Bitstamp Ltd

Bitstamp Ltd

Bitstamp was founded in 2011 in Slovenia by Nejc Kodrič and Damijan Merlak, initially as a simple Bitcoin exchange before becoming one of the few legacy platforms to survive the 2014 Mt. Gox collapse and subsequent regulatory cycles. It moved its headquarters to London and secured a Luxembourg-based EU payment institution license in 2016, setting it apart from less regulated peers. The firm operates across spot exchange, OTC trading, and stablecoin infrastructure, serving both retail and institutional clients. It lists around 80 digital assets and has partnered with banks and fintech firms for custody and settlement. Bitstamp's geographic footprint spans Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, with licensed operations in the UK, Luxembourg, the US (via Bitstamp USA), and Singapore. The exchange has never suffered a major security breach — a differentiating fact in an industry scarred by hacks. In recent years, Bitstamp has focused on expanding its institutional product suite, including staking, margin trading, and white-label services. In 2023, it announced plans to strengthen its US presence through a partnership with a major custody provider. Bitstamp's structural differentiator is its regulatory-first approach in a sector where many competitors operate in gray zones first and seek licenses later. The firm holds multiple regulated licenses across jurisdictions, a model that has allowed it to survive market downturns while less compliant rivals folded.