Crypto Exchange Gemini Receives Approval for Launch in France

cryptonews.com:

Crypto exchange Gemini has received approval to operate as a virtual asset services provider in France.

CNBC reported on Wednesday that the exchange, founded and owned by twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, had been awarded crypto registration by the French watchdog Autorite des marches financiers.

“This latest regulatory approval in France represents a significant moment in our European expansion,” Gillian Lynch, head of EU at Gemini, told CNBC in an email.

Gemini is set to introduce its products to both retail and institutional clients in France in the upcoming weeks. The company is in the process of completing the “final preparations” necessary to make its entire platform accessible to users in France.

French users of Gemini will be able to trade with over 70 cryptocurrencies through the company’s website and mobile app upon launch, as well as gaining entry to Gemini’s advanced ActiveTrader platform.

Institutional clients, on the other hand, will have access to Gemini eOTC, the exchange’s electronic over-the-counter trading solution.

The Winklevoss twins realized that “in Europe, there is both a strong sense of regulatory support for the industry but also much needed regulatory clarity on the horizon with MiCA (EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation)” after a visit to the EU last year, Lynch told CNBC.

Approved by EU lawmakers last year, MiCA enables crypto companies to obtain a license in one EU country and utilize it as a “passport” to operate across any nation within the EU.

U.S. regulators, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have been targeting major U.S. crypto companies in recent times. Last year, both Gemini and crypto lender Genesis were charged by the SEC with allegedly offering and selling