Reviews / Exchanges

Bitstamp Review: Features, Fees, Safety And Where It's Available

By Tom BlakePublished May 20, 2022 · Updated Nov 10, 2026 · 7 min read
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Bitstamp, the crypto exchange founded in 2011, is now owned by Robinhood and operates as "Bitstamp by Robinhood." It still serves the UK, the EU and many other countries, but starting Feb. 1, 2027, US customers won't be able to deposit, buy or open new positions, and Robinhood is asking them to move to the Robinhood app. Bitstamp scores 4.0 out of 5 on the Cult of Money Exchange Score, with a perfect safety subscore.

Avg. Cost On A $1,000 BuyAbout $3.94 (BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP)
US AvailabilityAvailable in most US states
Safety Record5.0 out of 5

Quick Take

  • Cost: buying $1,000 of bitcoin on Bitstamp cost about $3.93 in our Nov. 1, 2026 snapshot. That's less than half the cost on Kraken or Coinbase.
  • Safety: Bitstamp's only major incident was a 2015 hack of about 19,000 BTC, which it covered in full. We have no regulatory penalties against it on our tracker.
  • US readers: don't open a new Bitstamp account. Bitstamp's US service is winding down, and Robinhood offers free one-time transfers.

Bitstamp At A Glance

Bitstamp
Company Bitstamp by Robinhood, owned by Robinhood Markets
Founded 2011
Available In UK, EU and many other countries. US: winding down
US Cutoff No deposits, buys or new positions from Feb. 1, 2027
Lowest Taker Fee 0.40%
Measured Cost To Buy $1,000 Of BTC 0.393% ($3.93)
Major Hack About 19,000 BTC in January 2015, customers made whole
Regulatory Penalties On Our Tracker None

What Changed: Robinhood Owns Bitstamp

Robinhood agreed to buy Bitstamp in June 2024 and closed the deal on June 2, 2025. The exchange now runs as Bitstamp by Robinhood, and Robinhood says it holds more than 50 licenses and registrations worldwide. Outside the US, it still operates under its own licenses and brand.

In the US, Robinhood is folding Bitstamp's customers into Robinhood Crypto. According to Robinhood's transfer page, starting Feb. 1, 2027 US customers can't deposit, buy or open new positions in a Bitstamp by Robinhood account. They can still view, sell and withdraw.

US customers can move everything to Robinhood in one transfer from the Bitstamp app. Robinhood says the transfer has no fee, covers all eligible dollars and supported crypto together, and usually finishes in under five minutes. You need to pass Robinhood's own identity checks, so make sure your name, address and bank details match.

What It Costs To Buy Crypto On Bitstamp

Buying $1,000 of bitcoin on Bitstamp cost 0.393%, or about $3.93, in our Nov. 1, 2026 snapshot. That's the best asking price plus the 0.40% entry-tier taker fee, compared with the Cult of Money Price at the same minute.

Coin Cost To Buy $1,000 On Bitstamp Cheapest Measured Exchange
Bitcoin (BTC) 0.393% ($3.93) Binance.US, 0.068% ($0.68)
Ethereum (ETH) 0.387% ($3.87) Binance.US, 0.057% ($0.57)
XRP 0.402% ($4.02) Binance.US, 0.075% ($0.75)
Solana (SOL) 0.395% ($3.95) Binance.US, 0.077% ($0.77)

Outside the US, Crypto.com was the only measured exchange that cost less. Bitstamp's spreads were among the tightest in the snapshot, often 0.1 basis points or less, so most of the cost is the trading fee itself. Fees drop as your 30-day volume rises. Deposit and withdrawal fees depend on your region and payment method, so check Bitstamp's fee schedule before you fund an account.

Where Bitstamp Is Available

Region Status
United States Winding down: no deposits, buys or new positions from Feb. 1, 2027
United Kingdom Available
European Union Available, licensed under MiCA through Bitstamp Europe in Luxembourg since May 2025
Other Other countries in Europe and Asia, with a restricted list in Bitstamp's terms

Canadian and Australian readers should check Bitstamp's site before signing up, because we couldn't confirm that it accepts new customers in either country.

US readers who want a low-cost exchange can compare Crypto.com, Binance.US and OKX US.

Is Bitstamp Safe?

Bitstamp's safety subscore is a perfect 5.0 out of 5. Its one major event is more than a decade old and was fully covered.

On Jan. 5, 2015, attackers who had phished Bitstamp staff took just under 19,000 BTC, worth about $5.2 million at the time, from its hot wallet. Bitstamp suspended trading, covered the loss from its reserves, most of which sat in cold storage, and honored every customer balance when it reopened on Jan. 9, 2015, according to our crypto hacks tracker. Events older than a decade carry very little weight in our score.

We have no fines or settlements against Bitstamp in our crypto fines and penalties tracker.

Its reserves subscore is lower, at 2.0 out of 5. Robinhood is a public company that files audited financials, but we didn't find a separate proof-of-reserves report from Bitstamp.

What Bitstamp Offers

  • Spot trading: a focused list of major coins, with tight spreads.
  • Bitstamp app and web platform: simple buys plus a full order book.
  • Staking: rewards on coins such as Ethereum, where offered. See how staking works.
  • Institutional services: liquidity and custody for businesses, which make up much of Bitstamp's volume.

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • Perfect safety subscore, with no penalties on our tracker
  • Low measured cost and very tight spreads
  • One of the oldest exchanges still operating
  • Backed by a public company, Robinhood

Cons

  • US service is winding down, with the cutoff on Feb. 1, 2027
  • Smaller coin list than Kraken or OKX
  • No separate proof-of-reserves report that we could find
  • Entry-tier fee is higher than Crypto.com or OKX

Who Bitstamp Is Best For

Bitstamp fits UK and EU buyers who want a long-running exchange with a clean record and low costs on major coins. It isn't a fit for new US customers, or for anyone who wants hundreds of small tokens.

Cult Of Money Exchange Score

Part (Weight) Bitstamp Score Out Of 5
Overall 4.0
Measured Cost To Buy (25%) 4.5
Safety And Legal Record (25%) 5.0
Reserves And Transparency (15%) 2.0
Reliability (10%) 4.0
Withdrawals (10%) 4.0
Coin Selection And Availability (10%) 3.0
Ease Of Use (5%) 4.0

Scores use the Cult of Money Exchange Score method. They're provisional: cost comes from a single Nov. 1, 2026 snapshot, and reserves, withdrawals, availability and ease of use are editor estimates until our monthly checks run. The availability part was cut for the US wind-down.

We took Bitstamp out of our best crypto exchanges ranking on Nov. 10, 2026, because US customers can't deposit or buy after Feb. 1, 2027 and European retail accounts now run through the Robinhood app. The score above stays here for reference.

Open a Bitstamp account (for readers in the UK, EU and other non-US markets)

Bitstamp Alternatives

Exchange Score Cost To Buy $1,000 Of BTC Available In
Kraken 4.0 0.801% ($8.01) US (not New York or Maine), UK, EU, Canada, Australia
Crypto.com 3.8 0.522% ($5.22) US (not New York), UK, EU, Canada, Australia
Binance.US 3.6 0.068% ($0.68) US only, not every state
OKX 3.6 0.108% ($1.08) on global OKX, about 0.358% ($3.58) on OKX US UK, EU, Australia, Global. US as OKX US (3.4)
Coinbase 3.5 0.883% ($8.83) US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia

US readers can also open a Binance.US account. Compare more in our best crypto exchanges ranking.

What To Watch Out For

  • The US deadline: after Feb. 1, 2027, US accounts are sell-and-withdraw only. Transfer or withdraw before then.
  • Robinhood eligibility: a transfer invitation doesn't guarantee a Robinhood account. Update your details first.
  • Card purchases: cost more than bank deposits plus a trade.
  • No deposit insurance on crypto: keep long-term coins in a wallet you control.

FAQ

Is Bitstamp Still Available In The US?

Only until Feb. 1, 2027, and Robinhood is moving US customers to its own app. From that date, US customers can't deposit, buy or open new positions, but they can still sell and withdraw. Robinhood offers a free one-time transfer.

Who Owns Bitstamp?

Robinhood Markets owns Bitstamp, which now operates as Bitstamp by Robinhood. Robinhood agreed to buy the exchange in June 2024 and completed the purchase on June 2, 2025.

Is Bitstamp Safe?

Bitstamp has a perfect 5.0 safety subscore. Its only major hack, in January 2015, was covered in full, and we have no regulatory penalties against it on our tracker.

What Are Bitstamp's Fees?

Bitstamp's entry-tier taker fee is 0.40%. In our Nov. 1, 2026 snapshot, buying $1,000 of bitcoin on Bitstamp cost about $3.93 in total.

Can UK And EU Customers Keep Using Bitstamp?

Yes. The wind-down announced by Robinhood applies to US customers. Bitstamp continues to serve the UK, the EU and other markets.

Sources (8)