Gemini Receives MiCA License in Malta Following May Derivatives Approval

Gemini, a popular crypto exchange, has received a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation MiCA license from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). This is a key milestone in Gemini’s efforts to expand its operations across Europe. According to the official MFSA records, the approval allows Gemini to operate as a regulated crypto asset service provider in more than 30 European jurisdictions and countries.

Founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss called the license “a critical step” in solidifying Gemini’s presence in one of the world’s most progressive regulatory environments for digital assets.

Gemini Receives MiCA License in Malta

Gemini highlighted that the MiCA license follows its application to list Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker GEMI, which was filed just last week. The dual momentum underscores the company’s strategy of combining European regulatory compliance with plans for broader capital market access.

“Today’s announcement cements Gemini’s long-standing dedication to upholding the highest standards of regulatory compliance as we scale in the region. We believe that clear regulation is the foundation for global crypto adoption, and MiCA shows Europe is leading the way,” the exchange said in a statement.

The MiCA license comes shortly after Gemini secured a Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) license in May, allowing it to provide derivatives to European customers. That approval set the stage for Gemini’s growing product suite in the EU.

In June, the Gemini exchange launched a tokenized stocks offering on the Arbitrum blockchain, enabling customers to trade tokenized shares of companies such as Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy (MSTR) with 24/7 market access. Gemini's decision put it in close competition with rivals like Kraken, which added tokenized equities to Solana in late June, and Robinhood, which launched a similar offering for EU clients on Arbitrum.

According to EU legislation, tokenized shares are considered financial instruments like derivatives because they fall under the MiFID II framework.

Gemini is now the fifth crypto firm to secure a MiCA license in Malta, joining Bitpanda, Crypto.com, OKX, and ZBX. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), on the other hand, has looked into the MFSA's authorization processes and found certain problems.

In response to worries over monitoring, the MFSA said again that it would work closely with EU regulators and that all MiCA licenses given are still legal and safe.

Gemini is solidifying its place in Europe, and its plan is in line with a larger trend that licensed exchanges are rushing to comply with MiCA, which is widely seen as a model for global crypto governance.