Gemini Exits the UK and EU Markets to Focus On USA AllinCrypto February 10, 2026
Gemini crypto exchange announced the firm will exit the UK, European Union, and Australian markets as part of a strategic shift to focus on the United States.
The decision comes as Gemini restructures its business around artificial intelligence and new product lines like prediction markets, following the popularity of Kalshi and Polymarket.
In its recent announcement, the company said operating across dozens of jurisdictions had left it stretched with increasing costs, as the UK’s FCA has been slow to welcome crypto firms.
A Strategic Change For Gemini 2.0
Gemini’s move is tied to internal changes, according to the press release. The company has significantly reduced its size and cited productivity gains from using AI instead of employees.
At the same time, Gemini is investing heavily in prediction markets, which the firm views as a major growth opportunity.
Deciding to concentrate resources in the US may allow the firm to pursue other avenues of profitability faster, while building a “super app” for money and markets.
Our thesis is that prediction markets will be as big or bigger than today’s capital markets. They offer a profound and boundless opportunity to leverage the wisdom of the crowds and power of markets to provide unique insights into the future
At the same time, Ripple is growing in Europe and the UK, with the firm acquiring a Luxembourg financial license and expanding offices in the UK to bring in more employees.
Regulatory Crypto Friction in the UK
While Gemini said its exit was primarily a strategic refocus, the decision also highlights challenges in the UK’s regulatory environment.
In the UK, some crypto firms continue to operate under transitional rules, with full authorization seeming to be years away as the current Labour government stalls new cryptoasset policies.
The combination of new requirements, high compliance costs, and uncertainty around future obligations made long-term investment decisions harder for Gemini, even though other firms like Ripple and even Bitpanda are expanding in the UK, aiming to take advantage of the market before others do.
Gemini’s departure can be seen as a setback for the UK’s potential aim of becoming a European crypto hub.
Gemini’s exit shows just how regulatory clarity and policy speed matter and how long-term uncertainty can push firms out of the region. Last year, Andreessen Horowitz also withdrew from the UK, deciding to focus on the US as Trump vowed to make the US the crypto capital of the world.
The post Gemini Exits the UK and EU Markets to Focus On USA first appeared on AllinCrypto.
