Gemini to halt operations in the Netherlands by mid-November
New York-headquartered crypto exchange Gemini has decided to quit the Netherlands, following in the footsteps of crypto giant Binance. The company cites its inability to meet regulators’ requirements but says it intends to return to the Dutch market.
In a letter to its Dutch users on Sept. 26, Gemini asks them to either withdraw their assets or transfer them to another wallet address, as the platform will suspend its operation in the Netherlands “due to requirements imposed by the De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) on crypto exchanges” by Nov. 17. The letter states:
Gemini suggests that users transfer their funds to the local crypto exchange Bitvavo, which is registered with the DNB. Launched in 2018, Amsterdam-based Bitvavo is a member of the Dutch Association of Bitcoin Companies.
Related: Binance still struggling to find banking partner in France
Gemini intends to return to the Dutch market after getting its business “ready to be fully compliant” with the new rules on crypto assets, as set out under the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulations (MiCA).
In the summer of 2023, Gemini’s global competitor, Binance, also stopped operating in the Netherlands due to a failure to get the all-clear from the DNB. At the time, DNB press officer, Tobias Oudejans said to Cointelegraph that it would be reasonable for Binance to try and return to the Dutch market through compliance with MiCA, which will unify the European Union’s requirements for crypto companies:
Currently, 37 virtual asset providers are registered with the DNB, including eToro, Coinbase, Crypto.com and BitPay.
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