Bitvavo Review

Our verdict: in our view, Bitvavo is a strong choice for beginners and long-term buyers in Europe who wish to purchase crypto with euros at a low cost. Bitvavo B.V. operates the exchange from Amsterdam and holds authorization under MiCA from the Dutch AFM, with its license valid across the EEA. It offers 427 crypto assets on its order book and 27 more that trade only through locked-price orders, with euro market spot trades starting at 0.15% for maker orders and 0.25% for taker orders.

Bitvavo suits you if:

• you reside in one of the 25 European countries Bitvavo serves and wish to fund your account in euros, benefiting from free SEPA deposits and euro withdrawals.
• you seek straightforward buying and recurring purchases within the app, with Pro Mode providing an advanced view, complete with an order book and charts, for more complex needs.
• you are interested in staking and require a published proof-of-reserves attestation from the same provider.

Bitvavo might not be the right fit if:

• you are located in the US, as Bitvavo's user agreement excludes US persons.
• you want futures or options: Bitvavo offers spot trading and margin with up to 5x leverage, but no derivatives.
• you desire a more extensive list of coins, as Kraken offers more than 600 crypto assets.

We rate Bitvavo higher for its accessibility to beginners than for its range of functions and scope. If you engage in active trading, consider the alternatives below, which include OKX and Kraken.

Bitvavo at a glance

• Operator: Bitvavo B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands (Dutch Chamber of Commerce number 68743424). Founded in 2018
• License: authorized under MiCA by the AFM since June 2025, passported to 29 further EEA states
• Availability: residents of 25 countries in the EEA
• Spot fees on euro markets, entry tier: 0.15% maker, 0.25% taker
• Spot fees on USDC markets, entry tier: 0.05% maker, 0.05% taker
• Deposits: SEPA, iDEAL | Wero and Bancontact free. Credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal: 1%
• Euro withdrawals to your bank: free. Crypto deposits: free
• Bitcoin withdrawal fee: Varies. Bitvavo sets the amount itself and changes it with blockchain capacity. It was 0.000017 BTC at our latest check
• Minimum order: €5
• Crypto assets: 427 on the order book, on 438 markets, plus 27 that trade only through locked-price orders
• Margin: up to 5x leverage
• Withdrawal limit: €25,000 per 24 hours, euro and crypto combined
• App ratings: 4.66 on the Dutch App Store (48,237 ratings), 4.0 on Google Play (27,451 ratings)

Where Bitvavo is available

Bitvavo serves residents of the European Economic Area. The user agreement restricts accounts to individuals and companies residing or established in the EEA. Its country page includes 25 supported countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and Spain. Bitvavo reopened to new users in Hungary in September 2026.

Bitvavo is not available in the US. The user agreement mandates that users confirm they are not US persons, and its iOS app is absent from the US App Store. Those in the US can find providers that accept them in our list of exchanges for US customers.

What Bitvavo costs: a worked example

Consider a scenario where you reside in Germany and wish to purchase BTC with euros, then transfer it to your personal wallet:

• Funding via SEPA transfer incurs no fee, while deposits through credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal cost 1%.
• On the BTC/EUR market, a resting limit order incurs a 0.15% maker fee at the entry tier, whereas a market order incurs a 0.25% taker fee.
• Recurring buys default to the taker fee.
• Withdrawing BTC involves a fee set by Bitvavo, which adjusts according to network load. Its help center indicates withdrawal fees may exceed those of a private wallet.

In our view, SEPA funding with limit orders is the least expensive way to buy on Bitvavo. Fees fall with your 30-day crypto trading volume, down to 0.00% maker and 0.02% taker from €100 million. Stablecoin pairs such as USDC/EUR cost 0.10% at the entry tier, EURC/EUR costs 0.00% maker and 0.01% taker, and trades on stablecoin pairs do not count toward your volume. Margin positions pay the normal trading fee, an hourly borrowing fee of 0.0023% of the borrowed amount and a 2% fee if the position is liquidated. If you send crypto to Bitvavo over the wrong network, it may be able to help recover it for a 50 euro administration fee.

In comparison, OKX charges EEA customers 0.08% maker and 0.10% taker at its entry tier. Coinbase Advanced charges 0.25% maker and 0.50% taker in the EU, and Kraken starts at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker. Our fee table provides more exchange comparisons.

Security and regulation

License and supervision

Bitvavo B.V. is authorized to operate as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). This authorization, dating from June 2025, covers custody, trading platform operations, and transfer services, with the register entry listing 29 further EEA states. According to Bitvavo's user agreement, its staking, lending, margin trading and locked-price orders are not regulated under MiCA, meaning regulated service protections don't apply to them.

Custody and proof of reserves

Bitvavo says it stores most customer crypto with specialized custodians, naming Coinbase Custody International and Copper, which use multi-signature wallets. Customer euros are held by Stichting Bitvavo Payments, a foundation that Bitvavo describes as bankruptcy-remote. Its proof-of-reserves attestation by The Network Firm LLP covers 13 assets, among them BTC, ETH, SOL and EUR, and Bitvavo reports reserves at least equal to customer balances for each of them. Customers can check their own balance against the attestation with a Merkle tree.

Protection against account takeover

If someone takes over your account and withdraws funds without permission, Bitvavo may reimburse up to €100,000. To qualify, you need full verification, an authenticator app for two-factor authentication for at least 30 days before the incident, a police report and a claim within 90 days. Bitvavo states that this program is not insurance and not part of the EU's statutory deposit protection.

Incidents

• In December 2022, Bitvavo had lent €280 million of the roughly €1.6 billion it managed to Digital Currency Group (Genesis) via Bitvavo Custody B.V. The amount was frozen when DCG suspended repayments. Bitvavo prefunded withdrawals, and in February 2023, reported an expected recovery rate of 80 to 100 percent.
• In September 2022, a cache misconfiguration exposed personal data of eight users to others for 15 minutes. Bitvavo locked the app and notified both the affected users and the Dutch data protection authority.

Alternatives to Bitvavo

For advanced traders in Europe, OKX is the closer fit in our view. Its EEA company, OKX Europe Limited, is authorized under MiCA by Malta's MFSA, charges EEA customers 0.08% maker and 0.10% taker at its entry tier, and offers expiry futures through OKX Europe Markets Limited as well as options.

Kraken lists more than 600 crypto assets, compared to 427 on Bitvavo's order book. Its European companies are authorized under MiCA by the Central Bank of Ireland, with spot fees starting higher at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker.

If you live in the US, Coinbase accepts residents of every state and lists more than 400 crypto assets. In our view, Coinbase suits beginners. Kraken serves every state except New York and Maine. For more beginner options in Europe, see our list of exchanges for beginners.

FAQ

Is Bitvavo safe?

No exchange is free of risk. Bitvavo is authorized under MiCA by the AFM, has a proof-of-reserves attestation by The Network Firm LLP and reimburses up to €100,000 after an account takeover if you meet its conditions. Keep in mind that Bitvavo had €280 million lent to DCG when DCG suspended repayments in 2022, and that its staking, lending, margin trading and locked-price orders are outside MiCA.

What are Bitvavo's fees?

On euro markets, fees are 0.15% maker and 0.25% taker at the entry tier, decreasing with 30-day volume. USDC markets incur 0.05% for both makers and takers. SEPA deposits and euro withdrawals are free, while credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal deposits cost 1%. Crypto withdrawal fees vary based on network load. Locked-price orders in the app add a spread to the price and trade against Inveniam B.V., a Bitvavo group company; limit orders avoid that spread.

Bitvavo vs Coinbase: which is cheaper?

For euro trades, Bitvavo charges 0.15% maker and 0.25% taker at the entry tier, compared to 0.25% and 0.50% on Coinbase Advanced in the EU. Coinbase lists more than 400 crypto assets to the 427 on Bitvavo's order book, also serving US customers.

Is Bitvavo available in the US?

No. Bitvavo's user agreement requires every user to confirm that they are not a US person, and accounts are limited to residents of the EEA. Coinbase and Kraken are options for US residents.