Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, founded by the Winklevoss twins, has announced a significant expansion of its services in the European Union, introducing Ethereum and Solana staking alongside perpetual futures contracts.
This move aligns with the exchange’s recent regulatory approval under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, positioning Gemini as a key player in Europe’s evolving crypto market.
Gemini noted that this move aligns with its commitment to providing a comprehensive and regulated platform for both retail and institutional investors across the European Economic Area (EEA).
The exchange brings ETH and SOL staking to users in the EEA as it targets a strategic expansion across a market seeing significant growth.
Ethereum and Solana staking
The staking, which allows EU users to earn rewards on Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) with no minimum deposit requirement, has been made accessible to a wide range of investors.
Your crypto just got more powerful.
EU users can now stake SOL & ETH for token rewards and trade Perpetuals with up to 100x leverage.
Gemini Staking will allow customers to earn rewards by staking any amount of ETH or SOL.
The exchange launched institutional Solana staking in June.
The service offers variable annual percentage rates (APRs) for ETH, depending on market conditions, and up to 6% APR for SOL.
Rewards are distributed daily and integrated into the Gemini app, enabling users to track their earnings in real time.
In addition to security features, the platform employs institutional-grade custody with segregated cold storage, allowing investors to earn passive income without the need to manage private keys.
Gemini perpetuals bring regulated derivatives
By introducing USDC-denominated perpetual futures contracts, which have no expiry dates, Gemini is enabling sophisticated traders to take long or short positions with up to 100x leverage.
Offer aligns with regulatory guidelines under the EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II).
This allows users to trade spot and derivatives markets from a single interface, with the added flexibility of cross-collateralization using spot balances, as well as offering services to professional investors seeking advanced trading strategies like hedging and basis trades.
Regulatory compliance and market positioning
The expansion follows its approval under MiCA via Malta’s Financial Services Authority and an earlier MiFID II license, which ensures compliance with Europe’s stringent financial frameworks, enhancing trust among users.
“Europe continues to be a strategic focus for Gemini,” said Mark Jennings, Gemini’s CEO of Europe.
He added,
“The introduction of the MiCA framework presents an unparalleled opportunity for Europe to lead the global crypto race by setting the global benchmark for crypto regulations, standardising regulations across all 30 EU jurisdictions, and giving confidence to the millions of investors. Gemini has long championed clear, forward-thinking regulation, and MiCA will allow us to continue to deepen our presence in the region.”
Gemini’s timely introduction of perpetuals and staking aligns with growing demand for yield-generating and leveraged products, signalling a broader push to capture market share.
The post Gemini expands EU offering with ETH and SOL staking appeared first on Invezz