Cryptocurrency options exchange Deribit is considering takeover offers from multiple unnamed parties. Although the company claims to have a total trading volume in excess of $1 trillion, it is seriously considering a sale.
Kraken is said to have considered signing this deal with Deribit, but negotiations did not progress beyond this initial exploration.
Deribit Can Be Acquired
Deribit, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange operating since 2016, is considering acquisition offers. According to one reportKraken considered acquiring Deribit for between $4 billion and $5 billion but did not commit to this prospect.
Since then, no major investor has publicly announced their intentions, but the company hinted at ongoing interest.
“In short, Deribit is not for sale yet. Over time, we have received interest in strategic investments from various parties, which we will not disclose,” the company said in a statement.
Although the company is considering an acquisition deal, Deribit remains one of the largest options exchanges. The company’s trading data is a key indicator of market trends, even in 2025. The company also claims that its total trading volume has almost doubled in the last year.
However, Deribit has encountered many problems, despite having sustainable revenue streams. For example, the Dutch company exited the EU market in 2020 due to regulatory issues, moving to Panama before moving on to Dubai in 2023.
Additionally, the company’s plans to offer attractive new cryptocurrency options failed due to low volatility in these products. New derivative products like Bitcoin ETF options are seeing large capital inflows, representing a change in market dynamics.
“A value of $4 billion to $5 billion is no joke, especially when you consider the $1.2 trillion in volume it controls. With the Trump administration bringing crypto-friendly benefits and increased M&A deals, this could be the perfect time for Deribit to make a big move,” Mario Nawfal write on X (formerly Twitter).
In this market environment, Deribit is not the only options exchange considering a repurchase agreement. Two weeks ago, FalconX planned to acquire Arbelos Markets after a very profitable quarter. FalconX’s CEO predicts there will be a wave of consolidation and acquisitions by 2025, and Deribit could be a part of it.
However, any potential deal is still in the early stages. The company did not give any further clues about the future, but it reportedly hired Financial Technology Partners LLC in 2023 to help arrange secondary share sales.
For some reason, Deribit has updated this assignment to include complete acquisition agreements. Their unclear motives remain largely unknown.