If you’re looking for a reliable exchange to buy, sell, or trade cryptocurrency, Bitstamp deserves a spot on your shortlist. Founded in 2011, it is one of the oldest exchanges still in operation — and as of June 2025, it’s now owned by Robinhood Markets following a $200 million acquisition.
That ownership change is a big deal. It brings institutional-grade infrastructure, over 50 global crypto licenses, and the backing of a publicly traded US company. For European users especially, Bitstamp remains one of the best fiat on-ramps in the market, with support for EUR, USD, and GBP deposits via SEPA, bank transfer, cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal.
In this review, I cover everything you need to know about Bitstamp in 2026 — from the Robinhood acquisition to supported coins, fees, staking, security, and more.
The Robinhood Acquisition: What Changed?
The biggest development in Bitstamp’s 14-year history is the Robinhood acquisition. First announced in June 2024, the deal closed on June 2, 2025, for $200 million.
Here’s what it means in practice:
- Bitstamp continues to operate under its own brand, now styled as “Bitstamp by Robinhood.” The exchange retains its European headquarters in Luxembourg and its existing user base across the EU, UK, US, and Asia.
- 50+ global crypto licenses came along with the deal, giving Robinhood a regulatory footprint it didn’t have before.
- Robinhood Ledger, the company’s institutional web platform, now uses Bitstamp for smart order routing. This means Bitstamp’s liquidity pools are being tapped for institutional trades routed through Robinhood’s systems.
- New services including staking, lending, and crypto-as-a-service capabilities are being built on Bitstamp’s infrastructure.
- MiCA compliance: In May 2025, Bitstamp secured its Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation from Luxembourg’s CSSF. This allows the exchange to passport its services across the entire European Economic Area.
For everyday users, the experience hasn’t changed dramatically. You still log in to Bitstamp, trade on Bitstamp, and withdraw from Bitstamp. But behind the scenes, the exchange now has significantly more financial and regulatory backing than it did as an independent operation.
What Cryptocurrencies Does Bitstamp Support?
This is one area where Bitstamp has improved massively since its earlier days. The exchange used to offer a very limited selection of around 10 coins. Today, Bitstamp lists over 100 cryptocurrencies across roughly 230 trading pairs.
The selection includes major assets like:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Solana (SOL)
- XRP
- Cardano (ADA)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Uniswap (UNI)
- Aave (AAVE)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
You’ll also find DeFi tokens, gaming tokens like SAND, GALA, and MANA, and a solid range of stablecoins including USDT, USDC, DAI, and PYUSD.
Most assets can be traded against USD, EUR, and GBP, and there’s a healthy selection of crypto-to-crypto pairs as well. While this still doesn’t match the sheer volume of listings on exchanges like Binance, Bitstamp takes a more curated approach — focusing on established projects rather than listing every new token that appears.
Bitstamp Fees
The fee structure at Bitstamp changed significantly under Robinhood’s ownership. The exchange now uses a maker-taker model, which is standard across most major exchanges.
Trading Fees (Advanced Trading)
Fees are based on your 30-day trading volume:
- Under $10,000: 0.30% maker / 0.40% taker
- $10,000 – $5,000,000: Fees decrease progressively
- $5,000,000+: 0.03% maker / 0.12% taker
- $1,000,000,000+: 0.00% maker / 0.03% taker
This is a big improvement over the old flat 0.50% commission the exchange used to charge. The entry-level taker fee of 0.40% is still higher than what you’ll find at Binance (0.10%), but it’s more competitive than it used to be, and the maker fee of 0.30% is reasonable.
One useful detail: trading volume in fiat and stablecoin pairs is weighted at 20%, which effectively means up to 80% lower fees on those pairs.
Simple Buy/Sell
If you use Bitstamp’s simple buy/sell interface (rather than the advanced trading platform), fees are baked into the spread. When funding via card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal, there’s an additional 4% instant service fee. This is expensive, but it’s the price of convenience.
Deposit and Withdrawal Fees
Fiat deposit fees depend on the method:
- SEPA bank transfer: Free
- ACH (US): Free
- UK Faster Payments: Free
- Card / Apple Pay / Google Pay / PayPal: 4% instant service fee
Withdrawal fees:
- SEPA: 3 EUR
- UK Faster Payments: 2 GBP
- ACH: Free
- International wire: 0.1% (minimum 25 USD/EUR/GBP)
- Crypto withdrawals: Network fees only (e.g., BTC 0.0005 BTC, ETH 0.03 ETH)
The free SEPA and ACH deposits make Bitstamp a good option for European and US users who are happy to use bank transfers. The card and mobile payment fees are steep, but that’s true across virtually every exchange.
Bitstamp Earn: Staking
A relatively new addition to Bitstamp is its Earn program, which lets you stake certain cryptocurrencies and earn passive rewards.
Currently, staking is available for:
- Ethereum (ETH): Up to 3.1% APY, rewards distributed monthly
- Cardano (ADA): Around 1% APY, rewards distributed weekly
Bitstamp charges a 15% commission on staking rewards. There are no platform lockups — you can unstake at any time, with withdrawals following normal network settlement times.
It’s worth noting that staking is not available to residents of the US, Canada, Japan, or Singapore. For European users, however, this is a nice way to put idle crypto to work without moving it off the exchange.
Bitstamp Trading Platform
The Bitstamp trading platform is geared more toward experienced traders, though the simple buy/sell interface works fine for beginners who just want to purchase crypto quickly.
Order Types
The advanced trading platform supports a full range of order types:
- Market orders for instant execution at current price
- Limit orders for setting your entry or exit price
- Stop-loss orders for managing downside risk
- Trailing stop-loss orders that adjust automatically as the price moves in your favor
The trailing stop-loss is particularly useful. Say you’re up 10% on a BTC/EUR trade — you can set a trailing stop at 2%. If the price keeps rising, the stop adjusts upward. The position only closes if it makes a continuous 2% decline.
Technical Analysis
Bitstamp’s charting tools are powered by TradingView, which means you get access to a wide range of technical indicators including MACD, moving averages, RSI, and more. You also get advanced chart drawing tools for trend lines, Fibonacci retracements, and other analysis methods.
If you’re a beginner, this might feel overwhelming. The simple buy/sell interface is the better starting point. But for active traders, the charting capabilities are solid and on par with what you’d find at other major exchanges.
Is Bitstamp Safe?
Security is where the Robinhood acquisition really adds value.
It’s worth acknowledging Bitstamp’s history first: in 2015, the exchange suffered a major hack that resulted in the theft of more than 19,000 Bitcoin — worth hundreds of millions of dollars at today’s prices. That was a painful event, but Bitstamp covered the losses and has since significantly upgraded its security infrastructure.
Here’s what Bitstamp offers today:
- Regulated in multiple jurisdictions: Bitstamp holds a MiCA CASP license in Luxembourg (granted May 2025), plus over 50 additional licenses globally through the Robinhood relationship.
- Cold storage: The vast majority of client assets are stored offline.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA): Standard security for all accounts.
- Address whitelisting: Restrict crypto withdrawals to pre-approved wallet addresses only.
- Publicly traded parent company: Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) is subject to SEC reporting requirements, which adds a layer of financial transparency that independent exchanges don’t have.
No exchange is 100% safe — that’s a fundamental truth of keeping crypto on any centralized platform. But Bitstamp’s regulatory standing and corporate backing put it in a stronger position than most.
Bitstamp App
The Bitstamp mobile app is available on both iOS and Android and provides full access to the platform’s features, including trading, staking, deposits, and withdrawals.
The app supports biometric login (fingerprint and face ID), push notifications for price alerts and transactions, and the ability to place orders on the go. It also functions as a basic crypto wallet for managing your holdings.
App ratings remain strong, and the overall experience is clean and responsive.
Customer Support
Bitstamp offers 24/7 customer support through multiple channels:
- Email: [email protected] for support inquiries, [email protected] for formal complaints
- Phone: +1 (646) 568-9784 (US), +44 20 3868 9628 (UK), +352 20 88 10 96 (Luxembourg/International)
Having phone support is a genuine differentiator. Many crypto exchanges only offer email or ticket-based support, which can mean waiting days for a response. Being able to call someone directly is valuable, especially when dealing with time-sensitive account issues.
How to Get Started With Bitstamp
Step 1: Open a Bitstamp Account
Head to the Bitstamp website or download the app. Click “Register” and select “Personal Account” (unless you’re opening a corporate account). You’ll need to provide your name, email address, and agree to the terms and conditions.
Step 2: Verify Your Identity (KYC)
Like all regulated exchanges, Bitstamp requires identity verification before you can deposit or trade. You’ll need to upload:
- A government-issued ID (passport, driver’s license, or national identity card)
- Proof of residence (utility bill or bank statement)
Verification times vary depending on demand, but in my experience, Bitstamp’s process is relatively straightforward.
Step 3: Deposit Funds
Once verified, deposit funds using any of the supported methods:
- SEPA bank transfer (free, recommended for EU users)
- ACH transfer (free, recommended for US users)
- UK Faster Payments (free)
- Debit or credit card (4% fee)
- Apple Pay / Google Pay (4% fee)
- PayPal (4% fee, up to $2,500)
- Cryptocurrency transfer (network fees only)
Step 4: Start Trading
With funds in your account, you can buy crypto through the simple buy/sell interface or switch to the advanced trading platform for more control over your orders. At a minimum, you’ll want to set up limit orders rather than market orders to get better pricing.
Bitstamp Review: The Verdict
Bitstamp has been around since 2011, making it one of the longest-running cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. The Robinhood acquisition in 2025 brought institutional backing, over 50 global licenses, MiCA compliance in the EU, and smart order routing infrastructure that benefits both retail and institutional users.
The exchange now supports over 100 cryptocurrencies (up from just 10 a few years ago), offers staking through its Earn program, and has modernized its fee structure with a competitive maker-taker model starting at 0.30%/0.40%.
Where Bitstamp really shines is as a fiat on-ramp for European users. Free SEPA deposits, EUR/GBP/USD trading pairs, strong regulatory standing, and phone-based customer support make it a solid choice for anyone who values compliance and reliability over having access to thousands of obscure altcoins.
The main drawbacks? Fees are still higher than Binance at the entry level, the staking selection is very limited (just ETH and ADA), and the card/mobile payment fee of 4% is expensive. If you want the widest possible coin selection or the absolute lowest fees, look elsewhere.
But if you want a well-regulated, European-friendly exchange backed by a publicly traded company — and you’re willing to use bank transfers to avoid the card fees — Bitstamp is one of the strongest options available in 2026.
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