Bitstamp Review

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Bottom line:

Bitstamp is a well-designed and popular crypto exchange that excels in spot trading popular cryptocurrencies. While the Bitstamp platform is suitable for beginners and offers an advanced mode for those with more experience, the lack of margin trading and the limited number of supported cryptocurrencies significantly hinder the exchange's performance.

While researching our Bitstamp review, we were impressed with the exchange's overall execution but disappointed by its limited functionality. Although Bitstamp is suitable for spot traders, the lack of advanced features and the disappointing number of supported assets make it challenging to recommend it to frequent traders.

How We Rated Bitstamp

Review Criteria	Hedge With Crypto Rating
Features	3.5 / 5
Supported Fiat and Deposit Methods	3.5 / 5
Supported Crypto & Trading Pairs	3.4 / 5
Trading Fees	4 / 5
Ease of Use	4.5 / 5
Customer support	3.6 / 5
Security Measures	3.9 / 5
Mobile App	4 / 5

Pros Explained

• Simple and intuitive. Bitstamp is very easy to use, making it excellent for beginners aiming to make their first investments. Furthermore, with the inclusion of basic and advanced versions, users can gain access to additional features after gaining some experience.
• No fees for first $1,000 per month. With fee-free trading for the first $1,000 worth of monthly transactions, Bitstamp is phenomenal for low-volume investors.
• Detailed educational resources. Many complex terminologies are used within the crypto exchange, making it confusing for beginners. However, the Bitstamp Learn Center offers an impressive amount of information on a substantial range of topics, making it easy for new investors to expand their knowledge.

Cons Explained

• High debit/credit card fees. Although the card-based purchase options improve accessibility, the 4% fee for each transaction heavily impacts its usability and could catch out unsuspecting investors.
• Limited number of cryptocurrencies. While the range of cryptocurrencies offered by Bitstamp isn't terrible, it's not great. As such, anyone trading lesser-known altcoins should look for another crypto exchange.
• No margin, derivatives, or leverage markets. Bitstamp is a spot-only exchange. Therefore, the platform is unsuitable for traders seeking strategies like scalping, which take advantage of small price movements. Those who want to use leverage must choose a margin exchange instead.

Bitstamp Compared & Alternatives

A simple platform with access to advanced trading features and reasonable fees for traders makes Bitstamp a quality crypto exchange. The table below compares Bitstamp to Hedge With Crypto's top-rated platforms regarding supported crypto assets, trading fees, and overall rating.

EXCHANGE	CRYPTO ASSETS	TRADING FEES	RATING	PROMOTION	WEBSITE	REVIEW
Binance	385	0.1% (spot) and 0.02% / 0.04% (Futures)	Rating We provide an overall weighted average rating out of 5 stars. Our ratings are based on objective criteria like the ease of use, fees, deposit methods, customer support and availability. Our reviews are not influenced by 3rd parties. Click here for further information about our rating methodology and a full list of categories we review against. 4.8 / 5	Up to $100 welcome bonus	Visit Binance	Binance Review
Kraken	222	0.16% (maker) and 0.26% (taker)	Rating We provide an overall weighted average rating out of 5 stars. Our ratings are based on objective criteria like the ease of use, fees, deposit methods, customer support and availability. Our reviews are not influenced by 3rd parties. Click here for further information about our rating methodology and a full list of categories we review against. 4.8 / 5	None available at this time	Visit Kraken	Kraken Review
KuCoin	806	0.1%	Rating We provide an overall weighted average rating out of 5 stars. Our ratings are based on objective criteria like the ease of use, fees, deposit methods, customer support and availability. Our reviews are not influenced by 3rd parties. Click here for further information about our rating methodology and a full list of categories we review against. 4.6 / 5	Up to 500 USDT in bonuses	Visit KuCoin	KuCoin Review
OKX	349	0.08% (maker) / 0.10% (taker)	Rating We provide an overall weighted average rating out of 5 stars. Our ratings are based on objective criteria like the ease of use, fees, deposit methods, customer support and availability. Our reviews are not influenced by 3rd parties. Click here for further information about our rating methodology and a full list of categories we review against. 4.4 / 5	None available at this time	Visit OKX	OKX Review

Bitstamp At A Glance

Bitstamp is a Luxembourg-based cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to buy, sell, and trade popular digital assets. One of the first crypto exchanges, Bitstamp, was founded in 2011 as an alternative to the Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange that went belly up. The platform prides itself on customer security and, as such, adheres to European financial rules and is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), providing extra protection for users.

Exchange Name	Bitstamp
Features	Spot Exchange, Learn Center, Institutional Benefits, Staking
Accepted Fiat Currencies	USD, GBP, EUR + 17 Others
Deposit Methods	Crypto, Bank Transfer, Credit/Debit Card
Supported Cryptocurrencies	73
Number of Trading Pairs	175
Trading Fees	0.30% (Maker) 0.40% (Taker) or 0% with Sub $1,000 30-Day Volume
Customer Support	Email Ticket System
Security Measures	Cold Storage, 2FA, Device Management
Mobile App	Yes (Android and IOS)

What We Liked About Bitstamp Explained

Bitstamp Earn

Users wishing to earn rewards by staking their crypto assets can use Bitstamp Earn. While writing our Bitstamp review, we checked out the Bitstamp Earn service, and while the reward APY was reasonable, only two cryptos were supported, hiding the service's usability.

Bitstamp offers locked staking on ETH at 4.5% and flexible staking on ALGO at 1.60%. While the exchange plans to increase its range of supported assets in the future, they've exclusively offered ETH and ALGO staking for over a year, putting the hope of additional supported assets in doubt. For a list of platforms that offer a more extensive selection of assets, read Hedge With Crypto's article on the best places to earn crypto interest.

OTC Institutional Services

Enterprise-level investors can access a 24/7 trade desk, advanced security, deep liquidity, and API connectivity through its institutional trading platform. This is ideal for hedge fund managers, enterprise investors, and even FinTech companies that want to create a custom crypto investing solution for their customers. Additionally, Bitstamp offers 24/7 customer support with a dedicated account manager for all institutional customers.

Learn Center

For people new to the cryptocurrency industry, Bitstamp offers an educational platform named the Learn Center. The Bitstamp team has worked hard to ensure the Learn Center is as comprehensive as possible. The guides range from the basics, like sending Bitcoin, to more advanced topics, like understanding technical indicators.

Overall, the Learn Center is an extremely valuable tool with information that could be useful to beginners and more experienced individuals. While it's unlikely to share any trading secrets, it's worth checking out for anyone looking to expand their crypto knowledge.

Supported Fiat Currencies and Deposit Methods

Bitstamp supports ten fiat currencies; only three (USD, EUR, GBP) are usable as an account currency. While the range of supported fiat currencies could be improved, Bitstamp does offer a reasonable number of ways to deposit. Bank transfers via SEPA, Faster Payments, and ACH are supported, as are international wire transfers. Additionally, customers can use instant purchases via a bank card or Google/Apple pay, but there is a 4% charge for the privilege.

There are no deposit limits for transfers from a bank account. However, purchases with debit or credit cards are limited to 2,500 per day (USD/EUR/GBP) and 20,000 per month (USD/EUR/GBP). Most withdrawal methods are not restricted except for ACH and Faster Payment System (FPS). ACH withdrawals are limited to $50,000 per transaction and 250,000 GBP for FPS.

Supported Cryptocurrencies and Trading Pairs

While the number of supported crypto assets on Bitstamp is reasonable at 73, the exchange is overshadowed by platforms like Binance, Kraken, and KuCoin, which offer hundreds of tradable assets. As Bitstamp denominates its trading pairs in USD, GBP, EUR, ETH, BTC, and PAX, the range of markets available to trade is significantly better than the supported cryptocurrencies. Users can trade 175 markets on Bitstamp, more than exchanges like Gemini but fewer than platforms like Crypto.com.

Bitstamp Fees Explained

Trading Fees

Bitstamp uses a volume-based maker/taker fee structure that rewards high-frequency traders with reduced costs. However, unlike most other crypto exchanges, Bitstamp provides fee-free crypto trading to users under $1,000 in monthly volume, making the platform phenomenal for investors getting started within the crypto space. Although Bitstamp offers the lowest fees possible for low-volume investors, its prices for middle-ground investors are less attractive.

Trading Fee	30 day Trading Volume
< $1,000	0.00% / 0.00%
> $1,000	0.30% / 0.40%
> $10,000	0.20% / 0.30%
> $100,000	0.10% / 0.20%
> $500,000	0.08% / 0.18%
> $1,500,000	0.06% / 0.16%

Moreover, Bitstamp does not have a platform token to offer trading fee discounts and no incentive for high-volume retail traders to use Bitstamp when there are limited incentives. Other trading platforms like Binance will offer up to 25% fee discounts for holding the native token BNB.

Bitstamp Deposit and Withdrawal Fees

Bitstamp does not charge a deposit fee for crypto or fiat currency payments. However, the exchange's withdrawal fees depend on the payment method used. While ACH deposits are free, a 3 EUR and 2 GBP fee is charged for SEPA and Faster Payments deposits. Furthermore, instant purchases made via a credit or debit card incur a 4% fee, significantly limiting the viability of this method.

Additionally, while most cryptocurrency withdrawals are reasonably priced, some assets are far higher than the standard network fee. For example, USDC and USDT cost 20 of the respective tokens to withdraw, which is more expensive than the roughly $2-$3 miner fee.

Trading Experience

Bitstamp offers an intuitive trading interface that makes buying and selling crypto simple. After logging into an account, the user is shown a dashboard providing an overview of the user's portfolio and asset watchlist, with links to important areas like deposits/withdrawals also visible.

In contrast to other exchanges, Bitstamp offers a basic and advanced trading platform, providing adequate features for new and advanced traders alike. Accessible from the ‘Markets' section, the basic version enables users to buy crypto with a credit or debit card and their Bitstamp balance but does not offer any crypto analysis tools.

On the other hand, the more feature-rich Tradeview platform uses the same order-book-based interface as the basic platform but includes support for limit, market, and stop-market orders. Furthermore, Tradeview features TradingView integration, meaning that users can access many charting tools and indicators, making the exchange great for technical traders.

Bitstamp operates a highly accessible crypto exchange. Users can tailor the platform's features to their needs, making it great for beginners and experienced investors. While the lack of margin trading features could cause issues for some crypto enthusiasts, Bitstamp is well-rounded and excellent for spot trading.

There Is A Mobile App

Bitstamp offers an intuitive mobile app for trading on the go for iOS and Android devices. Based on more than 2,500 reviews, the trading app has an overall 4.7/5 star rating on the Apple App Store.

The Bitstamp app is designed well and offers all the functionality of the web platform. Initially, users are met with a screen containing quick links to core services and an overview of a few top-performing assets. After logging in, users can browse coins, see the top gainers/losers, trade crypto, and access Bitstamp earn features.

Unlike most other major exchanges, Bitstamp does not offer leverage on desktop or mobile. While this could deter traders from using the platform, the Bitstamp app offers phenomenal charting capabilities, with users having access to a solid range of indicators and charts. However, drawing capabilities are not currently supported.

To summarize our mobile Bitstamp review, we found the app easy to use and crypto trading on the platform pleasant. While the lack of leverage or margin trading options could cause issues for traders looking to take advantage of small price movements, the overall experience was great and is suited to beginners and experienced traders.

Security Measures According To Website

Bitstamp stores 98% of its digital assets offline in cold storage with BitGo, making it far more difficult for customer funds to be stolen via a digital attack. In addition, after the 2015 hack, Bitstamp enabled Multi-Sig wallets, requiring multiple digital signatures to access funds on the hot wallets that store assets required for the exchange's day-to-day operations.

Bitstamp has also introduced several ways for its customers to keep their accounts secure. When registering, users must set up two-factor authentication (2FA) to prevent unauthorized account access. Furthermore, customers can control device management and monitor from which IP addresses and locations their accounts are accessed.

While Bitstamp has previously had some security issues, the crypto exchange has vastly improved its client protection, making Bitstamp a safe and secure exchange. However, regardless of a platform's security, utilizing a hardware wallet for long-term crypto asset storage is always advisable.

Customer Support Is Lacking

To avoid any unnecessary stress, having access to responsive and knowledgeable customer support is crucial. Unfortunately, Bistamp only provides a few ways for its clients to receive assistance.

Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges offering live chat or a dedicated phone line, Bitstmap exclusively provides support via email-based tickets. While the team was mostly praised for resolving issues in online Bitstamp reviews, its accessibility and responsiveness must be improved to match the service competitors offer.