Bitstamp

Bitstamp is one of the world's longest-running and most heavily regulated cryptocurrency exchanges, offering spot trading, perpetual futures, institutional brokerage, and custody services to retail and institutional clients across more than 50 jurisdictions. Founded in 2011 and acquired by Robinhood Markets in June 2025, it supports Solana (SOL) across spot trading pairs, perpetual futures contracts, and USDC network transfers.

Background and History

Bitstamp was founded in August 2011 by Nejc Kodrič and Damijan Merlak in Slovenia, conceived as a European alternative to Mt. Gox, then the dominant Bitcoin exchange. From its earliest days the platform prioritized regulatory compliance; it relocated its headquarters to the United Kingdom in 2013 and then to Luxembourg in 2016, where it obtained a European Union payment institution license from the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). That Luxembourg license gave Bitstamp the ability to passport its services across EU member states.

In 2024, Robinhood Markets announced plans to acquire Bitstamp for $200 million in cash. The transaction closed in June 2025, making Bitstamp the international crypto infrastructure arm of Robinhood. Jean-Baptiste Graftieaux serves as CEO. The exchange continues to operate under the Bitstamp brand with offices in Luxembourg, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United States.

Regulatory Status

Bitstamp holds more than 50 active licenses and registrations globally, giving it one of the broadest regulatory footprints in the industry. Key licenses include:

• EU MiCA CASP license — granted by Luxembourg's CSSF in May 2025 under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, allowing Bitstamp to offer trading, order execution, and custody services across the entire European Economic Area under a single authorization.
• New York BitLicense — authorizing Bitstamp to serve retail and institutional customers in New York State, one of the most demanding US state-level crypto licensing regimes.
• Singapore Major Payment Institution (MPI) license — granted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in 2022, covering digital payment token services.
• MiFID II authorization — Bitstamp's derivatives products, including perpetual futures, operate under MiFID II oversight through Slovenia's Securities Market Agency.

Core Products

Spot Trading

Bitstamp offers spot markets for a broad range of cryptocurrencies against USD, EUR, and GBP. Solana (SOL) is listed with SOL/USD and SOL/EUR trading pairs. The platform is accessible through a web interface, mobile apps, and a professional API documented at bitstamp.net/api.

Perpetual Futures

Bitstamp launched crypto perpetual futures for institutional and retail investors in April 2026, expanding to multi-asset perpetuals in July 2026. Perpetual futures have no expiration date, allowing traders to hold positions indefinitely provided margin requirements are met. Maximum leverage is capped at 10x. Ten cryptocurrency assets are available at launch — Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, XRP, Sui, Cardano, Avalanche, Chainlink, and Hyperliquid — with additional assets planned. The platform uses institutional-grade matching engine technology powered by Nasdaq infrastructure.

The multi-asset perpetuals product launched in July 2026 extends trading to FX pairs (EUR/USD), equity index proxies (QQQ, EWY), and commodities (Gold, Silver, WTI Crude, Brent Crude), all tradeable from a single pool of capital. Perpetuals access is currently restricted to eligible EU investors; US, Canadian, Japanese, and certain other jurisdiction customers are excluded from derivatives products.

Institutional Services

Bitstamp provides dedicated over-the-counter (OTC) trading desks, custody solutions, and white-label exchange technology for institutional clients. In June 2026, the exchange integrated with institutional platforms CoinRoutes, Talos, and Wyden, enabling institutional clients to access Bitstamp liquidity through their preferred execution workflows.

USDC Multichain Support

In September 2025, Bitstamp added Solana as one of several supported networks for USDC deposits and withdrawals. This allows users to move USDC on and off the platform via the Solana network alongside Ethereum, Optimism, Polygon, Avalanche, and Arbitrum, enabling faster and lower-cost stablecoin transfers.

Solana Ecosystem Fit

Bitstamp supports Solana at three levels:

1. Spot market — SOL/USD and SOL/EUR pairs allow direct purchase and sale of SOL for fiat currencies.
2. Derivatives — SOL perpetual futures are available to eligible EU traders with up to 10x leverage, providing an avenue for hedging or leveraged exposure without holding spot.
3. Network infrastructure — Solana is a supported deposit and withdrawal network for USDC, meaning Solana-native users and DeFi participants can bridge into and out of the exchange using Solana's low-fee infrastructure.

Bitstamp's Learn Center includes educational content explaining how Solana works, covering its Proof of History mechanism, delegated Proof of Stake, staking rewards, and key ecosystem projects such as Raydium, Serum, and Magic Eden.

Security and Operational History

Bitstamp experienced two notable security incidents in its early years: a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack in 2014 and a hack in January 2015 in which fewer than 19,000 bitcoins were stolen, prompting a temporary service suspension. Since then the platform has operated continuously and built a reputation as one of the industry's most compliance-focused exchanges.

Recent Developments

Under Robinhood ownership, Bitstamp has accelerated its institutional product roadmap. In October 2025, Singapore-dollar (SGD) deposits via PayNow were added for the Southeast Asian market. Bitstamp also partnered with BBVA to provide Bitcoin and Ethereum trading services to BBVA's retail customers in Spain, signaling a banking-channel distribution strategy under the Robinhood umbrella.