BISON vs OKX 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: OKX is one of the large international crypto exchanges and serves investors in the EU through OKX Europe, licensed under MiCA in Malta. You can trade more than 280 crypto-assets, from 0.10% maker and 0.20% taker on a spot-only account, or from 0.08% and 0.10% with a spot and derivatives account. Add futures up to 10x, trading bots, tokenised stocks, a recurring-buy savings plan and the OKX Card. If you want a regulated exchange with a wide range of features and low fees, OKX is a strong choice.

Is OKX safe and licensed in the EU?

Yes, OKX may serve customers across the EU. OKX Europe Limited, based in Sliema, Malta, has been authorised as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA since 27 January 2025, granted by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). Through the EU passport the licence covers 29 EEA countries, including Germany, France and Spain (ESMA register, file of 30 October 2026). It covers, among other things, custody, operating a trading platform, exchanging crypto-assets for funds and for other crypto-assets, executing orders, portfolio management and transfers. According to OKX, it also holds MiFID II and payment institution authorisations.

Reserves: OKX regularly publishes a proof of reserves, most recently its 46th report as of 3 October 2026: coverage of 110% for Bitcoin, 100% for Ether, 105% for USDT and 101% for USDC (OKX proof of reserves).

What you can do yourself: the anti-phishing code you set in your account protects you against scams with fake emails, because it appears in every genuine email from OKX. Add two-factor authentication or a passkey, a withdrawal address whitelist and, for larger amounts, your own hardware wallet.

Who is OKX for?

OKX suits investors in the EU who want to trade actively on a licensed exchange: spot, futures, bots and tokenised stocks on one platform, with low order book fees. If you mainly want a savings plan in a lean app, take a look at Bitvavo or Bitpanda; Kraken is another large exchange with a MiCA licence. All licensed providers are listed in our comparison of regulated crypto exchanges.