Bitpanda vs Kraken Comparison

In short: Bitpanda is the convenient way to collect crypto, stocks, ETFs and precious metals in one MiCA-regulated account: more than 650 crypto assets, savings plans from €1 and a Tell-a-Friend bonus of up to €100. The trading fee is 0.99% for Bitcoin and 1.49% for most altcoins.

Is Bitpanda safe and licensed in the EU?

Bitpanda is a Vienna-based broker for crypto assets, stocks, ETFs and precious metals and reports more than 7 million users. Its crypto services in the EU now run under MiCA: the ESMA register lists three authorised Bitpanda companies, Bitpanda GmbH via the Austrian FMA since April 2025, Bitpanda Asset Management GmbH via BaFin in Germany since January 2025 and BP23 CA Limited via the Maltese MFSA. In August 2026 the FMA published a fine of €70,000 against Bitpanda GmbH: a crypto white paper reached the regulator too late and was advertised before it was published. Our analysis of the MiCA penalty explains what it means for investors.

What the 2025 loss means for your funds: Bitpanda GmbH reported a loss of about €14 million for 2025, after a profit of €61.7 million the year before, on adjusted revenue of €371 million. Licensed providers must hold clients' crypto assets and money separately from their own assets under Articles 70 and 75 of MiCA, so a loss-making year does not directly affect client holdings. Our report on Bitpanda’s annual accounts shows what you can check yourself.

What does Bitpanda cost?

Bitpanda does not win on costs. Bitcoin costs 0.99 per cent per buy or sell, most altcoins 1.49 per cent and small caps 2.49 per cent. Frequent traders pay noticeably more with percentage fees at this level than on an exchange with an order book; our crypto exchange comparison puts the cost per €1,000 side by side. In return, Bitpanda bundles savings plans, staking, crypto indices, stocks and ETFs at €1 per trade and physical precious metals in one app, and the account, custody and fiat deposits and withdrawals cost nothing.

Who is Bitpanda for?

User reviews draw the same picture: the app is praised as clear and easy to use, and costs are the most common complaint. Bitpanda suits investors who want to build up crypto and other asset classes over time in a regulated EU account. If the lowest trading fee is your priority, the comparison will point you to a better fit.

In short: Kraken is one of the oldest crypto exchanges in the world, active since 2011 and licensed under MiCA in the EEA. More than 600 coins, 490 of them directly against the euro, a regular proof of reserves and strong security features speak for the platform. The simple buy costs 1% plus spread; on the Kraken Pro order book you pay from 0.40% as a maker and 0.80% as a taker.

Is Kraken safe and licensed in the EU?

Yes, Kraken may serve customers across the EU. In the EEA, Kraken operates through Payward Europe Solutions Limited, based in Dublin, licensed under MiCA since 25 June 2025 and supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland. 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, exchanging crypto for money and for other crypto, order execution and transfers, among other services. Kraken's parent Payward agreed on 14 October 2026 to buy Lithuania's Saldo Bank; closing is planned for 2027 and needs regulatory approval (our report on the deal).

Reserves and security: Kraken has its proof of reserves prepared regularly by auditors. The snapshot of 30 June 2026 shows coverage of 102.9% for Bitcoin, 100.5% for Ether, 100.6% for Solana and 102.3% for XRP, and 105% or more each for USDC and USDT. Kraken is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022, offers two-factor authentication with FIDO2 passkeys and a Global Settings Lock, and does not recover accounts by phone or SMS.

Account freezes and delistings: Between 17 and 24 August 2026, Kraken customers received almost 12,000 tiny deposits from wallets that analytics firms attribute to the sanctioned exchange HTX. Sanctions screening temporarily froze affected accounts; access has since been restored (our report on the dust attack). Kraken also removes tokens from trading regularly, most recently 13 tokens on 23 October 2026; withdrawal deadlines and steps are in our delisting report.

What you can do yourself: turn on a passkey or two-factor authentication and the Global Settings Lock, leave tiny deposits of unknown origin untouched and keep larger amounts on your own hardware wallet.

Who is Kraken for?

Kraken suits investors who want a long-established exchange with a wide choice of euro pairs, a savings plan and staking. Regular traders save with Kraken Pro. Since 26 October 2026, EEA customers with a derivatives account can also trade bitcoin and ether options there after an appropriateness assessment, provided by Cyprus-based Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited under CySEC supervision. For simple euro trading, Bitvavo is cheaper, and Coinbase is an alternative with a listed parent company. All licensed providers are listed in our comparison of regulated crypto exchanges.