← Bitstampreviewed 2026-09-06 · 19 claims checked
Fact-check findings
What an automated fact-checker found when it re-read Bitstamp against the sources the page cites. Only the most recent review is shown.
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These findings are produced by an automated reviewer, and its results vary between runs: the same page, checked three times on the same day, came back with 15%, 20% and 34% of its claims disputed, mostly because each run extracted a different number of claims. Treat what follows as leads, not rulings.
“Disputed” means the reviewer could not reconcile the claim with the evidence it cited. It does not mean the claim is false. “Unverifiable” means no reachable source settled it either way.
Nothing here changes the page on its own. A proposed correction is applied only after a human moderator approves it; until then the page reads as it did when reviewed.
disputed
2 claimsThe reviewer could not reconcile the claim with the evidence it cited. This is a lead, not a ruling that the claim is false.
- #4[disputed][awaiting moderator]in the timeline
“Bitstamp relocates registration to the United Kingdom and begins requiring identity verification from customers.”
reviewerBitstamp relocates registration to the United Kingdom and begins requiring identity verification from customers, both in April 2013.The timeline entry conflates two separate events under a single April 2013 date; the KYC requirement did not begin until September 2013 per the same cited source.Proposed correction (not yet applied)Bitstamp relocates registration to the United Kingdom. - #17[disputed][awaiting moderator]in section: Institutional Profile and Current Operations
“As of mid-2025, Bitstamp serves over 5,000 institutional clients and approximately 50,000 retail customers, with the majority of its trading volume driven by the institutional base.”
reviewerAs of mid-2025, Bitstamp serves over 5,000 institutional clients and approximately 50,000 retail customers, offers 70+ digital assets across 200+ trading pairs with BTC/USD the most heavily traded pair.Multiple independent outlets citing the official Robinhood disclosure put Bitstamp's retail customer base at over 500,000, not approximately 50,000 as stated on the page — a tenfold discrepancy. The institutional figure (5,000+) is correctly stated.Proposed correction (not yet applied)As of mid-2025, Bitstamp serves over 5,000 institutional clients and over 500,000 retail customers, with the majority of its trading volume driven by the institutional base.
unverifiable
1 claimNo source the reviewer could reach confirms or contradicts the claim.
- #10[unverifiable][awaiting moderator]in section: 2015 Security Breach
“A February 2014 incident had also seen attackers launch a distributed denial-of-service attack and demand 75 bitcoins in ransom, which Bitstamp's leadership refused to pay.”
reviewerA February 2014 incident saw attackers launch a DDoS attack and demand 75 bitcoins ransom, which Bitstamp refused to pay.Could not independently locate contemporaneous 2014 reporting on this specific DDoS/ransom incident within the scope of this review; not contradicted by anything found, but not independently confirmed either.
partially supported
2 claimsThe cited evidence supports part of the claim but not all of it.
- #8[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in section: 2015 Security Breach
“In January 2015, Bitstamp suffered its most significant security incident when attackers stole approximately 18,866 bitcoins valued at roughly $5.3 million.”
reviewerIn January 2015, Bitstamp suffered a hack in which approximately 18,866 bitcoins (~$5.3 million) were stolen, following a multi-week phishing campaign targeting at least six employees, culminating in systems administrator Luka Kodric downloading a malicious Word document on December 11, 2014, with the wallet drained January 4, 2015, and service suspended for nearly a week.The 18,866 BTC figure is independently corroborated by on-chain analysis (CCN), though contemporaneous headlines rounded to '19,000' or reported slightly different figures (e.g. 18,977 in some outlets); this is a minor rounding variance across sources rather than a contradiction. - #16[partially supported][awaiting moderator]in section: Customer Complaints and Service Issues
“Bitstamp has received a range of customer complaints on review platforms, primarily centered on account freezes, delayed withdrawals, and slow customer support response times.”
reviewerBitstamp has received customer complaints on review platforms centered on account freezes, delayed withdrawals, and slow support, without documented regulatory enforcement action tied to these issues.The underlying claim is supported by its sources, but both are low-credibility, single-outlet/aggregator-review sources (a niche blog and a public review site) for a section covering an entire pattern of complaints — this is an appropriate use of low-tier sourcing but the page's hedging language appropriately reflects that.
confirmed
14 claimsThe cited evidence supports the claim as written.
- #1[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Background and Founding
“Bitstamp was founded in August 2011 by Nejc Kodric and Damijan Merlak in Slovenia, initially conceived as a European alternative to the then-dominant Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox. The company was started with approximately €1,000 in capital, a server, and two laptops operating out of a garage.”
reviewerBitstamp was founded in August 2011 by Nejc Kodric and Damijan Merlak in Slovenia, started with ~€1,000 capital, a server, and two laptops in a garage.Founding details are well corroborated across independent sources. - #2[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Background and Founding
“Bitstamp relocated its registration to the United Kingdom in April 2013, and again to Luxembourg in 2016.”
reviewerBitstamp relocated its registration to the UK in April 2013 and to Luxembourg in 2016.Matches cited source exactly. - #3[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Background and Founding
“In April 2016, the Luxembourgish government granted Bitstamp a payment institution license (licence number Z00000012), making it one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges to be fully licensed in the European Union and allowing it to operate across all 28 EU member states under a European financial passport.”
reviewerIn April 2016, Luxembourg granted Bitstamp a payment institution license (licence number Z00000012), one of the first EU-licensed crypto exchanges, allowing passporting across all 28 EU member states.License number independently verified via a non-cited third source. - #5[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Ownership History
“In October 2018, NXMH, a Belgian investment company affiliated with South Korean gaming conglomerate NXC Corporation (also the owner of Korean exchange Korbit), acquired approximately 80 percent of Bitstamp's shares in an all-cash deal. Founder Nejc Kodric retained a 10 percent stake and continued as CEO, while Pantera Capital Management, which had invested $10 million in 2014, retained a 6 percent stake.”
reviewerNXMH, a Belgian investment company affiliated with NXC Corporation, acquired ~80% of Bitstamp's shares in October 2018; Kodric retained 10% and continued as CEO; Pantera Capital (which invested $10 million in 2014) retained 6%.Ownership percentages and Pantera's original investment figure are corroborated by independent reporting. - #6[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Ownership History
“In May 2023, Ripple acquired Pantera Capital's remaining minority stake in Bitstamp for an undisclosed sum, making Ripple a minority shareholder.”
reviewerIn May 2023, Ripple acquired Pantera Capital's remaining minority stake in Bitstamp for an undisclosed sum, becoming a minority shareholder.Deal terms were genuinely undisclosed publicly; page does not overstate specificity. - #7[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Ownership History
“On June 6, 2024, Robinhood Markets, Inc. announced an agreement to acquire Bitstamp Ltd. for approximately $200 million in cash. The transaction closed on June 2, 2025, making Bitstamp a wholly owned subsidiary of Robinhood and rebranding it as 'Bitstamp by Robinhood.'”
reviewerOn June 6, 2024, Robinhood announced an agreement to acquire Bitstamp for ~$200 million cash; the transaction closed June 2, 2025, making Bitstamp a wholly owned subsidiary and rebranding it 'Bitstamp by Robinhood.'Dates and amount confirmed by multiple independent outlets. - #9[confirmed][no action needed]in section: 2015 Security Breach
“On December 11, 2014, systems administrator Luka Kodric downloaded a malicious Word document disguised as an application form, which compromised his machine.”
reviewerOn December 11, 2014, systems administrator Luka Kodric downloaded a malicious Word document disguised as an application form, compromising his machine; attackers then copied the hot wallet file and passphrase and drained it January 4, 2015.Well corroborated by independent reporting on the same investigation. - #11[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Regulatory Compliance and Licenses
“In October 2024, Bitstamp Financial Services received a MiFID Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) license from Slovenia's Securities Market Agency, authorizing it to offer regulated crypto derivatives including perpetual swaps to both institutional and retail clients across the EU.”
reviewerBitstamp was the first EU cryptocurrency exchange to hold a payment institution license (CSSF, 2016); received a MiFID MTF license from Slovenia's Securities Market Agency in October 2024; and received a MiCA CASP license from the CSSF in May 2025 covering exchange, order execution and custody across the EEA.Matches cited and independently found sources. - #12[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Regulatory Compliance and Licenses
“In May 2025, the CSSF granted Bitstamp a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, making it one of the first exchanges to receive a MiCA CASP license in Luxembourg.”
reviewerIn May 2025, the CSSF granted Bitstamp a CASP license under MiCA, one of the first in Luxembourg, covering exchange operations, order execution, and custody across the EEA.Independently confirmed with exact date. - #13[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Regulatory Compliance and Licenses
“As of the Robinhood acquisition announcement in June 2024, Bitstamp held over 50 active licenses and registrations globally, including registrations in the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, and other jurisdictions.”
reviewerAs of the June 2024 Robinhood acquisition announcement, Bitstamp held over 50 active licenses and registrations globally, including in the US, UK, and Singapore.Confirmed by both the primary release and independent reporting. - #14[confirmed][no action needed]in section: French Court Ruling on AMF Registration Noncompliance
“In June 2025, the Court of Appeal of Grenoble found Bitstamp Europe civilly liable for operating in France without registration with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) during a defined period.”
reviewerIn June 2025, the Court of Appeal of Grenoble found Bitstamp Europe civilly liable for operating in France without AMF registration; the PACTE Act (enacted May 22, 2019) set a December 19, 2020 transitional registration deadline; Bitstamp did not register until February 7, 2023; the court ordered payment of €27,950 plus €3,000 in costs; establishing that regulatory noncompliance alone can ground civil liability.All specific facts in this section (dates, amounts, legal reasoning) were verified directly against the cited source and match precisely. - #15[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Third-Party Fraud Cases Involving the Platform
“Chen opened a Bitstamp exchange account using a victim's identity and driver's license without consent, then arranged a fraudulent wire transfer of $520,000 from the victim's checking account.”
reviewerXiaofei Chen opened a Bitstamp account using a victim's identity and driver's license without consent, arranged a fraudulent $520,000 wire transfer, converted funds to Bitcoin and laundered it; indicted December 2022, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft October 12, 2023, sentenced to 24 months plus one year supervised release; DOJ alleged no wrongdoing by Bitstamp.Direct fetch of the two DOJ press release URLs was blocked by an Akamai bot-check interstitial; content was independently verified via secondary outlets that quote the DOJ releases directly. Facts, dates and the 'no wrongdoing by Bitstamp' framing are all consistent with independent reporting. - #18[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Institutional Profile and Current Operations
“The platform offers over 70 digital assets across more than 200 trading pairs, with BTC/USD representing the most heavily traded pair.”
reviewerThe platform offers over 70 digital assets across more than 200 trading pairs, with BTC/USD the most heavily traded pair.Live market data varies slightly by tracking source and date, which is expected; the page's figures fall within the range reported elsewhere. - #19[confirmed][no action needed]in section: Institutional Profile and Current Operations
“Following the Robinhood acquisition, the platform has rebranded as 'Bitstamp by Robinhood' and is positioned as Robinhood's primary vehicle for international and institutional crypto expansion.”
reviewerFollowing the Robinhood acquisition, Bitstamp rebranded as 'Bitstamp by Robinhood' and is positioned as Robinhood's primary vehicle for international/institutional crypto expansion; maintains offices in Luxembourg, UK, Slovenia, Singapore, and the US.Consistent with independent coverage.
How this fits together. The reviewer reads the published page and its cited sources and records one finding per claim. A human moderator decides whether each proposed correction is applied; those decisions, and the score changes they cause, appear in the audit log. Earlier review runs are not shown here; only the latest reflects the page as it stands.