Trustpilot is issuing a brutal verdict on crypto exchanges: Binance 1.4, Kraken 1.6, Bitstamp 1.7, Gemini 1.4, Blockchain.com 2.1—dominated by frozen-account horror stories and support dead ends. Only Coinbase and Bitpanda (3.9, Great) and Bybit (3.4, Average) escape “scam-level.” Fintechs like Revolut (4.6, Excellent) and Wise (4.3) show how far crypto’s CX still lags.
It is the first major acquisition in the crypto sector in 2024. The California-based fintech Robinhood has agreed to acquire the global crypto exchange Bitstamp. This acquisition is set to expand Robinhood’s reach, bringing Bitstamp’s services to retail and institutional customers. Founded in 2011, Bitstamp operates in Luxembourg, the UK, Slovenia, Singapore, and the US. The acquisition, anticipated to close in the first half of 2025, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
The well-known crypto exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, Crypto.com, or FTX seem to have a problem with their customers. On Trustpilot, most of the top crypto exchanges have scam ratings with customers complaining about unfounded blocked accounts and problems with customer service. Exceptions are CEX.io, Oobit, or BitPanda, which stand out like a lighthouse on Trustpilot. With 4.7-stars and 4.1-stars respectively, CEX.io and BitPanda apparently perform incredibly better than their international competitors.
Forbes Advisor named Gate.io as one of the 10 best crypto exchanges in February 2022, awarding it a 4.5-star rating. This puts Gate.io ahead of the better-known and regulated Bitstamp. Operated by Gate Technology Corp in the Marshall Islands, the crypto exchange proudly displays this nomination on its website. However, regulators currently have no tolerance for unregulated crypto exchanges. The Spanish CNMV has therefore issued an investor warning against the unregulated offshore crypto exchange Gate.io. Be careful when trading with unregulated crypto exchanges.
The last days of 2020 saw the U.S. SEC complaint against Ripple Labs Inc. alleging that its XRP is actually a security. A regulatory attack on the entire crypto scene, some analysts argue. Once the 3rd-largest crypto, XRP's market cap plummeted from more than $26 billion to less than $10 billion. Some crypto exchanges such as Coinbase, OKCoin, or Crypto.com have suspended trading in XRP. Is it the end of days for XRP and the crypto bull-run?