Bitstamp review 2026
Operating since 2011, hacked once in 2015 with customers fully reimbursed, now backed by Robinhood — with licensed EU perpetuals.
ExchangeFacts verdict
Bitstamp is one of the oldest crypto exchanges still standing (2011) and has been owned by Robinhood since June 2025. It pairs a MiCA licence via Luxembourg (CSSF) with MiFID II-regulated perpetuals through its Slovenian entity and a clean reliability record. The catch: its 10x leverage offers no professional advantage, there are no real stocks, and the asset range is narrower than at the biggest venues.
Robinhood completed its $200m acquisition of Bitstamp in the first half of 2025. That deal and the other takeovers are on our closed exchanges page.
Best suited for
Overview
Bitstamp is one of the oldest crypto exchanges (2011), owned by Robinhood since June 2025. It is active in the EU with perpetuals via Slovenia (MiFID II) and a strong reliability track record.
Licensing & regulation
- MiCA licence: Luxembourg (CSSF)
- MiFID II: Slovenia (ATVP) — Bitstamp Financial Services
- Payment Institution: Luxembourg
- DNB fine: none
Products
| Product | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Spot crypto | Live | Under MiCA |
| Crypto perpetuals | Live | 13 pairs, USD-settled |
| Real stocks | No | Not offered |
| Prediction markets | No | Not offered |
Perpetuals specifics: 13 pairs (incl. BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, PAXG), USD-settled, 10x leverage for retail and professional alike, 8-hour funding, and a unique 15-minute periodic settlement cycle.
Costs
- Spot maker/taker: 0.30% / 0.40% (entry), decreasing to 0% / 0.03%
- Perpetuals maker/taker: competitive
Entry-tier spot fees are on the high side but scale down with volume; perpetuals pricing is competitive.
Yield & capital efficiency
- Yield on collateral: none
- Cross-collateral: limited to USD/EUR/BTC
- Unified wallet: no
Proof of Reserves
- Public PoR programme: none documented (July 2026)
- Asset segregation: per MiCA requirements
Track record
- Active since 2011: one of the oldest exchanges in the world still in operation.
- MiCAR licence (May 2025): Bitstamp Europe S.A. is licensed by the Luxembourg regulator CSSF as a provider of crypto services and retains that licence after the acquisition as well.
- Part of Robinhood since 2 June 2025: Robinhood announced the acquisition in June 2024 for an expected approximately $200 million and completed it on 2 June 2025.
- No fine from DNB (the Dutch central bank) known: there is no public enforcement measure from the Dutch regulator against Bitstamp.
- Hack of January 2015: according to Bitstamp itself, fewer than 19,000 bitcoin disappeared from the hot wallet, worth approximately $5.1 million at the time. Customers were fully compensated — but in our security pillar a loss of client funds counts, regardless of compensation. At the August 2026 price that same amount would be worth well over a billion dollars.
Reviewed on 10 August 2026 · Sources: Robinhood on the completion ↗ · AMF — white list ↗ · CoinDesk on the 2015 hack ↗
Pros / cons
Pros
- Oldest surviving exchange
- MiCA + MiFID II licensed
- Robinhood backing
- Licensed EU perpetuals
- Clean DNB record
Cons
- No pro-leverage advantage (10x = 10x)
- No real stocks
- No collateral yield
- 15-minute settlement can feel restrictive
- Narrower asset range
- No unified wallet
Score breakdown in detail
Every point is traceable per methodology v1.6 (as of 23 August 2026):
Frequently asked questions
What does 15-min periodic settlement mean?
Positions are settled every 15 minutes instead of continuously — unique to Bitstamp and relevant for some strategies.
Is Bitstamp regulated in the EU?
Yes. Spot falls under MiCA (CSSF Luxembourg) and perpetuals under MiFID II via the Slovenian entity (ATVP).
Does Bitstamp offer perpetuals in the EU?
Yes, thirteen pairs settled in USD, via the Slovenian MiFID II entity.
Who owns Bitstamp?
Since June 2025, Bitstamp has been part of Robinhood, which provides additional financial stability. The exchange has been around since 2011.
Has Bitstamp ever been hacked?
Yes. In January 2015 the hot wallet was emptied: more than 19,000 BTC, worth some $5.1 million at the time. The breach began with a phishing attack on employees. Bitstamp reimbursed all customers, reopened after four days and switched to multisig wallets and cold storage. At the August 2026 exchange rate, those same 19,000 BTC represent more than $1.2 billion.