GRVT snags license to become world’s first regulated DEX
GRVT, a hybrid cryptocurrency exchange platform that bases its operations in Singapore, has secured a trading license in Bermuda which the project claims, makes it the first regulated decentralized exchange (DEX).
In a press release published on the project’s behalf by PR Newswire on Dec. 6, the project, which aspires to be “Goldman Sachs on blockchain,” announced the acquisition of a Class M Digital Asset Business License from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA).
Aiming for further licensing
The license puts the firm on a path to operate as a fully regulated DEX. Securing this Class M license isn’t the end of the project’s regulatory compliant endeavors, however. Class M confers a “modified” exchange license under the Bermuda Digital Asset Business Act (DABA).
Class M covers pre-operational activities while the service remains within a sandbox environment. The company hopes to have acquired Class F or “Full” licensing designation by mid-2025. At that point, GRVT will be in a position to take its service from a sandbox environment to full launch of its institutional-grade perps DEX in a regulatory compliant manner.
On X GRVT suggested that this licensing is pivotal in the movement of decentralized finance (DeFi) towards mainstream adoption. “With this milestone, DeFi evolves - safer for users and institutions alike,” the project wrote.
Hybrid approach
As a hybrid DEX, GRVT combines the decentralization of DeFi with the structure and compliance required for the participation of institutional investors. Commenting on this latest development, GRVT CEO Hong Yea stated:
”We've always believed compliance should be the foundation for crypto and DeFi, not an afterthought. Without it, earning institutional trust—and bringing revolutionary technologies to the mainstream—becomes nearly impossible."
Yea told Cointelegraph that in two weeks time, the project will officially launch its mainnet to all users. “Our trading volume will then be available through major external data providers,” he added.
In preparation for that mainnet launch, the project announced in September that it had partnered with 16 market makers including Galaxy Trading, Amber Group, QCP and others, in order to ensure that the platform has sufficient liquidity in place to enable a smooth launch.
Users have been testing the platform following its Open Beta Testnet launch in August.
The GRVT CEO believes that the project can “unify cryptocurrency and mainstream finance, creating a system where assets move freely and all forms of value coexist in one integrated ecosystem.”
A regulated yet decentralized offering
Referring to the two main components baked into the GRVT offering, he said that “decentralization distributes control away from central authorities, promoting transparency, security, and user empowerment.” Meanwhile, “regulation establishes standards to protect users, ensure market integrity and promote fair practices.”
In successfully pursuing licensing in Bermuda, GRVT joins a list of more than 30 firms in the digital assets sector who have obtained licensing in the British overseas territory. In October global cryptocurrency exchange platform Kraken launched a Bermuda-based derivatives trading business having obtained licensing from the BMA.
USDM stablecoin issuer Mountain Protocol received a Class F license from the BMA in July. Other entities successfully licensed by the BMA include Coinbase, HashKey, Circle, Bittrex and Zero Hash.
