BEQUANT Crypto Exchange Review: What Happened and Where It Stands in 2025

When you search for BEQUANT crypto exchange, you might expect a thriving platform with low fees, fast trades, and a mobile app. But here’s the truth: BEQUANT hasn’t been a retail crypto exchange since July 31, 2022. If you’re looking to buy Bitcoin or trade altcoins on BEQUANT today, you won’t find that option. The platform you read about in old reviews no longer exists for regular traders.

BEQUANT Was Once a Real Exchange - But It Changed Everything

BEQUANT launched in 2018 as a crypto exchange targeting both retail and professional traders. It had 85 trading pairs, low maker fees at 0.01%, and co-located servers in London’s Equinix LD4 data center to deliver microsecond execution speeds. For active traders, that was a big deal. It wasn’t just another exchange - it was built for speed and reliability, with FIX 4.4 and WebSocket APIs that institutional traders loved.

But by 2021, BEQUANT had already started shifting. It got licensed by Malta’s Financial Services Authority (MFSA) under the Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFAA), earning both Class 4 (exchange) and Class 3 (prime brokerage) licenses. That’s rare. Most exchanges don’t get regulated at all, let alone with two separate licenses. But even with that credibility, BEQUANT made a bold move.

In July 2022, the company announced it was shutting down its retail exchange operations. All trading, deposits, and withdrawals for individual users ended on July 31, 2022. By August 8, 2022, the last retail accounts were closed. The reason? The cost of serving retail traders - compliance, support, fraud prevention, app development - was eating into profits. Meanwhile, institutional clients were growing fast, and they paid more, stayed longer, and needed fewer hand-holding services.

What Is BEQUANT Now? (It’s Not What You Think)

Today, BEQUANT operates as BeQuant Pro Limited, a regulated prime brokerage firm under MFSA supervision. That means it doesn’t let you log in and trade Bitcoin yourself. Instead, it serves hedge funds, asset managers, OTC desks, and family offices that trade large volumes of crypto.

Here’s what BEQUANT Pro actually offers now:

• Access to over 13 institutional liquidity pools - meaning better prices and deeper markets for big trades
• Direct market access (DMA) with ultra-low latency - trades execute in microseconds, not seconds
• Prime brokerage services: custody, lending, borrowing, and collateral management
• APIs built for algorithmic and high-frequency trading (FIX 4.4, REST, WebSocket)
• ISO 27001 certified security infrastructure

If you’re a retail trader, this is useless. If you manage $10 million in crypto assets, this is exactly what you need. BEQUANT doesn’t compete with Binance or Kraken anymore. It competes with firms like Cumberland, Genesis, and BlockFi’s institutional arm.

Why Did BEQUANT Leave Retail? The Real Reason

Many people assume BEQUANT shut down because it was a scam or got hacked. It wasn’t. The platform was legitimate. It had real licenses, real infrastructure, and real clients. But running a retail exchange in Europe became too expensive and too risky.

Regulatory pressure in the EU has been climbing since 2020. The MiCA regulation (Markets in Crypto-Assets) came into force in 2024, forcing exchanges to meet strict capital, reporting, and AML requirements. For a small exchange like BEQUANT, keeping up meant hiring compliance officers, building KYC systems, supporting 10+ languages, and maintaining mobile apps - all for thin margins.

Retail users, on average, trade small amounts. They need hand-holding. They call support when they can’t find their wallet. They leave negative reviews if the app glitches. Meanwhile, institutional clients trade millions per day, sign multi-year contracts, and rarely complain. The math was simple: focus on the big players, or die trying.

What Users Said Before the Shutdown

Before BEQUANT closed its doors to retail, user feedback was mixed but mostly positive for experienced traders.

On CryptoGeek, the platform had a 3.8/5 rating based on just four reviews - a tiny sample size, which tells you it never had mass retail adoption. People who liked it praised:

• Low maker fees (0.01%) - better than most competitors
• Fast execution - trades felt instant
• Clean interface - no clutter, no ads

But the complaints were consistent:

• No mobile app - you had to use a desktop browser
• English only - no Russian, Spanish, or Chinese support
• No educational content - beginners felt lost
• Customer support was slow - email only, no live chat for retail

One user wrote: “I used BEQUANT for 6 months. It was perfect for my algo strategies. But when I tried to get help with my wallet, I waited 3 days for a reply. Not worth it for a beginner.”

How BEQUANT Compared to Other Exchanges (Back in the Day)

Here’s how BEQUANT stacked up against major exchanges before it shut down:

BEQUANT’s biggest advantage was its infrastructure. Its co-location in Equinix LD4 gave it a speed edge over exchanges hosted on AWS or Google Cloud. But its biggest weakness? It never built for the average user.

Is BEQUANT Safe? (Yes - But Only for Institutions)

BEQUANT Pro Limited is still licensed and regulated by Malta’s MFSA. It holds ISO 27001 certification, meaning its security systems meet international standards for data protection. It doesn’t hold retail customer funds anymore - all assets are managed under segregated institutional custody.

That makes it one of the safest options for institutional crypto trading. But if you’re an individual looking to trade $500 of Ethereum, you can’t use it. There’s no way in. No sign-up page. No deposit button. Nothing.

What Should You Do If You’re Looking for a BEQUANT Alternative?

If you’re a retail trader who liked BEQUANT’s low fees and clean interface, here are better options today:

• Bybit - Low fees, great API, mobile app, and still growing in Europe
• Kraken - Regulated, strong security, good for active traders
• Bitstamp - One of the oldest regulated exchanges in Europe, simple UI
• Gate.io - 1,000+ trading pairs, low fees, and decent API access

If you’re an institutional investor or fund manager? BEQUANT Pro is still a strong contender - but you’ll need to contact them directly through their website. No public sign-up. No demo account. You need to prove you’re a qualified institutional client.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters for Crypto

BEQUANT’s story isn’t just about one exchange shutting down. It’s a sign of where crypto is headed.

The wild west days of retail exchanges are ending. Regulatory pressure, rising costs, and competition from giants like Binance and Coinbase are pushing smaller players out. Meanwhile, institutional demand is exploding. More banks, hedge funds, and pension funds are entering crypto - and they don’t want a flashy app. They want secure, fast, compliant infrastructure.

BEQUANT didn’t fail. It evolved. It chose survival over popularity. And in a market where 90% of exchanges have shut down since 2018, that’s a win.

Final Verdict: BEQUANT in 2025

If you’re reading this because you want to trade crypto on BEQUANT - you’re too late. The exchange is gone. The website still exists, but it’s now a corporate portal for institutional clients only.

If you’re an institutional trader looking for a regulated, low-latency prime brokerage with deep liquidity - BEQUANT Pro is still a solid option. But don’t waste your time trying to sign up as a retail user. You won’t get in.

The lesson? Don’t trust old reviews. Crypto changes fast. Always check the date - and the business model - before you trust a platform.