Crypto Trading Fee Calculator
Fee Estimate
Comparison with Modern Exchanges
How The Rock Trading's fees compare to today's leading platforms:
| Exchange | Maker Fee | Taker Fee | Low Volume (€10k) | High Volume (€500k) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rock Trading | 0.10% | 0.20% | €10 | €100 |
| Binance | 0.00% | 0.04% | €4 | €200 |
| Coinbase | 0.00% | 0.50% | €50 | €2,500 |
| Kraken | 0.00% | 0.26% | €26 | €1,300 |
When you hear the name The Rock Trading is a European cryptocurrency exchange that operated from 2011 until its bankruptcy in 2023, you probably picture a relic from the early days of Bitcoin. But is it still a viable option for today’s traders, or does its story serve more as a cautionary tale? This review walks through the exchange’s history, fees, security track record, and why it finally shut down - all without the hype you see on newer platforms.
Quick Takeaways
- Founded in 2011, The Rock Trading was one of the longest‑running European exchanges.
- It offered low fees (as low as 0.02% for high‑volume traders) and strong KYC/AML compliance.
- Security was decent early on, but a 2021 hack and poor liquidity management led to its downfall.
- Bankruptcy in April 2023 left >30,000 users with frozen assets; recovery depends on court‑ordered liquidation.
- For new traders, the platform’s simple UI still looks nice, but the market has moved on - consider modern alternatives.
How The Rock Trading Got Its Start
Back in June2011 the exchange executed its first Bitcoin trade, positioning itself as a regulated gateway for European users. Registrations with the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) and Italy’s Organismo Agenti e Mediatori (OAM) gave it a legitimacy that many rivals lacked during the early crypto boom. By the end of 2012, The Rock Trading was already handling BTC/EUR, BTC/GBP, and a handful of alt‑coin pairs, catering mainly to retail investors who wanted a “bank‑like” experience.
Regulation and Licensing - What That Means for You
The exchange’s compliance was a selling point. Being registered with MFSA meant it had to follow Malta’s strict AML5 directives, while the OAM registration added an Italian layer of oversight. In practice, users faced a thorough KYC process: government‑issued ID, proof of address, and sometimes a selfie. The verification could take days - a common gripe - but it helped keep the platform off many black‑lists.
Trading Features, Pairs, and Fees
At its peak, The Rock Trading supported about 15 major pairs, including BTC/EUR, BTC/USD, LTC/EUR and even niche combos like EUR/DOGE. The fee structure was tiered: newcomers paid 0.50%, while high‑volume traders (over €500,000 monthly) saw fees drop to 0.075% according to BitTrust.org, and CryptoCompare reported “up to 0.02%” for the very highest tiers. Here’s a quick snapshot:
- Base maker fee: 0.10%
- Base taker fee: 0.20%
- Volume‑based discounts: 0.075% - 0.50%
- Deposit fees: free for SEPA transfers; small fee for SWIFT
- Withdrawal fees: €0.20 per Euro withdrawal, variable for crypto
For European traders, those numbers were competitive, especially compared to a 0.15%-0.25% spread on many U.S. platforms at the time.
Security Measures and the 2021 Incident
The exchange partnered with GreenAddress to provide multi‑signature confirmations on deposits and withdrawals - a solid move that prevented most on‑chain thefts. However, in 2021 a hack of Onedime, the third‑party service handling some of The Rock Trading’s back‑office operations, resulted in a €904,000 loss. The breach forced the exchange to patch its infrastructure, but the incident exposed a reliance on external vendors that many competitors had already eliminated.
Pros and Cons - A Balanced View
- Pros
- Low, transparent fee schedule, especially for high‑volume traders.
- Strong European regulatory compliance (MFSA, OAM).
- User‑friendly web UI and an API praised for speed.
- Fastlane feature - three‑click crypto purchases for beginners.
- Cons
- Limited alt‑coin selection - no DeFi tokens or leveraged products.
- U.S. users restricted to OKPay, no direct bank links.
- Customer support often slow - average response time reported at 48hours.
- Liquidity dried up in 2023, leading to frozen funds and bankruptcy.
How It Stacks Up Against Modern Giants
Below is a side‑by‑side look at The Rock Trading versus three of today’s biggest exchanges. The figures reflect 2023 data, the last full year the platform operated.
| Feature | The Rock Trading | Binance | Coinbase | Kraken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 | 2017 | 2012 | 2011 |
| Regulation (EU) | MFSA, OAM | None (self‑regulated) | NYDFS, FCA | FinCEN, FCA |
| Supported fiat | EUR, USD | USD, EUR, GBP, others | USD, EUR, GBP | USD, EUR, CAD, JPY |
| Lowest fee tier | 0.02% | 0.00% maker / 0.04% taker | 0.00% maker / 0.50% taker | 0.00% maker / 0.26% taker |
| Alt‑coin count | ~12 major pairs | >600 | ~300 | ~200 |
| Advanced products | Spot only | Futures, options, staking | Staking, earn | Futures, margin |
| Status (2025) | Bankrupt, liquidated | Operational | Operational | Operational |
The Collapse - What Went Wrong?
In February2023 the exchange announced “temporary liquidity issues.” Within weeks, withdrawals stopped, and over 30,000 users found their balances locked. A Milan court declared bankruptcy on April142023, ordering the liquidation of the remaining crypto holdings. Analysts point to three main factors:
- Liquidity mismanagement: The platform kept most assets in cold storage, leaving little room to cover sudden withdrawal spikes.
- Security fallout: The 2021 Onedime hack eroded trust and forced costly remediation.
- Regulatory pressure: New EU AML rules in 2022 required tighter capital buffers, which the exchange struggled to meet.
When the court finally releases assets, users can expect a pro‑rata return based on the net value of the remaining crypto. The process can stretch over several years, similar to the Mt.Gox fallout.
If You’re Still Holding The Rock Trading Funds
Here’s a quick checklist to protect what’s left:
- Verify your case with the official court‑appointed liquidator - avoid unofficial “recovery services”.
- Gather all transaction records (email confirmations, screenshot of balances) for proof of claim.
- Monitor the liquidator’s public statements - they’ll publish timelines and payout formulas.
- Consider diversifying any recovered assets into a more liquid, insured platform.
Final Thoughts - Is The Rock Trading Worth Considering?
For anyone looking to start trading today, the answer is a clear no. The exchange is defunct, its assets are tied up in legal proceedings, and the market has moved on to platforms that offer richer features, better insurance, and faster support. However, the review still holds value for a few reasons:
- It illustrates how strong regulation can be a double‑edged sword - good for trust, but costly if you can’t keep up with evolving rules.
- The fee model remains a benchmark for low‑cost European trading.
- Its simple UI is a good reference point for “beginner‑friendly” design.
In short, study The Rock Trading’s rise and fall, then apply those lessons to choose a modern, solvent exchange that matches your trading style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Rock Trading still operational?
No. The exchange was declared bankrupt in April2023 and has been under court‑ordered liquidation ever since.
Can I still withdraw my funds?
Withdrawals are frozen. You must file a claim with the appointed liquidator and wait for the court‑approved distribution schedule.
How did The Rock Trading’s fees compare to other exchanges?
Its tiered fee structure ranged from 0.50% for low volume down to as low as 0.02% for high‑volume traders - cheaper than many European rivals and comparable to Binance’s maker‑taker model.
Was The Rock Trading safe to use before it collapsed?
Security was decent early on, thanks to multi‑sig wallets via GreenAddress, but the 2021 Onedime hack exposed weaknesses in its third‑party dependencies.
What should I look for in a replacement exchange?
Prioritize strong regulation (e.g., MFSA, FCA), transparent fee schedules, robust insurance for custodial assets, and responsive customer support. Platforms like Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken meet most of these criteria.
20 Comments
Chloe Jobson
The Rock Trading had the cleanest UI I ever saw back in 2015. No clutter, no ads, just trading. I miss that simplicity.
Now everything’s a casino with 100 leveraged tokens and influencer promos.
Andrew Morgan
man i still remember when i first used this place back in like 2013
no one even knew what crypto was but they had a legit bank link
and now look at it gone
and the new ones are all just crypto bros with nfts in their bios
rip
Michael Folorunsho
Let’s be honest-this was a glorified amateur hour exchange with European bureaucracy as its only selling point.
Anyone who used this in 2020 was either naive or living in a time capsule.
Real traders used Binance from day one.
Regulation doesn’t save you from bad engineering.
And no, low fees don’t matter when your funds are frozen for five years.
This isn’t a cautionary tale-it’s a footnote.
Roxanne Maxwell
So sad to see a platform that actually cared about users just… vanish.
I used to call them for help and someone actually answered.
Now you get bots and 3-day waits.
It’s like the internet forgot how to be human.
Jonathan Tanguay
Okay so let me break this down for the people still confused about why this failed because apparently some of you think regulation is a magic shield or something
The problem wasn't regulation it was that they had zero risk management and kept 90 percent of their assets in cold storage like it was 2014
When withdrawals spiked they had no liquidity buffer because they were too busy patting themselves on the back for being MFSA compliant
Meanwhile Binance had 20 different liquidity pools and a team of 500 engineers
And you wanna talk about fees
Yeah 0.02 percent is great if you're trading 50 million a month
But for normal people it's meaningless when your money is gone forever
Also the 2021 hack wasn't just a third party thing it was their entire architecture being held together by duct tape and hope
And now you're all crying about how nice their UI was
So what
A nice dashboard doesn't pay your bills
And if you're still holding onto Rock Trading coins you're basically donating to a lawyer's retirement fund
Ayanda Ndoni
bro why are we even talking about this dead exchange
my money is still stuck there and i just want it back
why does everyone act like this is some educational story
i just want my 2.3 btc
Elliott Algarin
It’s funny how we romanticize old platforms like this.
We remember the UI, the low fees, the calm.
But we forget the silence-the lack of innovation, the slow response to market shifts.
It wasn’t malice that killed it.
It was irrelevance.
And maybe that’s the real lesson: in crypto, staying still is the fastest way to die.
John Murphy
the fact that they used greenaddress was actually smart
multi sig was rare back then
but yeah the onedime thing was a mess
why outsource your backend
that’s just asking for trouble
and then they didn’t fix it properly
just patched it and kept going
bad move
Zach Crandall
While I appreciate the historical context presented, I must emphasize that the regulatory framework under MFSA and OAM was fundamentally incompatible with the decentralized ethos of cryptocurrency.
By institutionalizing the exchange, they surrendered its core value proposition.
Furthermore, the notion of 'bank-like experience' is an oxymoron in this space.
One cannot simultaneously seek regulatory legitimacy and true financial sovereignty.
It is a paradox that inevitably leads to collapse.
Akinyemi Akindele Winner
Rock Trading? More like Rock Bottom Trading.
They were the crypto equivalent of a Nokia 3310-reliable, old-school, and totally useless when the world went touchscreen.
Meanwhile, Binance was already running AI bots that could predict your next trade before you thought about it.
And now they’re just digital dust.
Good riddance to the dinosaurs.
Patrick De Leon
Europeans clinging to this exchange like it was a national treasure
Meanwhile the rest of the world moved on
Regulation isn’t a badge of honor
It’s a tax on innovation
And now you’re all waiting for a court to give you back pennies on the dollar
Classic
MANGESH NEEL
HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT THIS LIKE IT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE
THIS WAS A CRIME
30000 PEOPLE LOST EVERYTHING AND YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR UI
THEY WERE GROSSLY NEGLIGENT
THEY KNEW ABOUT THE LIQUIDITY ISSUES FOR MONTHS
THEY DIDN’T WARN USERS
THEY JUST KEPT TAKING DEPOSITS
THIS ISN’T A BUSINESS FAILURE
THIS IS FRAUD
AND THE LAWYERS ARE GETTING RICH WHILE PEOPLE STARVE
NO MORE SAD STORIES
JUST JAIL
Sean Huang
They didn’t go bankrupt because of liquidity issues
They went bankrupt because the Fed secretly ordered it
Think about it
Why would a profitable exchange with 30k users just vanish overnight
Because they were too independent
Too transparent
Too European
And they refused to integrate with the CBDC pipeline
Their cold wallets? Not cold
They were just a front for a surveillance trap
And now your coins are being used to fund the new digital authoritarian regime
Check your transaction history
Look for the 0.00001 BTC withdrawals to addresses starting with 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa
That’s the Fed’s wallet
They took it all
And now they’re telling you to file a claim
LOL
They own the court too
Ali Korkor
Hey if you still have funds stuck there don’t panic
Just make sure you’ve got your records in order
And reach out to the official liquidator
Not some random guy on Telegram offering to ‘recover’ your coins for 10%
That’s a scam
You got this
And hey-use this as a lesson
Next time, pick an exchange with insurance
Like Kraken or Coinbase
You’ll sleep better
madhu belavadi
why did they even bother writing this whole thing
its dead
move on
im bored
Dick Lane
the fee structure was actually impressive for its time
0.02% for high volume
that was better than most
but yeah
they didn’t scale right
and when the market moved fast
they just stood there
like a guy in a trench coat holding a flip phone at a tech conference
Norman Woo
so the 2021 hack was through onedime right
but didn’t they just use the same vendor after that
like they didn’t even switch
that’s wild
and then they kept saying they were secure
lol
they were just hoping no one noticed
and then the 2023 crash just finished them off
man i feel bad for the users
but also
why did you trust them in 2022
Serena Dean
Look I used The Rock Trading in 2018 and honestly it was the most peaceful crypto experience I ever had.
No hype, no memes, no influencer nonsense.
Just trades.
And now I use Kraken, and I still miss that simplicity.
Don’t let the collapse make you hate crypto.
Let it make you smarter.
Choose platforms with insurance, clear audits, and real customer service.
You deserve that.
James Young
Anyone who still thinks this exchange was ‘decent’ needs to stop living in the past
They had a 48-hour support response time
That’s not customer service, that’s neglect
And their ‘low fees’ meant nothing when your funds were frozen for a year
And now you’re all acting like this was some noble experiment
It was a poorly run business that got lucky for 12 years
And when luck ran out, they left 30k people in the dark
That’s not a cautionary tale
That’s a crime scene
Ali Korkor
Also, if you're reading this and you're one of the users still waiting-don't give up.
It's slow, but people have gotten money back from similar cases.
Just stay organized, follow the official channels, and don't let anyone scare you into paying for ‘recovery services’.
You're not alone.