Deribit
Company History
Deribit History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2016 in Panama City, Panama
When was Deribit founded?
Deribit was founded in 2016 in Panama City, Panama by John Jansen and Marius Jansen, making it 10 years old.
- Founded
- 2016
- Founding place
- Panama City, Panama
- Founders
- John Jansen and Marius Jansen
- Headquarters today
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Milestones documented
- 7 (2016–2026)
- Current CEO
- Luuk Strijers
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2016 | June |
| 2019 | Ether options launch; Luuk Strijers joins as chief commercial officer |
| 2020 | Operating entity moves from the Netherlands to Panama |
| 2023 | Total trading volume reaches $608 billion |
| 2024 | April |
| 2025 | January |
| 2026 | Deribit gains a VARA broker-dealer licence to route spot orders to Coinbase Exchange, and |
- Where was Deribit founded?
- Deribit was founded in Panama City, Panama in 2016.
- Who founded Deribit?
- Deribit was founded by John Jansen and Marius Jansen.
- When did Deribit start?
- Deribit was founded in 2016.
- How old is Deribit?
- Deribit is 10 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
John Jansen spent years trading options in Amsterdam before turning to Bitcoin around 2012. He saw that crypto had spot and futures markets but no serious options venue. With his brother Marius, from Stadskanaal in the Dutch province of Groningen, he built an options exchange that went live in June 2016 under the name Deribit, a blend of 'derivatives' and 'Bitcoin'. The brothers grew it without large venture rounds and sold it to Coinbase nine years later for about $2.9 billion.
Founders
John Jansen
John Jansen is a Dutch former options trader who co-founded Deribit with his brother Marius and launched it in June 2016. He led the exchange as CEO through its growth into the main crypto options venue, its move to Panama and its Dubai licensing, before Luuk Strijers took over as CEO in April 2024. The brothers sold Deribit to Coinbase in 2025 for about $2.9 billion. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Marius Jansen
Marius Jansen co-founded Deribit with his brother John. The brothers come from Stadskanaal in the Netherlands and built the exchange without large venture funding before selling it to Coinbase in 2025. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
June
June: Deribit, founded by John and Marius Jansen, launches Bitcoin futures and options trading.
Source: rtl.nlEther options launch; Luuk Strijers joins as chief commercial officer
Ether options launch; Luuk Strijers joins as chief commercial officer.
Source: prnewswire.comOperating entity moves from the Netherlands to Panama
Operating entity moves from the Netherlands to Panama.
Source: financemagnates.comTotal trading volume reaches $608 billion
Total trading volume reaches $608 billion.
Source: insights.deribit.comApril
April: first derivatives exchange to win VARA approval; headquarters moves to Dubai and Luuk Strijers becomes CEO. Annual volume hits $1.185 trillion.
Source: prnewswire.comJanuary
January: all activity migrates to Deribit FZE in Dubai. August 14: Coinbase completes its ~$2.9 billion acquisition.
Source: theblock.coDeribit gains a VARA broker-dealer licence to route spot orders to Coinbase Exchange, and
Deribit gains a VARA broker-dealer licence to route spot orders to Coinbase Exchange, and Coinbase International Exchange begins migrating onto Deribit.
Source: brokerchooser.comKeep researching Deribit
Deribit Company History FAQ
What is the chronological history of Deribit from its 2016 inception to the present?
Deribit launched in June 2016, added Ether options in 2019, moved its operating entity to Panama in 2020, won VARA approval and moved headquarters to Dubai in 2024, migrated all activity to Deribit FZE in January 2025 and was acquired by Coinbase on August 14, 2025.
When did Deribit introduce Ethereum (ETH) options trading?
Deribit launched Ethereum (ETH) options and futures in March 2019, quickly becoming the dominant global marketplace for Ethereum volatility and establishing the benchmark ETH options open interest.
Why did Deribit relocate its corporate operations from the Netherlands to Panama in 2020?
In 2020 Deribit moved its operating entity from the Netherlands to Panama as stricter EU anti-money-laundering rules for crypto firms took effect in the Netherlands.
How did Deribit perform during the 2020 COVID-19 crypto market crash on Black Thursday?
During the March 2020 crash, when Bitcoin fell roughly 50% in two days, Deribit kept trading and liquidated under-margined positions.
When did Deribit launch its USDC linear derivatives suite?
Deribit launched USDC-margined linear options and futures in 2022 to 2023, enabling market participants to trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana volatility settled directly in stablecoin terms rather than underlying cryptocurrency tokens.
When did Deribit receive its Dubai VARA licence?
VARA granted regulatory approval in April 2024, making Deribit the first derivatives exchange approved by the regulator. Deribit FZE began operating under its VASP exchange licence from January 2025 and added a broker-dealer licence in 2026.
What role did Deribit play in the expansion of crypto zero-day-to-expiration (0DTE) options?
Deribit lists daily-expiring Bitcoin and Ether options, letting traders take short-term volatility positions around events such as macro data releases.
What comes next for Deribit?
Deribit is becoming Coinbase's single international derivatives venue, absorbing Coinbase International Exchange's perpetuals and futures in 2026.
How did Deribit start?
Deribit was founded in 2014 by John Jansen, a former Amsterdam options trader, and his brother Marius. They realized that while basic crypto exchanges existed, there was absolutely no professional-grade platform for trading complex financial derivatives (options) on Bitcoin.
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