Share this article
Dutch Derivatives Exchange Deribit to Move to Crypto-Friendly Panama
Deribit will operate out of Panama starting Feb. 10, citing the Netherlands’ presumed adoption of “very strict” anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.
Updated May 9, 2023, 3:05 a.m. Published Jan 9, 2020, 8:02 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Deribit is moving to warmer waters, citing regulatory concerns.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Announced Thursday, the Amsterdam-based crypto derivatives exchange will operate out of Panama as DRB Panama Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of current platform Deribit B.V., beginning Feb. 10.
The company claimed the Netherlands’ presumed adoption of “very strict” anti-money laundering (AML) regulations applied to cryptocurrency firms spurred the trans-Atlantic voyage.
“If Deribit falls under these new regulations, this would mean that we have to demand an extensive amount of information from our current and future customers,” the exchange wrote in a blog post.
Rumors concerning Deribit’s position within the Netherlands began in October 2019 following CEO John Jansen’s appearance on the Flippening podcast. Over the winter months, numerous Dutch crypto firms engaged in a back and forth with Dutch regulators over the nation’s self-guided implementation of the EU’s 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD 5).
“We believe that crypto markets should be freely available to most, and the new regulations would put too-high barriers for the majority of traders, both regulatory and cost-wise,” Deribit wrote.
Surprisingly, additional know-your-customer (KYC) regulations were also announced by the exchange Thursday. U.S. customers are still barred from operating on the exchange, which does not process fiat currency.
CoinDesk has reached out for comment and will update this piece as necessary.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Coinbase CEO says Big banks now view crypto as an ‘existential’ threat to their business
Brian Armstrong returns from World Economic Forum with message: traditional finance is taking crypto seriously
What to know:
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said a top executive at one of the world’s 10 largest banks told him crypto is now the bank’s “number one priority” and an “existential” issue.
- At Davos, Armstrong highlighted tokenization of assets and stablecoins as major themes, arguing they could broaden access to investments for billions while threatening to bypass traditional banks.
- He described the Trump administration as the most crypto-forward government globally, backing efforts like the CLARITY Act, and predicted that AI agents will increasingly use stablecoins for payments outside conventional banking rails.
Top Stories
