Gemini Review

Our verdict: in our view, Gemini is a good fit if you live in the US and want a regulated exchange with a simple app, and a weaker one if you trade often and watch every fee. Gemini serves customers in all 50 US states, New York included. Its New York trust company is licensed by NYDFS, and its parent company has been listed on Nasdaq since 2025.

On ActiveTrader, Gemini's trading screen, the entry tier costs 0.60% for maker orders and 1.20% for taker orders. In Gemini Mode, the simple buy screen of the app and website, the fee is set per order, and instant and recurring orders include a spread.

Gemini might be right for you if:

• you live in the US, New York included, and want crypto, recurring buys, US stocks and a credit card from one provider (stocks are not offered in Texas);
• you want a provider whose New York trust company is licensed by NYDFS and whose parent publishes audited financial statements;
• you buy now and then rather than trade every day.

Gemini may not be suitable for you if:

• you trade often: the taker fee at the entry tier is higher than at Kraken and higher than what Coinbase Advanced charges US customers;
• you live in the UK, the EEA or Australia, where Gemini closed all customer accounts in April 2026;
• you want perpetual futures as a US customer, or margin without qualifying as an eligible contract participant;
• you want a proof-of-reserves report, which we could not find for Gemini.

We rate Gemini higher for beginner friendliness than for functions and scope, where we rate Kraken and OKX higher; the alternatives below cover both groups.

Gemini at a glance

• Operators for US customers: Gemini Moonbase, LLC (Delaware, headquartered in Florida, NMLS 2403509) and Gemini Trust Company, LLC (New York trust company, NMLS 1518126)
• Parent: Gemini Space Station, Inc., listed on Nasdaq as GEMI
• Founded: 2014, by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
• US availability: all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. Some products vary by state. Other market named by Gemini: Singapore
• Spot fees on ActiveTrader, entry tier: 0.60% maker, 1.20% taker
• ACH deposits and withdrawals: free. USD wire withdrawals: $25
• Debit card purchases: 3.49%. PayPal deposits, for Gemini Trust Company customers only: 2.50%. Credit cards: not accepted
• Crypto deposits: free. BTC withdrawal fee: varies, a dynamic fee meant to cover the network fee
• Crypto assets: 80 with an open spot market, on 330 spot pairs
• Margin: up to 5x, only for eligible contract participants in the US outside New York. Perpetuals: up to 100x, through Gemini Artemis Pte. Ltd. in 14 countries
• Proof of reserves: no report found
• App ratings: 4.75 on the US App Store (109,852 ratings), 4.0 on Google Play in the US (55.3K reviews)

Where Gemini is available

Gemini serves the US. Its user agreement assigns residents of every state, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico to one of two operators: Gemini Trust Company covers Idaho, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Texas, while Gemini Moonbase serves the rest. Some products differ by state: Gemini Stocks is not live in Texas, Asset Rewards staking is not offered in New York, and a few coins, USDT among them, cannot be traded in New York. Gemini offers no perpetual futures to US persons.

Outside the US, Gemini names Singapore as the other market where its business continues, through Gemini Digital Payments Pte. Ltd. It closed all customer accounts in the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area and Australia in April 2026. If you live in one of those regions, our overview of crypto exchanges compares other providers.

What Gemini costs: a worked example

Suppose you are in the US and want to buy bitcoin with dollars, then transfer it to your own wallet:

• Fund the account by ACH: free. A wire deposit is free too.
• Buy on ActiveTrader with a limit order that waits on the order book: 0.60% maker fee at the entry tier. A market order pays the 1.20% taker fee.
• Or buy in Gemini Mode: Gemini calculates the fee when you place the order and shows it before you confirm, and instant and recurring orders include a spread in the quoted price.
• Or pay by debit card: 3.49% of the purchase; debit card purchases are limited to $1,000 a day.
• Withdraw the bitcoin: a dynamic fee meant to cover the network fee, shown before you confirm.

In our view, ACH funding with a limit order is the cheaper route, because instant orders in Gemini Mode add a spread to the fee. For comparison, the 1.20% taker fee at Gemini's entry tier sits against 0.80% at Kraken, 0.90% for US customers on Coinbase Advanced and 0.35% at OKX US. Gemini's rates fall with 30-day volume or account balance: from $10K in volume or $1M in assets, ActiveTrader charges 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker.

Security and regulation

Licenses and registrations

Gemini Trust Company, LLC is a New York limited purpose trust company, licensed by NYDFS to engage in virtual currency business activity. Gemini states that both US exchange companies are registered with FinCEN as money services businesses and hold money transmitter licenses or the statutory equivalent in all required states. Its Trust Center lists those licenses state by state, under NMLS 1518126 for Gemini Trust Company and NMLS 2403509 for Gemini Moonbase.

Gemini Titan, LLC is a CFTC-designated contract market for Gemini Predictions. Gemini Galactic Markets, LLC, the broker-dealer behind Gemini Stocks, is a FINRA member, and FINRA BrokerCheck shows it as approved under CRD 304761. In Singapore, Gemini Digital Payments Pte. Ltd. has in-principle approval from MAS for a Major Payment Institution license.

Custody and proof of reserves

Gemini says it is a full-reserve exchange and custodian. Its Trust Center lists SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 exams conducted by Deloitte, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and PCI DSS, and as a listed company Gemini publishes audited financial statements. We could not find a proof-of-reserves report. Its annual report describes $25 million in crime insurance for crypto in the hot wallet and $100 million in specie coverage for cold storage. US dollar balances may be eligible for FDIC pass-through insurance up to $250,000 per customer at partner banks; crypto is not insured by the FDIC or SIPC.

Incidents and legal history

• Gemini Earn, a lending program with Genesis: in May 2024, Earn users received about $2.2 billion of their crypto in kind, about 97%. A June 2024 settlement with the New York Attorney General required Gemini Trust Company to distribute the remaining 3%, about $50 million.
• NYDFS: a February 2024 settlement required Gemini Trust Company to contribute $40 million to the recovery of Earn users, and Gemini Trust Company paid a $37 million civil penalty, related mainly to Earn.
• SEC: the SEC charged Gemini Trust Company over Earn in January 2023 and dismissed its action in January 2026, without any payment by Gemini.
• CFTC: in a January 2025 consent order, Gemini Trust Company agreed to pay a $5 million civil penalty, without admitting or denying liability, over statements to CFTC staff that it reasonably should have known were false or misleading. In May 2026, Gemini and the CFTC filed a joint motion to vacate the order.
• Data breaches: in 2022, breaches at third-party vendors exposed the email addresses and phone numbers of some users, and in June 2024 a breach at a service provider of an ACH banking partner affected about 15,000 users. Gemini reports no material failures of its own technology systems in either case.
• Open cases: in April 2026 the New York Attorney General filed a petition against Gemini Titan, alleging unlicensed gambling and sports wagering through Gemini Predictions, and a putative securities class action over the IPO was filed in March 2026.

Alternatives to Gemini

For active traders in the US, Kraken charges 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker at its first spot tier and lists more than 600 crypto assets worldwide, but it does not serve New York or Maine.

OKX serves US customers through OKX US, a separate company with its own terms and fee schedule, starting at 0.20% maker and 0.35% taker for spot trading. It does not serve New York either.

For beginners who want more coins in one app, Coinbase accepts residents of every US state, New York included, lists more than 400 crypto assets and charges US customers 0.50% maker and 0.90% taker on Coinbase Advanced. Our list of exchanges for US customers has more options.

FAQ

What is Gemini.com?

Gemini is a US crypto exchange founded in 2014 by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Its parent, Gemini Space Station, Inc., trades on Nasdaq. Gemini names the US and Singapore as the markets where its business continues.

Is Gemini better than Coinbase?

It depends on what you need; both serve New York and the other US states. In our view, Coinbase is the stronger pick for coin choice and trading costs: more than 400 crypto assets against Gemini's 80, and 0.50% maker and 0.90% taker for US customers on Coinbase Advanced against 0.60% and 1.20% on Gemini ActiveTrader. Both also offer US stocks and a credit card.

Gemini vs Kraken: which has lower fees?

At the entry tier, Kraken offers 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker compared to 0.60% and 1.20% on Gemini ActiveTrader. Kraken does not serve residents of New York or Maine, where Gemini accepts customers.

Does Gemini accept credit cards?

No. Gemini accepts Visa and Mastercard debit cards, and Apple Pay and Google Pay with debit cards only. Credit cards and prepaid cards are not accepted. The Gemini Credit Card is a separate product, a Mastercard issued by WebBank that residents of all 50 US states may apply for.