ByBit EU vs Kraken Pro Comparison

In short: Bybit EU combines the technology of one of the largest crypto exchanges with an EU licence: spot trading in more than 100 coins, fixed rates from 0.25% that fall to 0.15% with high euro volume, and a crypto card. For retail clients in the EEA, Bybit EU focuses on spot trading. If you want to buy and hold crypto at a large exchange with a European licence, Bybit EU fits.

Is Bybit safe and licensed in the EU?

Yes, Bybit EU may serve customers across the EU. Bybit EU GmbH, based in Vienna, has been authorised as a crypto-asset service provider under Article 63 MiCA since 28 May 2025, licensed by Austria's Financial Market Authority (FMA). Through the EU passport the licence covers 29 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, placing and transfer services. Bybit EU itself points out that certain offers on bybit.eu fall outside MiCA supervision; each product page states the framework.

The hack of 21 February 2025: Attackers took ether worth about $1.4 to $1.5 billion from a Bybit group multisig cold wallet by slipping a manipulated transaction past the signers. The FBI attributed the attack to the North Korean group TraderTraitor, better known as Lazarus. On the same day Bybit stated that all client assets were backed 1:1 and that the exchange would cover the loss; withdrawals kept running. On bybit.eu, Bybit EU states 1:1 reserves for all user assets.

Counterparty list: Since September 2026 Bybit has published a list of services its customers must not transact with. If screening flags one of them, Bybit can freeze accounts or restrict funds. Our report on the Bybit counterparty list explains what to check in your payment history.

What you can do yourself: turn on two-factor authentication and a withdrawal address whitelist, keep proof of origin for coins bought peer to peer, and store larger amounts on your own hardware wallet.

Who is Bybit EU for?

Bybit EU suits investors in the EU who want spot trading at a large international exchange with a European licence and who like to pay with crypto. Anyone who regularly trades larger amounts against the euro benefits from the volume tiers. Our comparison of regulated crypto exchanges sets Bybit EU against other licensed exchanges such as OKX, Kraken and Bitvavo.

Kraken Pro is the separate trading interface from Kraken (pro.kraken.com and Pro mode in the mobile app) and is aimed at active traders. Unlike the standard platform with flat 1% fees, the maker/taker model applies here, starting at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker and falling across 17 tiers to 0.00% maker and 0.05% taker. Since 9 July 2026 Kraken sets your tier by the best of three measures: 30-day spot volume, 30-day futures volume or assets on the platform. Anyone holding USD 20,000 at Kraken therefore trades in Tier 3 at 0.22% maker and 0.38% taker even without any turnover. Account, verification, and asset balances are shared between both interfaces.

The order set covers market, limit, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop, iceberg orders, and bracket/OCO combinations. Margin trading is offered with up to 5x leverage depending on the pair, with selected assets reaching 10x; for EEA customers, margin on fiat pairs is now limited to USD and EUR and funded in USDC and EURC. EEA customers trade futures and, since 26 October 2026, Bitcoin and Ether options on Kraken Pro from a separate derivatives account using the same wallet; the provider is Cyprus-based Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited with a MiFID licence from CySEC, and options require an appropriateness assessment. The crypto services themselves are provided by Payward Europe Solutions Limited, authorised under MiCA by the Central Bank of Ireland since 25 June 2025 and passported to 30 EEA countries (ESMA register, file dated 30 October 2026). Charts, order book, and API access (REST and WebSocket v2) are described in user reviews as sufficient for active strategies; the learning curve compared to the standard interface is occasionally criticized.

Kraken Pro is considered particularly suitable for active traders who value pro order types, lower volume-based fees, and margin features. Those primarily looking for savings plans or simple spot investing will find a more fitting setup on the standard interface. This comparison does not constitute investment advice.