1. The licence first, the fees second. Since the EU's MiCA regulation took
effect, a company offering crypto services in the EU needs a licence from a regulator in one member state – with it,
it may serve customers in the whole EU. The transition period, during which firms could keep operating under older
national registrations, ended on 1 July 2026 at the latest. Every licensed company is listed in the public register
of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA); the table checks each exchange against it. A licence does
not make an exchange risk-free, but it means rules for keeping customer assets separate, for complaints and for
supervision.
2. Proof of reserves. After the collapse of FTX many exchanges
started publishing a proof of reserves. "Verifiable" means you can check
yourself that your balance is included; a report by a third party is weaker. Neither is a full audit – it shows
the coins the exchange holds, not always all of its debts.
3. Fees. On an order-book exchange you pay a maker fee when your order waits in the book and a taker fee
when it is filled right away – the table shows both for the lowest tier. The simple "buy" button of many apps
costs more, often as a spread hidden in the price. Card purchases are the most expensive way in; a SEPA bank transfer
is usually free.
4. Incidents. A hack in the past is not a reason to avoid an exchange on its own – what matters is whether
customers got their money back and what changed afterwards. The cards link to lessons that tell the full story.
Whatever you choose, keep on the exchange only what you actively trade. Why, and how to pick an exchange step by
step, is explained in the lessons Choosing an exchange,
Choosing a licensed exchange and
Exchange or your own wallet?. And beware of clones of
well-known exchanges: fake exchanges and apps.
- Sources. Every value comes from the exchange's own fee page, terms or help centre, the ESMA register or a
major news outlet – the links are under "Sources" on each card.
- Who it applies to. A retail customer in the EU, the exchange's EU company and its lowest fee tier.
- Missing values. When an exchange does not publish a value or it could not be verified, the table says so
instead of guessing.
- Incidents. Hacks, losses of customer money and fines or settlements above 1 million dollars, with the outcome. Smaller administrative fines are left out.
- Order. Alphabetical. The comparison does not rank exchanges and does not recommend any of them.
- No money from exchanges. There are no affiliate links on this page and no exchange paid to be included.
- Fees change. Check the current fees on the exchange's site before you deposit money. Found a mistake? Write to
tom@tomsramek.com.
This page is educational, not investment advice. Read the risk warning too.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a MiCA licence and why does it matter?
- MiCA is the EU regulation on crypto-assets. A company that lets people in the EU buy, sell or store crypto needs a licence from the regulator of one member state – after the transition period, which ended on 1 July 2026 at the latest. The licence brings rules for keeping customers' assets separate, capital requirements and supervision. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) keeps the list of licensed companies.
- Does Binance have a MiCA licence?
- No. Binance is not in the ESMA register of MiCA-licensed companies (as of 31 August 2026). In June 2026 it withdrew its application in Greece and said it would apply in another EU country. According to press reports, it serves customers in parts of the EU from its Abu Dhabi company and EU authorities are examining this; Binance says it complies with the rules. The details and sources are on its card above.
- Which Czech crypto exchanges have a MiCA licence?
- According to the ESMA register (as of 31 August 2026), the Czech National Bank has licensed, among others, Coinmate (since 27 February 2026) and Anycoin, operated by MP Developers s.r.o. (since 11 February 2026). Other Czech crypto services such as Simplecoin and Coinero hold a licence too; the full list is in the ESMA register.
- Which crypto exchange has the lowest fees?
- It depends on how you buy. Orders on an exchange's order book (maker/taker) are usually much cheaper than the simple buy button of an app, which often hides a spread in the price. Buying with a card is the most expensive way, a SEPA bank transfer is usually free. Compare the trading and card columns in the table and check the current price list before you deposit.
- Which crypto exchange is the safest?
- No exchange is risk-free – FTX was one of the biggest in the world and collapsed within nine days. Look for a MiCA licence, a proof of reserves and how an exchange handled past incidents, protect your account with two-factor authentication and keep long-term savings in a wallet where you control the keys.
