Kraken vs Bitpanda: global exchange vs the EU specialist | Bitcoin Almanack

Kraken vs Bitpanda: global exchange vs the EU specialist

Kraken serves nearly every market with tighter fees. Bitpanda is built for the EU specifically — EUR-native, SEPA-first, and licensed under MiCA. Which wins depends entirely on where you bank.
BY MARISOL VEGA·UPDATED JUL 2026·7 MIN READ·CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS
Kraken logo
Kraken8.9
BEST ON FEES
0.25%/0.40% Pro fees, 14 years without losing customer funds, available in most EU countries too.
Visit Kraken →
BP
Bitpanda8.2
BEST FOR EU/SEPA
Full MiCA license via Austria's FMA, instant free SEPA, stocks and ETFs in the same app.
Visit Bitpanda →

Side by side

KRAKENBITPANDA
€500 bitcoin buy fee~0.4%1.5–3%
EUR deposit railSEPA (1–2 days)Instant SEPA
EU regulatory licenseMiCA via Ireland entityMiCA via Austria FMA
Stocks/ETFs in-appNoYes
Lightning supportYesNo
Fees verified JUL 2026 — confirm before buying. BTC {{ price }}
OUR VERDICT
Pick Kraken if lowest fees and Lightning support matter most and you don't mind a Pro-trader-oriented UI. Pick Bitpanda if you want a single EUR-native app for bitcoin, stocks, and ETFs with a MiCA license from a home-market regulator.

Common questions

Are both regulated under MiCA?
Yes — both hold MiCA CASP licenses, passported across the EU. Kraken operates through its Ireland entity; Bitpanda through Austria's FMA.
Which is cheaper for a small EUR buy?
Kraken, usually by a wide margin — its 0.25–0.40% fee tier beats Bitpanda's 1.5–3% spread on most order sizes.
SCORES AT A GLANCE
Kraken8.9
Bitpanda8.2

What is MiCA?

The EU rulebook licensing both exchanges above across all 27 member states.
Read the glossary entry →