BISON vs Coinbase 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: Coinbase is one of the best-known crypto exchanges in the world and is licensed under MiCA for customers in the EU. More than 400 crypto assets, a simple app, staking and a Nasdaq-listed parent company speak for the platform. The simple buy flow costs more than at many other exchanges, with a Coinbase fee of up to 1.875% plus spread; frequent traders therefore use Coinbase Advanced with maker and taker fees.

Is Coinbase safe and licensed in the EU?

Yes, Coinbase may serve customers across the EU. Crypto services are provided by Coinbase Luxembourg S.A., licensed under MiCA since 20 June 2025 and supervised by Luxembourg's financial regulator CSSF. Through the EU passport the licence covers 30 EEA countries, including Germany, France and Spain (ESMA register, file of 30 October 2026). Euro balances are held as e-money by Coinbase Ireland Limited, supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland. According to the Coinbase user agreement for the EEA, crypto assets and e-money are not covered by a deposit guarantee or an investor compensation scheme. The parent company Coinbase Global has been listed on Nasdaq since 2021 and publishes its results there regularly.

Fines from the Central Bank of Ireland: On 22 October 2026 the Central Bank of Ireland announced a fine of €3.25 million against Coinbase Ireland Limited. Between November 2020 and August 2025 the company did not adequately safeguard client funds, and the safeguarding account was under-funded for extended periods. The regulator does not allege any loss of client money; Coinbase admitted the breaches, and the sanction takes effect once confirmed by the Irish High Court. In November 2025 the same authority fined Coinbase Europe Limited €21.46 million over gaps in transaction monitoring. Details in our report on the Coinbase Ireland fine.

Data leak in 2025 and scam calls: In May 2025 Coinbase disclosed that bribed overseas support agents had copied customer data of less than 1% of monthly transacting users to enable scams in Coinbase's name. According to Coinbase, passwords, private keys and funds were not affected, and the company pledged to reimburse customers who were tricked into sending funds to the attackers (Coinbase statement). Coinbase never asks for your password or 2FA codes and never asks you to move crypto to a new address or another account: anyone pushing you to do so on the phone is a scammer.

Stablecoins under MiCA: For customers in the EEA, USDT, DAI, PYUSD and other stablecoins without MiCA authorisation can no longer be traded on Coinbase; according to Coinbase, balances still held on the cut-off date of 30 October 2026 are converted once into USDC at the market rate, and deposits of these coins after that date are no longer credited. Background in our report on the switch.

What you can do yourself: turn on two-factor authentication, never share codes on the phone and keep larger amounts on your own hardware wallet.

Who is Coinbase for?

Coinbase suits beginners who want a well-known platform with a simple app and a listed parent company, and investors who want buying, savings plans and staking in one place. Frequent traders save with Coinbase Advanced in the order book. For euro trading, Bitvavo and Kraken are cheaper. All licensed providers are listed in our comparison of regulated crypto exchanges.