Kraken vs Bitstamp
On listing breadth Kraken wins (250 assets vs 150). Only Kraken offers derivatives (up to 50x leverage). Before picking between Kraken and Bitstamp, ask whether you will trade actively or just accumulate: the answer can flip the ranking.
| Kraken | Bitstamp | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | S | S |
| Rating | ★ 4.9 | ★ 4.6 |
| Maker / Taker fee | 0.25% / 0.4% | 0.3% / 0.4% |
| Markets | Spot + Derivatives | Spot |
| Max leverage | 50× | 0× |
| Supported assets | 250+ | 150+ |
| Fiat on-ramp | Yes | Yes |
| Deposit methods | SEPA, SWIFT, Bonifico bancario, Carta di credito/debito, FedWire/ACH (USA), Faster Payments (UK), Interac e-Transfer (Canada), PayPal, Deposito crypto | SEPA, International bank transfer, Credit/debit card, Crypto deposit |
| Geo restrictions | New York (USA), Maine (USA), Washington State (USA), Hawaii (USA, limitato) | Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria |
| Staking / Earn | ETH ~3-3.5% APY, Solana, Polkadot, Kusama, Cardano. Staking reinstated USA gennaio 2025. Kraken Prime per istituzionali. | — |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full | Full |
| Supported countries | US, EEA, UK, APAC · 60+ countries | US, EEA, UK · 60+ countries |
| Regulator | FinCEN, FCA, CSSF, MAS, BaFin, AMF, CONSOB, etc. | CSSF |
| OAM Italy registration | Yes | Yes |
| Segment | B2C | B2C |
| Trading pairs | — | 229+ |
| 24h volume | — | $174.4M |
| Regions | US, EU/EEA, UK, APAC | US, EU/EEA, UK |
| Licences & safety | Money Services Business + EMI partner UK | LU PSD2 + MiCA |
Frequently asked questions
Kraken vs Bitstamp: which is better?
On listing breadth Kraken wins (250 assets vs 150). Only Kraken offers derivatives (up to 50x leverage). Before picking between Kraken and Bitstamp, ask whether you will trade actively or just accumulate: the answer can flip the ranking.
Which is cheaper, Kraken or Bitstamp?
On the standard spending profile Kraken has the lowest net annual cost: €0 versus €0 for Bitstamp.
Is Kraken custodial or self-custody?
Kraken is custodial: funds are held by the platform, while Bitstamp is custodial.