Deribit is a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange founded in 2016 by brothers John Jansen and Marius Jansen in the Netherlands. The platform launched with a focus on Bitcoin options and futures, a segment then largely ignored by mainstream crypto venues. By the early 2020s, Deribit had grown into the dominant force in crypto options trading globally, consistently handling more than 80–90% of Bitcoin and Ether options open interest by volume.
The exchange is incorporated in Panama but maintains operational ties to the Netherlands, where its founding team is based. Deribit operates as a corporation rather than a traditional venture fund, yet has made a documented set of strategic investments – primarily in infrastructure, DeFi tooling, and trading-adjacent projects that complement its core derivatives business. Public disclosure of deal sizes and specific portfolio companies is limited; Deribit does not publish an annual report or investment thesis document in the way a formal VC would.
In late 2022, Crypto.com announced the acquisition of Deribit for approximately $210 million, one of the largest exchange-to-exchange deals in the industry at the time. The transaction underscored Deribit's position as a premium asset in the derivatives segment. Post-acquisition integration details and any changes to the investment arm's mandate have not been publicly detailed.
Notable investments
Public information about Deribit's specific portfolio investments is limited. The company does not maintain a public-facing venture page or disclose individual deals with the regularity of dedicated crypto funds. According to aggregator data, it holds roughly 10 portfolio positions with 3 lead investments, but the identities of most counterparties have not been confirmed in press releases or regulatory filings. Any listing of specific portfolio companies beyond what Deribit has formally announced would be speculative.
Team
- John Jansen – Co-founder. Background in quantitative trading and software engineering. Served as CEO from founding through the Crypto.com acquisition period.
- Marius Jansen – Co-founder. Worked alongside John on the platform's original trading engine and risk infrastructure.
Post-acquisition leadership structure and any changes to the founding team's roles have not been publicly confirmed as of mid-2026. Deribit's official about page provides current company information.
Recent activity
The most significant recent development for Deribit was its acquisition by Crypto.com in late 2022 – early 2023. Since then, the exchange has continued to expand its options product suite, adding weekly and daily expiry contracts and deepening liquidity on Ether options. Whether the investment portfolio activity has increased, paused, or shifted under new ownership is not documented in public sources.
Deribit's core competitive strength remains its options market depth and the institutional-grade infrastructure it built before most rivals entered the space. Its strategic investments, where disclosed, tend to reflect that focus: tooling that makes options trading more accessible or that deepens on-chain derivatives markets. Investors and builders looking to engage with the Deribit ecosystem can reference Deribit's Crunchbase profile for aggregated deal data, though coverage there is also incomplete.