Bitaigen Research 
In this article we outline the key steps Gate has taken to enter the EU fiat‑and‑stablecoin business through a Maltese payment licence, analyse the regulatory framework behind the authorisation and its potential impact on the cross‑border payments ecosystem, and help readers understand how compliance positioning is shaping the next phase of market competition.
This is part of a broader EU compliance trend
Across the European Union, bringing stable‑coin payments under a regulated financial system has become a mandatory requirement for crypto‑asset service providers. Under the Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA), any platform that wishes to offer crypto trading in euro‑denominated payment scenarios must first obtain authorisation as a payment institution or an electronic money institution. Recently, several large exchanges have moved ahead with such licences. On 16 February, OKX secured a Maltese payment‑institution licence to support products such as OKX Pay and the OKX Card. Gate’s licence, approved shortly thereafter, represents another significant case, signalling an accelerating pace of compliance in this area.
Payment authorisation expands coverage across the EU
Gate’s Maltese subsidiary, Gate Technology, has successfully obtained a payment‑institution licence from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). The licence, issued under the EU’s Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), provides the legal basis for Gate to deliver payment services throughout the entire European Economic Area. With this licence, Gate can conduct direct debits, credit transfers and other payment transactions in any EU member state, as well as maintain payment accounts for its users.
The MFSA’s public authorisation register shows that Gate Technology is approved to provide all payment services defined by the Financial Institutions Act, including cash deposits and withdrawals and the full suite of operations on payment accounts. Gate’s Chief Executive, Giovanni Quanti, stated that this regulatory recognition enables the company to deliver compliant payment solutions to both institutional and retail clients.
The authorisation is not merely an expansion of payment functionality; it is a strong complement to Gate’s existing EU crypto‑asset licences. On 1 October 2025, Gate obtained a MiCA licence to operate an exchange and custodial service within the EU. Now, with a PSD2 licence in hand, Gate can extend regulated payment services across the whole bloc, expanding its business footprint from traditional digital‑asset trading to a fiat‑and‑stablecoin payment infrastructure.
To date, Gate has disclosed that its global active user base exceeds 49 million, but it has not broken down the composition of users in the EU. The company has also not announced which payment products will be launched first, nor the exact timeline for rolling out services to the European market. Cointelegraph has reached out to Gate for further details, but as of the time of publication no response had been received.
Strategic significance behind the licence
Securing a Maltese payment‑institution licence adds another regulatory layer to Gate’s existing crypto‑licence portfolio. By combining traditional payment infrastructure with Web 3 services, Gate’s European strategy aims to enable tighter two‑way flow between fiat currency and crypto assets. The MFSA’s list further confirms that the approved scope goes beyond crypto‑custody and exchange functions to include regulated account management and transaction execution, providing institutional assurance for Gate to offer end‑to‑end payment services throughout the EU.
Overall, the simultaneous moves by Gate and other exchanges to acquire payment licences reflect the EU’s gradual construction of a regulatory environment that accommodates both conventional finance and digital assets. As more platforms complete similar compliance steps, the EU’s fiat‑stablecoin payment ecosystem is likely to enjoy a broader horizon for growth.
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