Coinbase vs Bitvavo
Side-by-side comparison from our sourced exchange data. A dash means we haven't verified that fact — we don't fill gaps with guesses.
| Coinbase | Bitvavo | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | — | — |
| Founded | 2012 | 2018 |
| Headquarters | No headquarters — remote-first company since May 2020 (per its 10-K, it does not maintain principal executive offices) | Keizersgracht 281, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
| Spot maker (base) | 0.4% | 0.15% |
| Spot taker (base) | 0.6% | 0.25% |
| Listed assets | ~247 | ~300 |
| KYC | Required | Required |
| Notably unavailable | China, Russia | — |
How they differ
Coinbase is a global platform founded in 2012, remote-first with no principal executive offices, listing about 247 assets and separating simple buys from the Coinbase Advanced venue. Bitvavo, founded in 2018 and based in Amsterdam, is a European platform with about 300 listed assets and euro-focused funding. For readers outside the EEA the comparison ends quickly, since Bitvavo's MiCA licence covers the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
On fees, Bitvavo's base euro-market tier is 0.15% maker and 0.25% taker, with USDC markets at 0.05%/0.05% and stablecoin pairs at 0.10%/0.10%. Coinbase Advanced starts at 0.4% maker and 0.6% taker with 30-day volume tiers and 0% maker on selected stable pairs, and its simple buy flow is priced on a different schedule again. Bitvavo also publishes deposit pricing: SEPA, iDEAL, Wero, Apple Pay and Bancontact at 0%, credit card at 1.00%, EPS and Giropay at 1.75% and PayPal at 2.00%. The Coinbase profile records no payment methods.
Both require verification. Bitvavo asks for a government-issued ID plus a short video under European anti-money-laundering rules; Coinbase requires verification for full use of services and an SSN or ITIN from US customers. Coinbase reports availability in over 100 countries with China and Russia excluded and features varying by market; Bitvavo records no notable exclusions within its EEA footprint.
Both are MiCA-licensed, through different regulators: Bitvavo via the Dutch AFM on 27 June 2025, covering custody, trading platform operation and crypto transfers and superseding its earlier DNB registration, and Coinbase via the Luxembourg CSSF, passported across the EU. The Bitvavo profile records no security incidents. Coinbase disclosed a May 2025 breach in which bribed third-party support contractors exfiltrated personal data on roughly 70,000 customers, with remediation estimated at $180M to $400M. Both document REST and WebSocket APIs; Bitvavo additionally offers FIX and a low-latency market data feed.