Crypto Exchange Comparison Tool
Compare Crypto Exchanges
Select exchanges and see how they compare on key criteria important for security and usability. Learn from The Rock Trading's experience by understanding what to look for in a reliable platform.
| Criteria | Kraken | Bitstamp | Bybit | Binance | Coinbase | The Rock Trading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulation | US-regulated | EU compliant | EU compliant | Global (limited in EU) | US-regulated | Malta & Italy regulated (2011-2023) |
| Trading Fees | 0.16%-0.26% | 0.25% (maker), 0.40% (taker) | 0.10% | 0.04%-0.10% | 0.50%-1.49% | 0.02%-0.50% (pre-2023) |
| Supported Coins | 150+ | 30+ | 100+ | 500+ | 200+ | ~15 |
| Mobile App | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Customer Support | Fast (email/phone) | Medium (email) | Fast (24/7) | Fast (chat/email) | Fast (24/7) | Slow (48+ hrs) |
| Security Features | Advanced cold storage, 2FA | Strong security | Multi-signature, 2FA | Good security | Standard security | Multi-signature (2021 breach) |
| Advanced Trading | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Key Takeaways from The Rock Trading Experience
Based on the collapse of The Rock Trading, consider these critical factors when choosing an exchange:
- Regulation alone doesn't guarantee safety - look for active security measures and transparent operations
- Regular platform updates and feature development are essential for long-term viability
- Mobile access and fast support are critical in today's market
- Don't put all your crypto in one place - diversify your holdings across secure platforms
Your Selection Summary:
Based on your selections, we recommend: Kraken for a balance of regulation, security, and features. It's particularly suitable for European users who value compliance with MiCA regulations.
When The Rock Trading launched in 2011, it wasn’t just another crypto exchange. It was one of the first in Europe to operate with real regulatory paperwork-registered with Malta’s financial authority and Italy’s OAM. For years, it stayed quiet, didn’t chase hype, and built a reputation as the reliable old bank in a wild, neon-lit crypto world. If you were a European user looking to buy Bitcoin without jumping through hoops, The Rock Trading was one of the few places you could trust.
What Made The Rock Trading Different?
- It focused on regulated compliance, not speculative trading.
- It offered low fees-as low as 0.02% for high-volume traders.
- It had a simple interface called Fastlane, letting beginners buy crypto in three clicks.
- It supported EUR, GBP, and USD, with bank transfers as the main deposit method.
- It partnered with GreenAddress for multi-signature wallets, adding an extra layer of security.
Its API was fast. Its customer support was praised by early users. And for over a decade, it survived crashes, bear markets, and hacks that wiped out weaker exchanges. Many users trusted it because it never promised the moon. It just let you buy, sell, and store crypto-cleanly and legally.
The Downfall: What Went Wrong?
The cracks started showing in 2021. Onedime, the company handling digital services for The Rock Trading, got hacked. €904,000 vanished. The exchange didn’t disclose the full loss right away. Users noticed delays in withdrawals. Support responses slowed down. Then, in early 2023, things collapsed.In February 2023, The Rock Trading froze all withdrawals. Over 30,000 users couldn’t access their funds. Emails went unanswered. The website stayed up, but the buttons stopped working. By April 14, 2023, a court in Milan declared the company bankrupt.
What caused it? Not one thing-but a chain of failures:
- Liquidity mismanagement: The exchange didn’t keep enough cash reserves to cover withdrawals when demand spiked.
- Outdated infrastructure: Security systems hadn’t been upgraded since 2018. The GreenAddress partnership, once a strength, became a liability after the 2021 breach.
- No backup plan: Unlike exchanges that kept cold storage backups or insurance, The Rock Trading relied on a single operational model that couldn’t handle stress.
- Delayed transparency: When problems arose, they didn’t tell users. Silence turned trust into anger.
By the time the bankruptcy was official, most users had lost access to their crypto. Some funds were tied up in court proceedings. A small portion might be recovered through asset liquidation-but most won’t get their money back.
How Did Users Feel Before It Crashed?
Before 2023, reviews were mostly positive. On G2, users called it “excellent for trading, selling, and buying cryptocurrency.” BitTrust.org had a 2.33/5 rating based on only a few reviews-low, but not terrible for a niche platform. People liked the low fees and simple design. One user wrote: “It’s been operating since 2011 and I can totally trust them.”But behind the scenes, complaints were growing:
- Account verification took 5-7 days.
- Customer support took 48+ hours to reply.
- US users couldn’t use bank transfers-only OKPay, which was unreliable.
- No mobile app. No advanced charts. No staking.
For beginners, it was great. For anyone serious about trading, it felt like using a flip phone in 2025. The platform didn’t evolve with the market. And in crypto, standing still means falling behind.
How Did It Compare to Other Exchanges?
| Feature | The Rock Trading | Binance | Coinbase | Kraken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 | 2017 | 2012 | 2011 |
| Regulation | MFSA, OAM (Europe) | Global (limited in EU) | US-regulated | US-regulated |
| Fees (trading) | 0.02%-0.50% | 0.04%-0.10% | 0.50%-1.49% | 0.16%-0.26% |
| Supported Coins | ~15 | 500+ | 200+ | 150+ |
| Advanced Trading | No futures, no leverage | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| US Access | Restricted (OKPay only) | Yes (limited) | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Support | Slow (48+ hrs) | Fast (chat/email) | Fast (24/7) | Fast (email/phone) |
| Status (2025) | Bankrupt since April 2023 | Active | Active | Active |
The Rock Trading wasn’t trying to compete with Binance. It was trying to be the safe, quiet alternative. But safety without innovation is just stagnation. When users needed faster support, more coins, or mobile access, The Rock Trading didn’t adapt. Meanwhile, competitors kept building.
What You Should Learn From This
The Rock Trading’s collapse isn’t just a story about one failed exchange. It’s a warning for anyone who thinks “old” means “safe.”- Regulation doesn’t guarantee safety. It just means they followed the paperwork-not the market.
- Low fees don’t matter if you can’t withdraw your money.
- Trust is built over years, but lost in days.
- Don’t put all your crypto in one place, especially if it’s not transparent.
Many users stayed with The Rock Trading because they didn’t know better. They assumed longevity meant stability. But in crypto, history doesn’t protect you. Only good practices do.
What Happens Now?
As of 2025, The Rock Trading is dead. The website is offline. The domain is inactive. The company’s remaining crypto assets are being liquidated by the Milan court. Creditors-including users-are waiting to see if they get even a fraction of their funds back.There’s no official compensation plan. No refund portal. No customer service line. Just legal filings and silence.
If you held crypto on The Rock Trading, your only option is to monitor the bankruptcy proceedings-though recovery odds are slim. Most users are writing it off as a loss.
Where Should You Go Instead?
If you’re looking for a reliable European exchange today, here are three solid options:- Kraken - Strong regulation, low fees, good support, and full EU compliance.
- Bitstamp - One of the oldest EU exchanges, still operating since 2011, with solid security.
- Bybit - Offers both simple and advanced trading, with strong EU licensing.
All three have mobile apps, faster support, and regular security audits. None of them promise to be “quiet.” But they’re alive-and that matters more than history.
Final Thoughts
The Rock Trading didn’t fail because it was bad. It failed because it stopped changing. It thought being old and regulated was enough. But crypto doesn’t reward nostalgia. It rewards adaptation.If you’re new to crypto, avoid exchanges that don’t update their apps, ignore user complaints, or hide behind “we’ve been here since 2011.” That’s not a badge of honor. It’s a red flag.
Trust is earned every day-not remembered from the past.
Is The Rock Trading still operational?
No. The Rock Trading was declared bankrupt by a Milan court on April 14, 2023. All services were shut down, withdrawals were frozen, and the website is no longer active. The company is in liquidation, and users are waiting to see if any funds can be recovered.
Can I get my money back from The Rock Trading?
There is no guaranteed way to recover funds. The company’s remaining crypto assets are being sold off by the court, and proceeds will go to creditors. Most users are expected to receive only a small portion-if anything-of their original holdings. There is no official refund process or customer support channel.
Why did The Rock Trading shut down?
It shut down due to a combination of factors: a 2021 hack that stole €904,000, poor liquidity management, outdated security systems, and slow customer support. When users tried to withdraw funds in early 2023, the exchange couldn’t cover the requests. This led to a freeze, then bankruptcy.
Was The Rock Trading regulated?
Yes. It was registered with the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) and Italy’s OAM. It followed AML and KYC rules, which made it one of the more compliant exchanges in Europe during its early years. But regulation doesn’t prevent operational failure-only legal oversight.
Did The Rock Trading have a mobile app?
No. The Rock Trading only offered a web-based platform. There was no official mobile app. This made it inconvenient for users who wanted to trade on the go, especially as competitors like Coinbase and Kraken launched full-featured apps in the 2010s.
What was The Rock Trading’s biggest weakness?
Its biggest weakness was refusing to evolve. It didn’t add new features, improve support speed, or upgrade security after 2018. While other exchanges added staking, futures, mobile apps, and instant withdrawals, The Rock Trading stayed stuck in 2015. That made it vulnerable when pressure hit.
Is The Rock Trading safe to use now?
No. The exchange is defunct. Its website is offline, and its services have been terminated. Using it now is impossible. If you see any site claiming to be The Rock Trading, it’s a scam.
What should I look for in a crypto exchange today?
Look for: clear regulation (like MiCA in Europe), two-factor authentication, cold storage for assets, fast customer support, a mobile app, and transparency about fees and security audits. Avoid exchanges that don’t update their platform, have slow support, or lack a clear history of handling withdrawals.
3 Comments
Tiffany M
December 13, 2025 AT 14:39 PMWow, this is such a classic case of ‘we were fine until we weren’t’-like your grandpa’s car that ran for 20 years but died the second you needed it to go to the hospital.
The Rock Trading wasn’t evil, it was just… lazy. They thought being regulated meant they were bulletproof, like having a seatbelt on a horse-drawn carriage.
Low fees? Cool. But when your withdrawals take 3 weeks and your support replies with ‘we’re reviewing your case’ for the 17th time, you don’t need a PhD to know something’s rotten.
And no mobile app in 2023? Bro, I’m not asking for AR trading charts-I just want to buy Bitcoin while waiting for my coffee. That’s not luxury, that’s basic.
They didn’t get hacked because they were bad-they got hacked because they were complacent. Like locking your front door but leaving the back window wide open and calling it ‘security’.
Regulation doesn’t protect you from incompetence. It just means someone signed a form saying ‘we promise we’ll try’.
I used them back in 2015. Back then, they were the quiet guy at the party who actually knew what he was talking about. By 2022? He was nodding off in the corner, snoring into his kombucha.
People still say ‘but they were around since 2011!’ Like that’s a merit badge. In crypto, surviving doesn’t mean thriving-it just means you were slow enough to not get eaten first.
And now? Silence. No apology. No refund portal. Just a ghost site and a court filing. That’s not failure. That’s disrespect.
If you’re still holding crypto on any exchange that doesn’t have a live chat button and a mobile app, you’re not being careful-you’re being nostalgic.
Scot Sorenson
December 15, 2025 AT 00:01 AMSo let me get this straight-this exchange had a 0.02% fee and a 3-click interface, but couldn’t handle a 900k hack? That’s like having a Lamborghini with a paper towel for a brake pad.
They didn’t fail because they were small. They failed because they thought being boring was a strategy.
Meanwhile, Kraken and Bitstamp kept upgrading, kept listening, kept shipping. The Rock Trading? They kept pretending 2015 was still trending.
And now users are out hundreds of thousands? And the ‘solution’ is… legal filings? Congrats, you turned trust into a lawsuit.
Regulation isn’t a shield. It’s a license to operate. It doesn’t stop idiots from mismanaging funds. It just means the idiots had lawyers.
What’s next? A bank that’s FDIC-insured but doesn’t let you withdraw cash because ‘we’re optimizing our systems’?
Stop romanticizing ‘old-school’ crypto. It’s not wisdom. It’s entropy.
Eunice Chook
December 15, 2025 AT 00:53 AMThey weren’t safe. They were slow. And slow is the new dangerous.