Today, we are celebrating Gemini UK’s one year anniversary! Since our launch, we’ve been blown away by our incredible growth, partnerships, and colleagues who have joined our mission to make Gemini the go-to crypto exchange in the UK. 

True to Gemini’s ethos, we sought permission from regulators before launching in the UK. Gemini became one of the first and remains one of a handful of crypto exchanges registered by the Financial Conduct Authority under money laundering legislation in the UK, a testament to our commitment to offering UK customers the highest levels of safety and security. All of that is on top of our authorization as an E-money Institution, which means the fiat in your wallet is safer with us. 

__Boats, Pizza, and Giving Back__

Since launching in September 2020,  we’ve certainly created a splash in the market. We proudly served as the principal sponsor of [The 2021 Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race](https://www.gemini.com/blog/introducing-the-gemini-boat-race-2021), one of the oldest and most celebrated events in the UK sporting calendar. Broadcast globally, we reached enthusiasts of both crypto and sports with illuminated Gemini-branded rowing boats, and presented the victorious rowers with their trophies. 

Equally exciting, we launched the Gemini Bursary Fund to further develop the sport and provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK with an opportunity to learn rowing. While initially intended to be capped at £75,000, it was so well received that we donated in excess of £81,000 to amazing social mobility sporting programs across the UK.

On Bitcoin Pizza Day, May 25th, we delivered pizzas to the remarkable staff of the National Health Service’s accident and Emergency centres across London to celebrate. As a small gesture, Gemini wished to thank medical workers for their incredible work and service during a gruelling year — a rewarding way to acknowledge a hallmark day for the industry! 

__A Growing Ship With More to Come...__

What started as a three person team back in January 2020, has now grown into an entity attracting top quality expertise and world class talent across business development, compliance, customer service, engineering, financial crime, finance, marketing, and communications. With [more roles available on our website](https://www.gemini.com/careers) and further still in the pipeline, the UK talent stream at Gemini shows no sign of abating.

Gemini also [joined Take Five To Stop Fraud](https://www.gemini.com/blog/gemini-supports-the-uks-take-five-to-stop-fraud-campaign) earlier this month, a national campaign to raise awareness of financial fraud. Joining the initiative, which is endorsed by the UK government and the largest banks and fintechs in the UK, is an important step on our mission to better protect consumers and raise awareness of fraud in the crypto industry. Gemini is committed to being a conscientious and demonstratively positive partner within the UK financial services industry. 

We continue to cement strong relationships with local media, including the Financial Times, to share Gemini’s global and local story and affirm our position as thought leaders in crypto, financial regulation, custody, and DeFi. The UK team is further amplifying the Gemini message through a number of speaking engagements, including Token 2049 in October and Digital Asset Summit London in November, to further establish and build our presence in the institutional space. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported our journey this past year and for all the international Gemini teams whose tireless work has helped us successfully launch in the UK. 

For the year ahead, we look forward to welcoming new team members, growing our product offering, and continuing our work with global colleagues to empower individuals across the world through crypto. 

Onward and Upward!

Blair Halliday  
Head of Gemini UK

One Year of Building Gemini UK

Today, we are proud to announce that Gemini has joined the Take Five Charter in the UK alongside other leading financial institutions, banks, and fintechs. Led by UK Finance and backed by Her Majesty's Government, the campaign offers straightforward and impartial advice to help protect UK customers from financial fraud and scams. 

[Take Five](https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/) encourages customers to take several steps to consider if a certain situation is genuine or feels like a scam, including:

- __STOP__: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
- __CHALLENGE__: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse, or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
- __PROTECT__: Contact your bank or financial institution immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.

As one of the very few UK companies approved as a cryptoasset firm under the Money Laundering Regulations, Gemini’s Financial Crime program is subject to oversight and enforcement by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). 

To help identify potentially fraudulent situations, we recommend you visit the [Take Five website](https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/) to familiarise yourself with the most common types of online criminal activity and practical advice to protect yourself, your family, and your friends against online fraud. The site includes useful tips on how to spot a cryptocurrency scam, which can range from online advertisements to incentive marketing techniques via email and social media where consumers are pressured to buy crypto before a deadline. 

At Gemini, customer safety is our priority and we are committed to providing education, understanding, and robust internal controls to facilitate a safe and trusted trading environment for our customers.

Onward and Upward.

Blair Halliday  
Head of Gemini UK

Gemini Supports the UK’s Take Five to Stop Fraud Campaign

At Gemini, our global footprint reflects crypto’s global reach. As we continue to expand, we increasingly support a range of clients around the world. 

Our experienced team in the UK caters to institutional investors seeking exposure to cryptocurrency, including asset managers, corporations, wealth managers, and high-net worth individuals, with solutions designed to meet the highest standards of compliance, security, and client service.

Our services include strong trade execution capabilities, unified support for clients seeking to launch crypto funds, and payment solutions and bespoke integrations to help companies and high-net worth individuals leverage the rapid growth of cryptocurrency. 

__Industry-Leading Compliance, Security, and Custody__

Institutions will never compromise on security – and neither will Gemini.

Gemini Custody™ offers 100% offline storage for digital assets in segregated addresses. All assets held are secured by institutional-grade technology and multi-layered security architecture. Gemini maintains $290M in digital asset insurance across our custody and exchange products, in addition to capital reserves, which applies globally. We are the only cryptocurrency platform in the world to have completed the [SOC 1 Type 2](https://www.gemini.com/blog/gemini-completes-soc-1-type-2-and-soc-2-type-2-examinations-leading-crypto) and [SOC 2 Type 2](https://www.gemini.com/blog/gemini-completes-soc-1-type-2-and-soc-2-type-2-examinations-leading-crypto) examinations for both our exchange and custody products, certified by Deloitte. 

__Unrivaled Knowledge and Client Service__

The Gemini team has deep expertise in crypto, traditional capital markets, security, and technology, which allows us to partner with clients and deliver tailored solutions that meet unique requirements. 

We invite institutional investors in the UK to [learn more about our offering](https://www.gemini.com/institutions) and reach out to [Stephanie Ramezan](mailto:sales.emea@gemini.com) and [Ekaterina Daminova](mailto:sales.emea@gemini.com) in our Business Development team to explore the unparalleled growth potential of crypto.

Onward and Upward!

Blair Halliday  
Head of UK

Blair Halliday

ARTICLES BY Blair Halliday

One Year of Building Gemini UK

Gemini Supports the UK’s Take Five to Stop Fraud Campaign

Gemini Builds Out UK Institutional Offering

A simple, secure way to buy and sell cryptocurrency