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Gemini

Cryptocurrency ExchangeFounded 2014
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Business Model Analysis

How Gemini Makes Money

Annual Revenue: $95.8M

Executive Summary

Gemini generates revenue primarily through Cryptocurrency Exchange, with roughly $95.8M in annual revenue.

Core Growth Engine: After expanding into Europe and Asia between 2021 and 2025, Gemini reversed course in February 2026, exiting the UK, EU and Australia to concentrate on the US. Growth now centers on prediction markets, the Gemini Credit ...

Revenue Model & Pricing

Gemini earns revenue in three main buckets. Transaction revenue comes from fees on retail and ActiveTrader trades plus its OTC desk; in Q2 2026 exchange revenue fell 38% year over year to $12.5 million as crypto markets cooled. Services revenue, which more than doubled to $23.5 million in Q2 2026, includes the Gemini Credit Card (interchange), staking, custody fees and stablecoin-related income. Interest on customer cash and reserves is a third source. Gemini is also adding event contracts (prediction markets) to its US app to reduce its dependence on spot crypto trading volumes.

Core Revenue Streams

Transaction revenue

$12.5 million (Q2 2026)

Fees on retail and ActiveTrader trades and the OTC desk. Down 38% year over year as crypto markets cooled.

Services revenue

$23.5 million (Q2 2026)

Gemini Credit Card interchange, staking, custody fees and stablecoin-related income. More than doubled year over year.

Interest income

Not formally reported

Interest on customer cash and reserves. Total revenue was $179.6 million in 2025.

Growth Strategy

After expanding into Europe and Asia between 2021 and 2025, Gemini reversed course in February 2026, exiting the UK, EU and Australia to concentrate on the US. Growth now centers on prediction markets, the Gemini Credit Card, staking and OTC services, funded partly by the founders' $100 million investment in May 2026.

How Gemini Makes Money: FAQ

How does Gemini generate revenue across its digital asset business model?

Gemini generates revenue primarily through trading transaction fees (taker and maker fees charged on retail and ActiveTrader spot trades), institutional custody fees (basis points on assets stored in Gemini Custody), staking commission fees (Gemini Staking), stablecoin reserve interest on GUSD, and credit card interchange sharing.

What is Gemini's tiered trading fee structure for retail and institutional traders?

Gemini charges tiered transaction fees: retail mobile and web orders incur a convenience fee plus a fixed percentage fee (typically 1.49%), while professional ActiveTrader volume tiers charge lower maker-taker fees ranging from 0.40% down to 0.00% for high-volume market makers.

How does Gemini Custody monetize institutional digital asset storage?

Gemini Custody charges institutional clients (such as crypto hedge funds, venture funds, corporations, and asset managers) an annual custody fee calculated as basis points (e.g., 0.10% to 0.40%) on total assets under custody, plus nominal withdrawal administrative fees.

What is Gemini Staking and how does it generate revenue from Proof-of-Stake networks?

Gemini Staking allows users to stake Proof-of-Stake cryptocurrencies (such as Ethereum and Polygon) to validate blockchain networks and earn protocol rewards. Gemini manages the validator node infrastructure, passing rewards to users while retaining an institutional staking fee.

How does the Gemini Dollar (GUSD) generate reserve yield for Gemini?

Gemini invests GUSD stablecoin backing reserves in high-yielding short-term U.S. Treasury bills and interest-bearing bank deposits, earning substantial risk-free interest income while maintaining 100% redemption liquidity for GUSD holders.

What is Gemini Derivatives and how does it operate in international markets?

Launched under Gemini Intergalactic in non-U.S. jurisdictions, Gemini Derivatives allows international institutional and retail traders to trade perpetual crypto contracts (e.g., BTC/GUSD perpetuals) with up to 100x leverage, monetized via trading fees.

How does the Gemini Foundation international derivatives platform expand global revenue?

Gemini Foundation serves international traders across 30+ jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, providing non-U.S. traders with derivatives, cross-collateralized trading accounts, and deep liquidity outside strict U.S. regulatory boundaries.

What security insurance protections does Gemini provide for stored customer assets?

Gemini maintains up to $200 million in commercial cold-storage insurance coverage against physical theft or destruction of private keys, while maintaining client fiat cash balances in FDIC-insured partner bank accounts up to standard federal limits.

How does Gemini make money?

Gemini operates a premium model. They charge retail users slightly higher trading fees than competitors, but their absolute cash cow is institutional custody. Massive hedge funds and corporations pay Gemini massive fees to securely store billions of dollars in Bitcoin offline in highly secure, physically guarded cold-storage vaults.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.