Context and Chronology

Gate announced that its Malta entity, Gate Technology, has been granted a Payment Institution license under PSD2 by the Malta Financial Services Authority. That authorization formally allows the firm to operate regulated payment services from Malta and to use passporting rights to offer those services across EU member states. The move comes after Gate secured a separate EU crypto authorization under MiCA, signaling a strategy to couple fiat rails with tokenized payment flows. Gate’s announcement frames the license as the next step in integrating Web3 functionality with established payment infrastructure.

Under PSD2 permissions, the Malta approval covers account management and the execution of payment transactions, creating legal pathways to accept, move, and disburse fiat alongside regulated stablecoins. The MFSA listing clarifies that the authorization reaches beyond custody and exchange activities to include regulated account and transaction features. Practically, the licence enables passporting to other EU markets, opening access to the single market’s payment corridor without separate national approvals. Gate did not specify product launch timing or which payment propositions will appear first, leaving the market to infer sequencing from prior product roadmaps.

This development joins a pattern: major exchanges are securing PSD2-style permissions in Malta to underpin payment products and cards, a strategy mirrored recently by OKX. For incumbents that provide euro payment rails, the move compresses time-to-market pressure and raises competitive stakes for banks and payment processors. Gate reports a global user base exceeding 49 million, which provides a ready on‑ramp should payments be rolled into core customer flows, though EU user breakdowns remain undisclosed. In short, the license converts regulatory capability into optional distribution leverage; execution and banking partnerships will determine commercial impact.