Gemini sets a base for European operations in Ireland

Gemini, the U.S. crypto exchange, chose Dublin as its European headquarters due to the approved MiCA regulatory framework. Cameron Winklevoss, the co-founder of Gemini, said they chose Ireland after considering other EU entry points as it were a “natural fit.”

On May 25, after the meeting with two Gemini co-founders, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar confirmed the exchange decided to open headquarters in Dublin:

Then Leo Varadkar added, “Gemini’s decision to locate in Ireland highlights our competitive offering for the international financial services sector.”

​Cameron Winklevoss told Irish Times reporters that the decision to open the headquarters in Ireland was well-considered:

We looked at all of the EU as potential entry points and we felt really comfortable with Ireland and the reputation of the regulator, the CBI, as well as the technology community and talent and the ecosystem. So for us, it was an obvious natural fit.

He also said that “the Central Bank has a very strong reputation. There’s also a community of technologists and an ecosystem in Ireland, which made a lot of sense.”

Gemini already maintains an office in Dublin with 12 employees. In July 2022, the company received a virtual asset provider license from the Central Bank of Ireland.

With the European Union approving the new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation on May 16, the company is looking to expand its staff:

It is “very possible” that its team here will grow by “a multiple if not magnitude” over the next two years as MiCA is fully rolled out across the EU. I think you’re gonna get a Cambrian explosion of innovation [in Europe as a consequence of MiCA].