Genesis
Genesis Global Trading was a New York-based institutional digital asset trading firm founded in 2013, providing qualified institutional investors with OTC spot, derivatives, and (historically) lending services; it filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2023 and is no longer an active business.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Genesis does
Genesis Global Trading, Inc. was a New York-headquartered institutional digital asset financial services firm founded in 2013, providing qualified institutional investors and accredited individuals with a single access point for spot trading, OTC derivatives (notably Bitcoin and Ethereum options), and historically, crypto-collateralized lending. Core products spanned bilateral OTC spot and derivatives execution, an institutional Prime Platform, and a recurring research offering comprising weekly Desk Commentaries and quarterly market reports covering crypto volatility surfaces and derivatives strategy. Technology was anchored by an OTC derivatives trading platform with bespoke RFQ-based pricing and a tri-party custodial collaboration with BitGo Trust that integrated qualified custody, cold storage, MPC wallet technology, SOC 1/2 Type 2 certifications, and $250M insurance for collateral management.
The firm operated a multi-jurisdictional corporate footprint across the US (Delaware-incorporated, NYDFS Virtual Currency Licensee, FINRA/SEC broker-dealer registration), the UK (FCA-registered Genesis Custody Limited), Singapore (Genesis Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.), and the British Virgin Islands (GGC International Limited). GTM was exclusively enterprise field sales: a dedicated Americas sales function led by a Head of Americas Sales, supported by a Managing Director of Trading and Sales, with no retail channel or public pricing.
Following the 2022 collapse of the crypto lending sector, Genesis entities filed voluntary Chapter 11 cases on January 19, 2023, and the company's website now states that Genesis Global Trading, Inc. is no longer an active business. The firm subsequently reached a $21M settlement with the SEC related to the Gemini Earn program and crypto lending activities. Pre-bankruptcy, Genesis had reached significant scale — over $3.5B in unsecured loans at peak, a partner processing ~20% of global Bitcoin transactions (BitGo), and a research archive spanning 2018–2023 — but is not currently an operating business.
Genesis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Genesis
- Legal name
- Genesis Global Trading, Inc.
- Website
- https://genesistrading.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Genesis Global Trading was a New York-based institutional digital asset trading firm founded in 2013, providing qualified institutional investors with OTC spot, derivatives, and (historically) lending services; it filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2023 and is no longer an active business.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Genesis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Institutional Digital Asset Trading
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Commodity Contracts Intermediation (52316)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Institutional Spot Exchanges & Broker-Dealers (FSADAAAC)
Keywords
Where Genesis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Genesis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- OTC Derivatives Trading: Genesis operates as a principal trading firm and OTC market maker in digital assets, generating revenue through bid-offer spreads on spot and derivatives transactions. The firm provides liquidity and execution services to institutional clients trading crypto assets including Bitcoin and Ethereum options.
- Crypto Lending (Historical): Prior to its 2022 collapse, Genesis operated a major crypto lending business providing collateralized loans to institutional borrowers, generating interest income from crypto-collateralized loans. The platform reached $3.5B+ in unsecured loans before its bankruptcy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Institutional OTC - Quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Genesis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Genesis Global Trading is an institutional digital asset trading firm providing bilateral OTC spot and derivatives execution services to qualified institutional investors globally. The firm operates as a principal market maker in crypto assets including Bitcoin and Ethereum options, with revenue generated through bid-offer spreads on transactions and a prime platform offering integrated access to trading liquidity alongside market intelligence.
Product overview
Genesis is an institutional digital asset financial services firm providing a single access point for qualified institutional investors. The platform offers spot trading services for digital assets and derivatives services including options trading, combined with market insights and quarterly reports for institutional clients. Services are accessible through the Prime Platform portal. A tri-party custodial collaboration with BitGo enables institutional clients to securely manage collateral when trading derivatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Spot Trading Services Institutional spot trading services for digital assets, providing liquidity and execution for buying and selling cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Targeted at qualified institutional investors and accredited individuals under regulatory compliance frameworks.
- Derivatives Services Institutional OTC derivatives trading including options and other crypto derivatives products, providing market access and pricing for digital asset derivatives. Bilateral OTC execution with bespoke pricing through RFQ process for institutional counterparties, including options on Bitcoin and Ethereum.
- Prime Platform Institutional access portal for Genesis trading services, providing a single access point for qualified institutional investors to access spot and derivatives trading with integrated custody solutions through the BitGo partnership.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24-hour Bitcoin options trading volumes on partner exchanges exceeded $2.4 billion during peak volatility periods in March 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Genesis
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Genesis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Genesis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- LEASETEQminorLEASETEQ partnered with Genesis to deliver a fully digital car leasing process in Switzerland. This partnership involves a Zurich-based Swiss fintech company integrating Genesis services for digital car leasing solutions.
- BitGocoreGenesis collaborated with BitGo Trust, the leader in digital asset custody, to provide a tri-party custodial solution for institutional clients. This partnership allows Genesis clients to post Independent Amounts and Variation Margin to tri-party accounts at BitGo Trust Company with transparency and security. BitGo provides qualified custody, cold storage, bankruptcy-remote structure, multi-signature and MPC wallet technology, SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications, and $250M insurance policy.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Genesis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Galaxy Digital: Galaxy Digital is a diversified institutional digital asset financial services firm offering trading, asset management, and principal investments. It is the closest direct competitor to Genesis in institutional crypto trading and was founded/operates around the same 2018-era vintage.
- Cumberland (DRW Trading): Cumberland is the digital asset trading arm of DRW, one of the largest institutional crypto OTC market makers globally. It directly competes with Genesis in providing institutional OTC spot and derivatives liquidity.
- B2C2: B2C2 is a leading institutional crypto OTC liquidity provider, now part of the Japanese SBI Group. It competes head-to-head with Genesis in providing OTC derivatives and spot liquidity to institutional counterparties.
- Wintermute: Wintermute is a global algorithmic trading firm and OTC market maker in digital assets. It directly competes with Genesis in OTC crypto execution and liquidity provision for institutional clients.
- Circle Trade: Circle Trade is the OTC trading desk of Circle (USDC issuer), offering institutional OTC liquidity across digital assets. It directly competes with Genesis in institutional OTC trading services.
- FalconX: FalconX is an institutional digital asset brokerage offering trading, credit, and prime services to crypto funds, hedge funds, and corporates. It directly competes with Genesis in institutional OTC execution and credit intermediation.
- Amber Group: Amber Group is a global digital asset platform providing institutional liquidity, trading, and yield products. It directly competed with Genesis in serving institutional crypto traders with OTC execution and derivatives.
- Flow Traders: Flow Traders is a global liquidity provider that expanded into crypto ETF and digital asset market making. It is a direct peer in the institutional crypto liquidity provision space.
- Hidden Road Partners: Hidden Road is an institutional prime brokerage for digital assets offering credit, clearing, and execution services. It competes with Genesis in serving institutional counterparties needing credit intermediation and execution.
Broad incumbents
- Coinbase Institutional: Coinbase Institutional is the institutional arm of Coinbase, offering prime brokerage, custody, and OTC trading. As a much larger and broader incumbent, it overlaps with Genesis's institutional OTC and prime services but serves a wider customer base including retail.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Genesis social profiles
Digital presenceGenesis compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Genesis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Genesis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Genesis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Genesis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments13 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Genesis
What does Genesis do?
Genesis Global Trading is an institutional digital asset trading firm providing bilateral OTC spot and derivatives execution services to qualified institutional investors globally. The firm operates as a principal market maker in crypto assets including Bitcoin and Ethereum options, with revenue generated through bid-offer spreads on transactions and a prime platform offering integrated access to trading liquidity alongside market intelligence.
Is Genesis a public or private company?
Genesis is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently closed.
When was Genesis founded?
Genesis was founded in 2013. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Genesis based?
Genesis is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Genesis make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. OTC Derivatives Trading is the primary driver. The others are crypto Lending (Historical).
Who are Genesis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Galaxy Digital, Cumberland (DRW Trading), B2C2, Wintermute, Circle Trade, FalconX, Amber Group, Flow Traders and Hidden Road Partners. Coinbase Institutional is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Genesis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Genesis.
What industry is Genesis in?
Genesis's product category is Institutional Digital Asset Trading. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAAAC, Institutional Spot Exchanges & Broker-Dealers. Its NAICS code is 5231 and its SIC code is 6200.