BISON vs Bitvavo Comparison

Editorial assessment, November 2026: We have downgraded BISON to 1.9 out of 5 and do not recommend it. The deciding factor is cost. According to BISON's fee page (accessed 8 November 2026), the proportional spread on Bitcoin and Ethereum averages 1.25 percent per purchase or sale, and 1.75 percent on all other cryptocurrencies. Buying Bitcoin and selling it later therefore costs around 2.5 percent, and around 3.5 percent for other coins. Deposits by credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay cost an extra 2.49 percent, and BISON keeps 27 percent of staking rewards on Ethereum and Solana. MiCA-licensed exchanges in our exchange comparison charge from 0.2 percent for the same purchase. The authorisation of EUWAX AG and Boerse Stuttgart Digital Custody GmbH in the ESMA register does not change this calculation.

BISON is the crypto app of Börse Stuttgart and is perceived in the DACH region as a provider with a traditional capital markets background. The provider is EUWAX AG, a Börse Stuttgart company supervised by BaFin that has notified BaFin of its crypto services under MiCA. Crypto custody is handled by Boerse Stuttgart Digital Custody GmbH, which has held a MiCA authorisation from BaFin since January 2025. Euro balances are held at Solaris SE and Deutsche Bank and are covered by statutory deposit protection up to EUR 100,000 per investor and bank. According to BISON, 69 cryptocurrencies are tradable, plus stocks and ETFs, and the app has more than 1.06 million users.

As one of the few offerings among German brokers, BISON allows free wallet transfers to your own wallets. Staking, savings plans, and an integrated tax report are also available. According to BISON, staking of Ethereum and Solana is currently not regulated under MiCA. Deposits are possible via SEPA, instant bank transfer, and credit card.

Costs sit in the spread, which according to BISON averages 1.25 % on Bitcoin and Ethereum and 1.75 % on all other cryptocurrencies, the upper range among the brokers compared. The exclusively SMS-based 2FA and the processing time for wallet transfers of up to 24 hours are also seen as room for improvement. Overall, BISON is aimed at investors who prefer an established German provider and are willing to accept trade-offs in fees and coin selection.

In short: Bitvavo is one of the cheapest crypto exchanges for investors who trade in euros: 427 coins, all directly against the euro, trading from 0.15% as a maker and 0.25% as a taker, free SEPA deposits. The exchange holds a MiCA licence from the Dutch regulator AFM and serves customers across the EU, including Germany. A savings plan, staking and leveraged trading of up to ten times complement spot trading.

Is Bitvavo safe and licensed in the EU?

Yes, Bitvavo may serve customers across the EU. Bitvavo B.V., based in Amsterdam, has been authorised as a crypto-asset service provider under Article 63 MiCA since 26 June 2025, licensed by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). Through the EU passport the licence covers 30 EEA countries, including Germany, France and Spain (ESMA register, file of 30 October 2026). It covers custody, operating the trading platform and transfers of crypto assets. Customers resident in Germany have their own country annex to the user agreement (version of 15 July 2025). In early 2024 Bitvavo temporarily stopped onboarding new customers from Germany; today the exchange lists Germany among its supported countries.

Custody and account guarantee: Bitvavo keeps most crypto assets offline in cold wallets with two custody providers, which according to the exchange are insured for up to $755 million; larger transfers require approval by several people. If a third party gains unauthorised access to your account and withdraws crypto, Bitvavo's account guarantee refunds up to €100,000 per incident, once per user. Transfers you send to scammers yourself are not covered (Bitvavo security page).

Euro balances, staking and lending: Bitvavo holds euros on your account as e-tokens in a separate e-token wallet. According to the user agreement it is not a deposit or investment account, and no statutory deposit guarantee applies. Staking and lending currently fall outside MiCA supervision, as Bitvavo states; lending is provided by the sister company Bitvavo Custody B.V.

What you can do yourself: turn on two-factor authentication, an anti-phishing code and a withdrawal address whitelist, keep larger amounts on your own hardware wallet and watch delisting dates. Bitvavo removes individual coins from trading, most recently Across Protocol on 27 October 2026, with Portal To Bitcoin (PTB) to follow on 6 November 2026.

Who is Bitvavo for?

Bitvavo suits investors in the EU who want to trade cheaply against the euro, deposit by SEPA and pick from a large range of coins without a detour via stablecoins; a savings plan and staking are included. If you want crypto, stocks and ETFs in one app, look at Bitpanda; for order-book trading with professional tools, Kraken Pro. An alternative with a listed parent company is Coinbase. All licensed providers are listed in our comparison of regulated crypto exchanges.