This Dutch Exchange Debuts First EU-Regulated Crypto Perpetuals, Targets Retail Traders Next
One Trading
has introduced the European Union’s first MiFID II-regulated trading venue for
crypto perpetual futures, initially for institutional investors with plans to
extend access to eligible retail clients in the coming weeks.
One Trading Launches First
EU-Regulated Crypto Perpetual Futures Platform
The
Amsterdam-based firm’s platform, operating under an Organized Trading Facility
(OTF) license from the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets (AFM), offers
BTC/EUR and ETH/EUR perpetual futures trading pairs, marking the first
regulated cash-settled perpetual futures platform in Europe.
“The
launch of our perpetual futures platform is a major milestone in our three-year
journey,” said One Trading CEO Joshua Barraclough. “From the start, our goal has
been to simplify trading by making markets more accessible, transparent, and
cost-effective.”
According
to the company, the platform achieves real-time settlement of derivative
positions 24/7 with sub-1-minute settlement times. The system reportedly
processes over 1 million orders per second with execution latencies under 70
microseconds.
Last year,
One Trading secured funding to expand its offering from SC Ventures, the
investment arm of Standard Chartered. At the same time, it also obtained
regulatory approvals to operate as a cryptocurrency business.
Until June
2023, One Trading operated as Bitpanda Pro, an independent division of the
popular trading platform Bitpanda, tailored to more experienced users. However,
the exchange announced
a rebranding following the successful completion of a €30 million funding round.
Dutch Exchange Debuts
Institutional Trading
One Trading
claims to be the only regulated exchange that integrates derivatives product
creation and trading without external clearing requirements, potentially
reducing costs by eliminating traditional post-trade processes.
Following
an extensive testing phase, several market participants are now active on the
platform providing liquidity. The company plans to announce the expansion to
eligible retail clients in the coming weeks.
Barraclough
added, “Today, we are delivering on that vision with the launch of a fully
regulated, vertically integrated onshore exchange for perpetual futures.
Customers will no longer need to pay vast fees in margin to get access to
leverage, trade CFDs, or need to trade on unregulated offshore venues.”
Thank you, New York! 🇺🇸 Our team had a fantastic time at Digital Asset Summit 2025 connecting with industry leaders, partners, and innovators shaping the future of digital assets. pic.twitter.com/EU3QTpA02u
— One Trading (@OneTradingEU) April 2, 2025
What Are Crypto Perpetual
Futures?
Crypto
perpetual futures combine elements of traditional futures contracts with
unique features tailored for 24/7 cryptocurrency markets.
Unlike
standard futures that expire on a set date, perpetual futures have no
expiration date, allowing traders to hold positions indefinitely. This distinct
characteristic has made them the dominant derivative instrument in
cryptocurrency markets, accounting for billions in daily trading volume.
At their
core, perpetual futures are agreements to buy or sell an asset at a future
date, but with a crucial twist. Since they don’t expire, these contracts use a
funding rate mechanism to ensure the perpetual future price stays closely
aligned with the spot market price.
Two months ago, cryptocurrency exchange Gemini received in-principle approval for an Investment Firm licence from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). Under this licence, the company also plans to soon begin offering crypto perpetual contracts in compliance with MiFID II regulations.
This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.