Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges Headquartered in the EU

2 min read

A map of the EU map with a few cities highlighted in red.

Whether you’re looking for cryptocurrency exchanges that regulate under the laws of the EU, as well as trying to find the best place for trading and exchanging locally.

This article will help you choose the best exchanges to buy bitcoin that operate inside the European Union (EU) in terms of security and fees!

Here’s a list of the best crypto exchanges based in the EU:

1- WhalesHeaven

The official logo of the European Cryptocurrency exchange platform WhalesHeaven.

WhalesHeaven is a cross-chain peer to peer cryptocurrency exchange platform headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. The platform operates using Multisigniture wallets, allowing maximum security and full control over the users’ funds.

Additionally, WhalesHeaven offers users to trade between over 20 cryptocurrencies without limits or restrictions on trading pairs.

Now here’s a list of the pros and cons of WhalesHeaven:

Pros:

  • Non-KYC: users can buy and sell bitcoin and over cryptocurrencies anonymously and securely without providing personal information.
  • Low commission fees.
  • 0% withdrawal fees.
  • Custody free: the platform does not have access to users’ funds while trading.

Cons: 

  • Does not support buying crypto using fiat currencies.
  • Low liquidity: trading is made between users, meaning that the seller has to be the provider of the exchanged currency.

2- eToro 

The official logo of the European Cryptocurrency exchange platform eToro.

Next is eToro. eToro is a multi-asset brokerage company that provides financial and copy trading services; eToro’s headquarters are in Limassol.

Moreover, The platform offers a fully-fledged CFD facility that allows you to participate in short selling, additionally to having leverage with a ratio of up to 1:2 on your positions.

in other words, you can trade bitcoin, for example, with twice the amount that you hold inside your account.

Now let’s talk more about the pros and cons:

Pros: 

  • Offers trading with 15 cryptocurrencies.
  • Operates under EU and GB regulations.
  • Social trading: which allows traders to observe the trading behaviour of their peers and expert traders.

Cons: 

  • Limited control over your crypto assets: you cannot withdraw your crypto into your private wallet.
  • KYC is mandatory.
  • Requires a first-time high deposit amount.

3- Bitpanda

The official logo of the Cryptocurrency exchange platform bitpanda.

Furthermore, formerly known as Coinimal, Bitpanda is a crypto exchange based in Vienna. The platform specializes in crypto trading and other digital assets.

Bitpanda is considered one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges in the EU, starting back in 2014. The platform currently has 2 million users trading through their various services. 

Pros and cons:

Pros:

  • Offers the freedom to trade between 27 cryptocurrencies. 
  • Easy to use for beginners. 
  • Low fees for buying crypto through fiat currencies.
  • Operates under EU regulations.

Cons:

  • KYC is mandatory: low privacy. 
  • Fees aren’t stated clearly.
  • Long verification time.

4- CoinMama

The official logo of the European Cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinmama.

Last but not least, CoinMama is a cryptocurrency brokerage platform registered in the EU, in Slovakia. The platform allows users to buy cryptocurrencies using credit cards, wire transfers in addition to apple pay.

CoinMama has been established in 2013 and is still owned by the headquarters in Israel. CoinMama supports buying 10 coins/tokens. However, The platform charges 5,9% for brokerage fees, in addition to a 5% credit card processing fee, making it a total of 10.9% for exchange fees.

Now, let’s jump into the pros and cons of CoinMama:

Pros:

  • High reputation.
  • Easy to use.
  • Allows users in Europe to purchase Crypto, with a lower fee using SEPA transfers/bank transfer.

Cons: 

  • High exchange fees.
  • Limited amount of currency variation.
  • KYC is mandatory. 

The key takeaway:

Both WhalesHeaven and Bitpanda are great choices if you’re looking for a place to trade with a wide variety of coins and tokens. However, if you’re an active trader/investor, we would recommend eToro. Finally, if you’re new to trading or prefer simplicity, then CoinMama is your way to go.

For other recommendations: you can also check out our article about Where to buy Cryptocurrencies for beginners.
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