An American cryptocurrency exchange company, Gemini, has moved its headquarters from Dublin, Ireland to Malta, due to "a more proactive industrial climate outside Ireland," the Irish Independent has reported.

Founded by US billionaire twins Tyler and Cameron Winkelvoss, a company spokesperson said that Malta will now serve as the company's European HQ, allowing it to continue to grow their European-wide operations.

The corporate switch came less than two years after it chose Ireland as its EU headquarters, at the time praising the Irish regulatory landscape.

Rare for multinational firms, the move has been described as a blow to confidence in Ireland's position as an emerging EU location for financial blockchain and cryptocurrency firms and comes among growing industry unease about delays in regulation there.

The company said it chose Malta due to "its proactive approach to fostering innovation among fintech and digital assets."

"We considered our options and chose the jurisdiction that best supports our growth plans," it said.

Despite this, Gemini said that it is still committed to Ireland and will maintain an office on the ground there, maintaining a good relationship with the regulator there.

It said that the company now views other EU countries as being more "proactive" than Ireland.

Photo: Tyler and Cameron Winkelvoss, founders of Gemini (Irish Independent)