What Bitstamp is
Founded in 2011 in Slovenia by Nejc Kodrič and Damijan Merlak, Bitstamp is the longest-lived cryptocurrency exchange still in business. Having grown into Europe's reference platform for spot trading of Bitcoin and Ethereum against euros and dollars, it built its reputation on regulatory compliance and operational caution rather than on the breadth of its listings. In June 2025 it was acquired by Robinhood for 200 million dollars: the deal marked the American broker's entry into the institutional and international crypto market. The brand lives on as "Bitstamp by Robinhood", with licences, fees and products so far unchanged for users. (Verified: September 2026)
Regulation and licences
- MiCA: YES — CASP licence granted on 16 May 2025 by the CSSF (Luxembourg), with passporting across the entire European Economic Area: it covers trading platform, order execution and custody. (Verified: September 2026)
- Since June 2025 the company has belonged to Robinhood Markets (a 200 million dollar acquisition completed on 2 June 2025). (Verified: September 2026)
- For users in the EU: Bitstamp can legally operate in the EU even after the expiry of the MiCA transitional regime (01/07/2026).
Security
In January 2015 Bitstamp suffered the theft of roughly 19,000 BTC (about 5 million dollars at the time) from its hot wallet: the company covered the loss in full and no customer lost funds. There have been no breaches of customer funds since. The vast majority of assets are stated to be in cold storage, and the platform has maintained a compliance record that was among the reasons for Robinhood's purchase. (Verified: September 2026)
Alternatives
- Kraken — another veteran (2011), full MiCA via the Central Bank of Ireland
- Bybit — MiCA via Austria, strong on derivatives
- Crypto.com — MiCA via Malta, app + card ecosystem
FAQ
- Is Bitstamp legal in the EU? Yes: it holds the MiCA licence granted by Luxembourg's CSSF (May 2025), valid across the entire European Economic Area even after the July 2026 tightening.
- What changes with Robinhood? For now, little: the brand remains "Bitstamp by Robinhood", with the same licences and the same fee structure. The acquisition (200 million dollars, closed in June 2025) brings Bitstamp into the Robinhood group as its institutional and international arm.
- Has Bitstamp ever been hacked? Yes, once: in 2015, roughly 19,000 BTC. The company covered everything and customers lost nothing; since then there have been no known incidents involving funds.
Verified sources
- https://blog.bitstamp.net/post/bitstamp-secures-casp-license-under-mica/
- https://www.theblock.co/post/356701/robinhood-bitstamp-acquisition
- https://robinhood.com/us/en/newsroom/robinhood-completes-acquisition-of-bitstamp/
- https://craft.co/bitstamp/executives
HQ OF BITSTAMP
5 New St Square, London EC4A 3BF, United Kingdom
CONTACTS OF BITSTAMP
All images, branding and wording are copyright Bitstamp. All content on this page is used for informational purposes only. Spaziocrypto has no affiliation or relationship with the company mentioned on this page.
