophisticated strategies, taking long or short positions on crypto,” Jennings added.
Ethereum staking sees strong growth in Europe
In the EU, crypto derivatives fall under the MiFID II framework, while staking is regulated indirectly through MiCA, which fully came into effect in late 2024.
MiCA has fueled notable growth in institutional staking, with EU staking participation jumping 39% in 2025, compared to 22% growth outside the EU, according to a June study by CoinLaw.
“Staking is gaining significant traction in Europe,” Jennings noted, highlighting that Ethereum staking deposits in the EU rose 28% in 2025 from the previous year, reaching a total of $90 billion in staked ETH.
“Gemini Staking is open to both retail and institutional investors, though we anticipate it will particularly appeal to sophisticated retail investors seeking to put their crypto holdings to work and earn passive income through a single, integrated centralized platform,” the executive said.
The EU launch of Gemini’s staking and derivatives services comes shortly after the exchange filed a Form S-1 for a U.S. initial public offering. The company plans to offer 16.67 million shares at $17–$19 each, aiming to raise up to $317 million.
