Introduction
Bitstamp is one of the oldest crypto exchanges in Europe, with licences in Luxembourg and Slovenia. Backpack is younger and charges entry fees that are a quarter of Bitstamp's. Data as at August 2026.
Head to head
| Bitstamp | Backpack | |
|---|---|---|
| Licences | MiCA (CSSF Luxembourg) + MiFID II (ATVP Slovenia) | MiCA (Latvijas Banka) + MiFID II (CySEC 273/15) |
| Entity | Bitstamp Europe S.A. (LU) · Bitstamp Financial Services Ltd (SI) — part of Robinhood since June 2025 | Trek Technologies SIA (LV) · Trek Labs Europe Ltd (CY) |
| Operating since | 2011 | 2023 |
| Spot fees (entry tier, maker/taker) | 0.30% / 0.40% | 0.08% / 0.10% |
| Perpetuals | Yes, flat introductory rate with a maker rebate | Yes — 0.02% / 0.05% entry tier |
| Currencies | EUR and USD | USD pairs only |
| Capital efficiency | Staking, separate from trading | Collateral earns interest while it serves as margin (auto-lend) |
| Proof of reserves | Quarterly | Daily |
| Hack and loss history | No loss of customer funds in the period reviewed | None |
| Enforcement history | 3 decisions, including a French court ruling from 2025 | No enforcement record |
| Exchange score | 5.4 / 10 | 9.0 / 10 |
Costs
Bitstamp starts at 0.30%/0.40% and comes down per volume tier; Backpack starts at 0.08%/0.10%. At retail amounts you therefore pay about four times as much at Bitstamp. On derivatives they are closer together: Bitstamp runs a flat introductory rate there with a maker rebate, but without published volume tiers.
Safety and supervision
Both hold MiCA and MiFID II. Bitstamp does have a history: three enforcement decisions, including a ruling by the Grenoble court of appeal of 26 June 2025. That ruling is instructive — Bitstamp had to compensate a hacked French customer €27,950, not because of a technical failure but purely because it had kept serving customers without French registration. Backpack has no filings at all and publishes daily proof of reserves.
Products
Both offer spot and perpetuals. Backpack also has real equities. Bitstamp is currently not in our comparison tool, but we do keep tracking the rates. There is one difference that no fee table shows and that bites harder than the rate on larger positions: what your collateral does while it is collateral. At Backpack, deposited funds keep earning interest through auto-lend while serving as margin for your positions at the same time — so it counts twice. At most other exchanges collateral sits idle: it covers your position and earns nothing. One caveat belongs with that: lent-out collateral can only be withdrawn while utilisation of the lending pool allows it. Check the numbers with the yield-on-collateral comparison.
How the scores are built
Bitstamp scores 5.4 and Backpack 9.0. The score is the weighted sum of five pillars: regulation and oversight (25%), safety of funds (25%), product range (20%), costs (20%) and yield (10%). The full build-up is set out in the methodology.
Which one for whom?
Bitstamp if euro pairs and a long record of service weigh heavily. Backpack if you steer on costs or want daily proof of reserves.
Frequently asked questions
What is that French ruling against Bitstamp?
On 26 June 2025 the Grenoble court of appeal ruled that Bitstamp was liable for €27,950 towards a hacked customer. Not because security failed — two-factor authentication worked — but because Bitstamp kept serving customers without French registration. Without that breach the customer would never have been there, the court reasoned.
Why is Bitstamp not in the comparison tool?
Bitstamp is temporarily hidden in the comparison tool. We do keep tracking the rates and they are in the table above.
Which is cheaper for spot?
Backpack, by a wide margin: 0.08%/0.10% against 0.30%/0.40% on the entry tier.
What does 'collateral that works twice' mean?
In a unified cross-margin account with auto-lend, your deposited funds keep earning interest in the lending pool while counting as margin for your open positions at the same time. So you earn interest and trade with the same money. The caveat: withdrawal is only possible while utilisation of that lending pool allows it.