BSDEX vs Trade Republic Comparison

Editorial assessment, November 2026: We have downgraded BSDEX to 2.3 out of 5 and make no recommendation. The trading venue is regulated (Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse GmbH and Boerse Stuttgart Digital Custody GmbH in the ESMA register, file dated 5 November 2026), but it offers too little: only 10 cryptocurrencies, no savings plan, SEPA transfer as the only payment method and two-factor authentication by SMS only. Buying with a market order costs 0.35 percent according to the BSDEX fee schedule (accessed 8 November 2026); the advertised 0.20 percent applies to maker orders only. MiCA-licensed exchanges with a broader offer are listed in our exchange comparison.

BSDEX is a regulated crypto trading venue of Börse Stuttgart. It is operated by Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse GmbH, which notified BaFin of the venue under MiCA in July 2025. Custody is handled by Boerse Stuttgart Digital Custody GmbH under BaFin supervision, licensed under MiCA since January 2025 (according to the ESMA register, file of 30 October 2026). Euro balances are held at Solaris SE and Deutsche Bank and protected by statutory deposit insurance up to €100,000 per investor and bank. Withdrawals to your own wallet are free. That is solid, but compared with other platforms it is not enough for a good rating.

The offering is narrow: only 10 cryptocurrencies, no savings plan and SEPA bank transfer as the only payment method. BSDEX offers staking for ether and solana, at 2 to 8% a year according to its help centre, with insurance against slashing risk via Munich Re; unstaking takes 1 to 45 days depending on the blockchain. Buying with a market order costs 0.35 %; the advertised 0.20 % applies to maker orders only. Two-factor authentication works via SMS only, authenticator apps are not supported. Users are lukewarm too: the app scores 1.5 stars on Google Play and 3.2 on Trustpilot, with reports of login problems, repeated logouts and issues after updates.

Our verdict: BSDEX suits investors who only want to hold Bitcoin and a few large coins through German exchange infrastructure. If you are looking for a regulated platform with a wider selection or savings plans, Bitpanda or Coinbase are the better choice.

Trade Republic is considered one of the best-known neobrokers in the DACH region and is used by many users as an entry point into the world of cryptocurrencies. Trade Republic is a bank supervised by BaFin and, in addition to 50 cryptocurrencies, also offers stocks, ETFs, and derivatives from a single source. By its own account it is one of the first banks in Europe authorised under the EU's MiCA regulation; ESMA's register has listed the crypto services of Trade Republic Bank GmbH since 28 April 2025, notified to BaFin as a bank under Article 60 of MiCA. Users appreciate that Trade Republic charges no order commission; each single order costs a flat EUR 1, savings plans run without it, and the remaining costs arise through the spread, whose transparency is occasionally rated as room for improvement.

Particularly appreciated are the savings plans from €1, which make it easy to get started with regular crypto investing. For investors who want to manage crypto, stocks, and ETFs in a single app, Trade Republic is considered one of the most accessible solutions on the German market. The app is described as intuitive and clearly geared toward beginners and occasional investors.

The Crypto Wallet lets you send cryptocurrencies to external wallets and receive them from there, according to Trade Republic without any transaction fees of its own. The SMS-based 2FA security is also considered room for improvement. Trade Republic is therefore especially suitable for investors looking for a regulated, uncomplicated way to access cryptocurrencies as part of a broad securities offering and who want to be able to move their coins to a wallet of their own.