Gemini Exchange Review: The Trusted Platform for Safe and Secure Trading Amid Market Turmoil

Introduction

Cryptocurrency is the future of money. If relevant exchanges don’t provide a conducive, secure, and convenient environment for consumers to invest in cryptocurrency, the industry will fail. That is the main motive behind creating Gemini Exchange – a U.S based cryptocurrency exchange. Today let us have a detailed review of Gemini 

Overview

Official Website	https://www.gemini.com/
Founding Year	2015
Head Quarters	New York, United States
Trading Volume	$19 Million
Trading Options	Spot & Derivatives
Trading fees	Maker Fees – 0.20 – 0.00% & Taker Fees – 0.40-0.03%. Also charges transaction fee 1.49% of total order value
Total listed Coins	90+
Trading Pairs	100+
Supported fiat	USD, CAD, HKD, AUD, EUR, GBP, JPY, SGD, CHF
Withdraw options	Only ERC supported
Bank withdrawal Supported	Yes
Withdraw fees	Only Network fee required for crypto withdrawals
Deposit methods	ACH, Wire Transfer, Debit Card & Paypal
Restricted countries	7+
Native Token	Gemini USD, (GUSD)
Mobile app	Available on Google & Apple Play store
Support Channel	https://support.gemini.com/hc/en-us
Coinpedia rating	8/10
Security rating	8/10
User Interface	Easy to use
Ease to set up	Easy
App store Rating	4.8
Play store Rating	4.3
Security	Highly Secured
Hacking attempts/Hacks	Never been hacked
KYC verification duration	3-4 days
Regulation & Compliance	Complaint
Liquidity	Highly liquid
Proof Of Reserve	https://www.gemini.com/trust-center

What is Gemini Exchange?

Gemini is a centralized, NYFDS-licensed cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2015 by Winklevoss Brothers (Tyler Winklevoss & Cameron Winklevoss). Winklevoss brothers are famous for the lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg for stealing their Facebook idea. 

Winklevoss brothers started the company to provide a safe and compliant exchange to store and trade cryptocurrencies.  Gemini is founded on four pillars – product, security, license, and compliance– to gain users’ trust. Gemini has its own stablecoin Gemini Dollar (GUSD). 

Gemini is also the world’s first cryptocurrency exchange and custodian to complete SOC 1 Type 2 & SOC 2 Type 2 examinations. 

Gemini serves

• Individual traders to buy, sell and store digital assets
• Corporations to acquire and store digital assets as well as incorporate them into their business
• Fund Managers & ETF issuers for fund solutions
• Wealth & Asset Managers – to provide digital solutions
• Hedge funds & liquidity providers – to trade cryptos

The institutional products offered by Gemini include

• Gemini BITRIA – Digital Asset Custodian for Wealth & Asset Managers
• Gemini Prime – Prime Brokerage Services
• Gemini Custody – Custody solutions
• Gemini Clearing – Gemini acts as a confirming third party in pre-arranged transactions, helping ensure timely Settlement while mitigating counterparty risk
• Gemini Settlement – Gemini acts as 3rd party for Crytpo trade Settlements

Features

• Gemini Exchange – Easy on the eye trading platform where users can buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies. It provides clean market trends and can manage your portfolio very smoothly
• Trading fees – Trading fees for high volume traders based on 30-day trading volume – Maker fees (0.20-0.00%) & Taker fees (0.40-0.03%). For stable coin trading 0.00% maker fees & 0.01% Taker fees. No fees for deposit. However, a convenience fee is charged for debit & Paypal deposits.
• Active Trader – A trading platform best suited for active and advanced traders where they can execute orders in microseconds. It is also optimized for mobile browsers making it travel-friendly.
• Staking – You can now earn by staking your cryptos on the Gemini platform. There is no minimum amount for staking and no transfer/ redemption fees for staking
• Cryptopedia – The exchange believes only if we empower people with crypto education, they will be ready to embrace and accept the future of money. With this mission, they designed Cryptopedia – a one-stop destination for all educational resources related to cryptocurrency, blockchain, and everything related to the crypto world. It is like a blog section where there are 468 articles on 239 topics written by 58 authors. Beginners, as well as seasoned traders, can learn at their own pace

Gemini Exclusive Features

• Gemini Credit cards -Gemini credit card is accepted wherever Master Card is accepted. You can now earn up to 10% in cashback as cryptos at the fuel pump, 3% back on dining, 2% back on groceries & 1% on everything else. The best part is that there are no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees, and no exchange fees to redeem rewards
• Gemini Security – Gemini provides world-class security features and are SOC 1 Type 2 & SOC 2 Type 2 Compliant. Consumer protection is one of the core founding principles of Gemini
• Gemini Custody – For Institutional Grade investors and High Networth individuals, Gemini provides custodial services with industry-leading security. The several security features include 2FA (two-factor authentication) for logins, whitelisting withdrawal addresses beforehand to prevent illegitimate hacks, limiting login attempts, hashed and encrypted passwords and information, and hardware security keys.
• Gemini Dollar (GUSD) – It is a 1:1 stablecoin backed by USD. The best part is that there are no fees to buy or sell GUSD with U.S. dollars on the Gemini Exchange.
• Gemini Clearing – It is an anonymous settlement platform that allows two parties to settle a trade-off in the order book. Gemini acts as a confirming third party in settling transactions and reducing counterparty risk. Trade details are not published on Gemini’s Market data feed. Best for peer-to-peer trades
• Gemini Wallet – It offers both insured hot wallets and institutional-grade cold storage to store digital assets.

Cryptocurrencies available

Gemini supports native coins, supported SPL tokens, and ERC 20 tokens which will amount to 100+ digital assets on its platform. Some of the popular cryptocurrencies on Gemini are

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• Filecoin (FIL)
• Zcash (ZEC)
• Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Dogecoin (DOGE)
• Tezos (XTZ)
• Solana (SOL)
• Polkadot (DOT)
• Avalanche (AVAX)

How to set up a new account

1: Visit the Official Gemini Website. Click [Register] 

2: Fill in the information on the next page. This will include your full name, your email address, and a password. When you are completed with this, read the [user agreement] and [privacy policy].

3: Then click the [Create my account] Option.

4: Verify your email and phone number

5. Provide your date of Birth

6: Complete identity verification by uploading a government-issued photo ID.

It will take around 24-48 hours for account activation

How to buy crypto

You can now buy cryptos very easily on Gemini

How to Buy crypto on the Web interface

1. Select crypto from the Market page.
2. Select [Buy] and choose whether you would like to make a single buy (Once) or a Recurring buy.
3. Enter the order amount then click [Continue].
4. Once you select your payment method, you will automatically navigate to the confirmation screen.
5. Review the transaction & click [Confirm] for your order to immediately execute.

How to Buy crypto on the App

1. Tap on the [Market]
2. Tap on the crypto you would like to buy.
3. Tap [Trade], then [Buy]
4. Select if you would like to make a Single buy or Recurring buy.
5. Enter the amount you want to buy and tap [Continue] to select your payment method.
6. Review your trade on the next screen and [Swipe to confirm] for your order to immediately execute.

How to sell crypto

How to Sell crypto on the Web interface

1. Select crypto from the Market page.
2. Confirm that [Sell] is selected.
3. Enter the quantity you want to sell then click [Review Order] to move to the confirmation screen.
4. Once reviewed, click [Confirm] for your order to immediately execute.

How to Sell crypto on the App

1. Tap on the [Market] tab at the bottom left of your screen.
2. Tap on the crypto you would like to buy or sell.
3. Tap on [Trade], then [Sell].
4. Enter the amount of the crypto you want to sell and tap [Review Order] at the bottom of the screen.
5. Review your trade on the next screen and [Swipe to confirm] for your order to immediately execute.

How to deposit crypto

To deposit supported crypto into your Gemini account, you need to navigate to the Deposit Page Here and follow the steps below:

1. Select the supported crypto from the dropdown
2. Select a unique deposit address from the dropdown
3. You will then need to instruct your external wallet or service provider that holds custody of your crypto to initiate a withdrawal to this unique Gemini crypto deposit address. This is something that you can only initiate on your end and cannot be done by Gemini.

How to withdraw crypto

To transfer your crypto to an external wallet or exchange, you need to navigate to the Withdrawal Page Here and follow the steps below:

1. Select the currency from the dropdown
2. Select the destination address (this is provided by your external wallet or exchange)
3. Input the amount (please be aware of common withdrawal holds)
4. After reviewing the transfer details, select Request Withdrawal

If you are using the Authy app for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), the withdrawal can only proceed if you approve the transaction on your Authy app within 4 minutes of requesting the withdrawal.

If you receive Two-Factor Authentication codes via SMS, you will receive a text message with your 2FA code to approve the transaction. 

Exchange fees & supported payments

Fees are slightly high compared to other exchanges.  For mobile and web app users, Gemini charges a flat 0.5% above the current trading price (which Gemini calls its “convenience fee”). 

On top of that, it charges a transaction fee, based on the amount traded: a tiered flat fee of up to $200; orders above $200 are charged 1.49%.

WEB ORDER AMOUNT – USD	TRANSACTION FEE – USD
≤ $10.00	$0.99
> $10.00 but ≤ $25.00	$1.49
> $25.00 but ≤ $50.00	$1.99
> $50.00 but ≤ $200.00	$2.99
> $200.00	1.49% of your Web Order value

For high volume traders the trading fees are different on the ActiveTrader Platform & is listed below.

30-DAY TRADING VOLUME IN (USD NOTIONAL)	TAKER FEE	MAKER FEE
0	0.40%	0.20%
≥ $10,000	0.30%	0.10%
≥ $50,000	0.25%	0.10%
≥ $100,000	0.20%	0.08%
≥ $1,000,000	0.15%	0.05%
≥ $5,000,000	0.10%	0.03%
≥ $10,000,000	0.08%	0.02%
≥ $50,000,000	0.05%	0.00%
≥ $100,000,000	0.04%	0.00%
≥ $500,000,000	0.03%	0.00%

For stable coin trading the maker fee is 0.00% & Taker fee is 0.01%

Deposit Fees

There are no deposit charges for cryptocurrencies and bank wire transfer. However Debit & Paypal are chargeable.

DEPOSIT FEES	COST
All cryptocurrencies, ACH, Gemini dollar (redemption)	Free
Wire Transfer	Free
Debit Card Transfer	3.49% of total purchase amount
PayPal	2.50% of total deposit amount

Mobile Apps

Gemini Mobile App allows you to buy, sell and stake cryptos. The best part is that you can earn in cryptos as cash back every time you purchase with Gemini Card. Moreover, the fees on purchase are slightly high on the mobile app

Referrals

Gemini offers a referral program where when the referee completes a trade of 100$ in the first 30 days, the referrer can get $10 in bitcoin. 

Gemini Affiliate Program – If you are a content creator, influencer, or crypto world leader, you can tie up with Gemini and earn a commission for every new active user you bring into the system. 

All you need to do is simply follow the steps mentioned below

• Step 1 – Apply for the affiliate program
• Step 2 – Gemini will review your application and once approved, you’ll receive a unique referral link to provide to your audience.
• Step 3 – Begin promoting through your custom link in articles, social media, ads, and other forms of content, and earn commission on every new active customer.

Customer Support

Gemini has a help section where customers can find solutions to their queries. It is basically articles on various topics and FAQs. In addition to that Gemini has a Chat support section but it is a Chatbot chat box where the bot finds answers to queries. For further help, you can raise an email ticket to the support team here

Recent Updates

10 May 2023 – The meme coin – Pepe has been listed on Gemini

01 May 2023 – Genesis, DCG, UCC, Creditor Committee, and Gemini will enter a 30-day mediation process to reach a final resolution as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Gemini is an NYDFS (New York State Department for Financial Services) licensed cryptocurrency exchange whose top priority is digital asset security and consumer protection. Gemini is licensed in New York as a Trust Company. It is regulated under New York Banking Law, by the New York State Department of Financial Services. They are a fully secured platform.

They have over 70 digital assets and offer spot training as their main trading line. However, the transaction and other fees associated with it are higher compared to other platforms. They have special products for institutional-grade investors. 

Gemini is best for

• Cryptocurrency traders.
• Peer-to-peer trading.
• Crypto-to-crypto trading.

If you are looking for long-term investment purposes with world-class security features, Gemini is a good option. But if you are a short-term trader you need to look for other options. 

FAQs