Bitstamp review

Spot trading is charged at a maker fee of 0.3% and a taker fee of 0.4%, which are the standard published rates. The wider set of exchanges on this site shows a median taker fee of 0.2%, so costs differ across the category.

Bitstamp lists 98 coins for spot trading. Across the exchanges compared here the median is 74.5 and the top quartile sits at 392, so this is a solid list without reaching the largest venues.

The listed permissions are MiCA CASP authorisation (EU), Payment institution (PI) authorisation (EU) and MiFID authorisation (EU), and the CSSF entry carries the reference MiCA CASP 549300XIBGTJ0PLIEO72. These are authorisations, registrations and a licence held by the operating entity rather than one single protection scheme, so read what each one covers before relying on it.

Proof of reserves is published, which is the first thing to check on any custodial venue. That is a transparency statement about balances rather than a guarantee of your own funds, and since custodial and staking lists custodial service, the exchange still holds the keys.

Fiat deposits are available through the methods listed as card, ach and apple pay. Which of those routes are open to you can depend on where you live and how the account is set up, so check the list for your country before sending money and before assuming any rail is available.

Withdrawals by international wire transfer carry a percentage fee with a minimum charge. Bitcoin withdrawals can be free, or take a small percentage depending on the route used, so the cost of moving money off the exchange depends on the coin and the method you pick.

Staking is one of the services listed under custodial and staking, alongside custodial custody, so staking is available on the platform. The listing does not spell out which assets can be staked or the terms attached, so check the current terms before committing funds to a reward rate.

Support runs on chat, email and community only, so a question goes through chat, email or the community rather than a phone line, which is worth knowing before an order or withdrawal query needs a quick answer.

Derivatives are not offered on the exchange, so anyone looking for perpetual futures or options will not find them here. Spot trading is the market, and the comparison site lists derivatives as present on part of the field under 50.9%.