Bitpanda is emerging as a major crypto investment platform, blending broker and exchange features. Our in-depth review breaks down everything from CFDs to real assets—uncovering the complex reality behind its sleek, user-friendly interface.
Launched in 2014 under the name Coinimal by the eponymous Austrian startup, Bitpanda has quickly established itself as a major player in the European cryptocurrency market. Today, the platform counts more than one million users and offers a diverse range of financial services.
Bitpanda launched its application with a fully English interface early on. Additionally, it’s smooth and very intuitive, which partly explains its success with English-speaking users.
In January 2025, Bitpanda became the first to secure a MiCAR license from Germany’s BaFin, enabling unified operations across all EU countries. The platform is also registered with the UK’s FCA, making it available to UK residents — though it remains unavailable in the United States and Canada due to regulatory restrictions.
Today, the platform is managed by a team of 160 employees who continuously work to develop the Bitpanda ecosystem and its various services.
To facilitate the functioning of its ecosystem, Bitpanda has developed its own utility token. This is BEST (Bitpanda Ecosystem Token), a token that provides 20% reduction on trading fees and access to certain exclusive benefits.
Bitpanda employs an ambiguous communication strategy that oscillates between two distinct identities :
This duality is not trivial and raises important questions about the true nature of the services offered.
To understand this ambiguity, it’s essential to clarify the fundamental difference between these two types of platforms :
Behind a smooth interface, Bitpanda combines several investment approaches based on very distinct logics. Broker, derivative products, spot exchange… everything is united under a single platform, but the mechanisms differ. Here’s an overview of the main services offered by Bitpanda:
Bitpanda’s standard platform essentially functions as a broker. On this platform, users “invest in the price of the most well-known cryptocurrencies without really owning them.” This formulation is revealing: users don’t actually own the underlying assets but take positions on their price evolution, which corresponds to the very definition of a CFD (Contract for Difference).
The “Bitpanda Stocks” product perfectly illustrates the ambiguity of the offering. According to Bitpanda’s official blog:
“Bitpanda Stocks are not shares, but a contract that allows participation in the price movements of certain stocks, including dividend distributions.”
Although Bitpanda explicitly states that these products are not CFDs, they share all the essential characteristics :
Unlike Bitpanda Stocks, the “Bitpanda Leverage” product is explicitly presented as a CFD:
Bit panda Leverage is a CFD, or contract for difference. This derivative product functions as an agreement between an investor and a broker, in this case Bitpanda.
This product allows taking long or short positions on cryptocurrencies with leverage effect, involving overnight fees typical of CFD products. It is therefore unambiguously a speculative trading product, characteristic of CFD brokers and not traditional exchanges.
Only the Bitpanda Pro platform seems to correspond to the traditional definition of a cryptocurrency exchange. On Bitpanda Pro, users “actually acquire the assets” and can “directly trade currencies and cryptocurrencies.” This distinction is crucial but often minimized in Bitpanda’s overall communication.
Bit panda is determined to position itself as a first-class “neo-broker” in the market and offers a wide range of offerings:
It provides access to dozens of cryptocurrencies, from essentials like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana or XRP, to more speculative memecoins like Shiba Inu. The offering is regularly updated, with new tokens listed according to market trends.
Investment-wise, entry starts from just $1, but conditions vary depending on the platform used. On the standard version, the user is exposed to the price of the asset without actually owning it, like a derivative product. On Bitpanda Pro, however, purchases are made spot, with actual ownership and the ability to withdraw funds to an external wallet.
Bitpanda allows investing in fractional shares of major international companies, as well as a selection of ETFs covering various sectors and stock indices. The offering is designed to allow diversified exposure, with accessible amounts, directly from the platform.
But beware: these are not real securities. Bitpanda Stocks are based on derivative contracts that replicate the price of underlying stocks. The user therefore does not own the asset itself, but still benefits from dividend replication for eligible stocks.
Bitpanda also offers exposure to precious metals with the ability to invest in gold, silver, platinum or palladium. These assets are available directly from the platform, just like cryptos or stocks.
Each position is backed by physical reserves stored in secure vaults, which guarantees a certain transparency on the underlying asset. Investment is accessible from small amounts, allowing portfolio diversification without significant commitment.
Bitpanda also offers access to leveraged trading via its Bitpanda Leverage product. This is a CFD allowing speculation on cryptocurrency price movements, both upward and downward. This product is aimed at a more experienced audience, familiar with risk mechanics and leverage.
Main features :
Several fiat currencies are accepted (EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, TRY), and purchases can be made directly by credit card for European users.
Cryptocurrency purchases are made directly with your credit card if you are a European resident, which significantly simplifies the investment process.
Registration on Bitpanda takes only a few minutes and follows a simplified process :
All sites that offer investments and cryptocurrency purchases require strict identity verification (KYC process) without which you can never start using their platform.
Once these steps are completed, you arrive at the site’s homepage and can start using Bitpanda’s services.
This website is designed to be simple to use. The user interface is entirely in English, smooth and very intuitive, making it accessible even to beginners.
The platform is also very easy to navigate. Services are arranged as tabs that you simply click on. In just a few clicks, you can buy cryptos, FIAT currencies, or physical assets.
It also offers more advanced features :
More experienced users will appreciate the new Bitpanda Pro platform. It’s a new site aimed at experienced users who wish to buy cryptos or trade.
The difference from the normal version is that it’s an exchange while the normal platform is a broker. On the BitpandaPro exchange, you actually acquire the assets you buy, while on the normal version, you take positions on the asset’s price.
Users can then directly trade currencies and cryptocurrencies with the risks associated with this practice.
On Bit panda, registration and account management are completely free. The only trading fees applied are 1.49% and concern Bitcoin buying and selling operations. Fees are included in the prices presented for other cryptos.
All money transactions from your card to the site and vice versa are free.
On Bitpanda Pro, caps of 0.1% and 0.15% have been set for maker fees and taker fees respectively.
Other Bitpanda fees are :
After thorough analysis, it appears as a legitimate and regulated platform that offers quality services, but whose marketing positioning deserves to be approached with a critical eye.
It caters to several user profiles, particularly those looking for a simple and centralized experience to invest in digital assets :
However, experienced traders looking for the lowest fees and complete ownership of their assets might prefer other more specialized platforms.
Thomas holds a BTS in computer science with a specialization in SEO and is certified in web writing and e-commerce. Passionate about blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies since 2018, he specializes in analyzing crypto market cycles. His journey into GPU mining began in 2019 with ETH before transitioning to KASPA and Alephium (ALPH).
Bitpanda combines both models: its standard platform functions like a broker where you invest in the price of assets without actually owning them, while Bitpanda Pro is a true exchange where you buy and own your cryptocurrencies.
Yes, Bitpanda offers derivative products similar to CFDs, notably through Bitpanda Stocks (for stocks) and Bitpanda Leverage (for leveraged cryptocurrencies), although the platform sometimes avoids explicitly using the term “CFD.”
Yes , Pitpanda became the first cryptocurrency platform to obtain a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) license from Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), enabling unified operations across all EU member states.
Bitpanda fees vary depending on the service: 1.49% for Bitcoin transactions, fees included in the spread for other cryptocurrencies, and specific fees for Bitpanda Pro (0.1% to 0.15% maker/taker) and Bitpanda Leverage (1% on sale, 0.1% overnight).
With Bitpanda Standard, you can’t directly withdraw your cryptocurrencies because you don’t actually own them (you invest in their price). With Bitpanda Pro, however, you can withdraw your cryptocurrencies to an external wallet after verifying your identity.
Bitpanda offers a good level of security with European regulation, fund protection measures, and two-factor authentication. However, as with any cryptocurrency investment platform, there are inherent risks associated with volatile markets and the derivative products offered.
DISCLAIMER
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice. Trading cryptocurrencies involves risks, and it is important not to invest more than you can afford to lose.
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