EU CRYPTO CARDS · COMPARISON · LAST VERIFIED
Bybit Card (Mastercard) vs Bitpanda Visa Card: who issues each, and what protects your money?
Bybit is issued out of France (Mastercard); Bitpanda is issued out of Malta (Visa). Different issuers, different regulators, different networks - compared on the facts that matter: the issuing EMI, its regulator, and what protects your balance.
Who issues each card, and where is it regulated?
The single most important difference between two crypto cards is rarely the cashback rate. It is which Electronic Money Institution issues the card and which regulator stands behind it, because that is the entity holding and safeguarding your money under Directive 2009/110/EC. Here is the side by side.
| Issuing entity | Harmoniie SAS | Transact Payments Malta Limited |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer jurisdiction | France | Malta |
| Issuer regulator | Autorite de controle prudentiel et de resolution (ACPR), Banque de France | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) |
| Card network | Mastercard | Visa |
| Card type | debit | debit |
| EEA availability | Available to Bybit EU users across passported EEA member states. | Available to Bitpanda users across the EEA. |
| Brand also holds | MiCA spot (profile), MiFID II derivatives (profile) | MiCA spot (profile), MiFID II derivatives (profile) |
Which card's issuer is more strongly regulated?
Both issuers are authorised Electronic Money Institutions under the same EU framework, the E-Money Directive. The difference is the home regulator: Bybit is issued out of France under the Autorite de controle prudentiel et de resolution (ACPR), Banque de France, while Bitpanda is issued out of Malta under the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). Neither is inherently safer; both passport across the EEA. What matters is that the issuer is the named, authorised entity you can find in the EUCLID register.
Which card protects your balance, and how?
Both cards hold your spending balance as electronic money, safeguarded under Article 7 of the E-Money Directive rather than covered by the EUR 100,000 Deposit Guarantee Scheme. That means the balance is segregated or insured by the issuer, not pooled in an industry guarantee fund. The crypto behind the card is a separate exposure to the exchange. Our EMI vs bank protection page sets out the practical difference.
Which card should you actually pick?
We do not rank cards or publish a score. The honest framing is: pick the issuer and regulator you are comfortable with, confirm the card is live in your country, and read the current cashback and fee terms on the issuer's own page, because those change often and are the part most likely to be out of date anywhere else. If Bybit or Bitpanda also runs your spot trading, the cross-vertical profiles let you check that the same brand's MiCA and MiFID II roles are authorised too.
See each card in full: Bybit card and Bitpanda card.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bybit card or the Bitpanda card available across the whole EEA?
Bybit: Available to Bybit EU users across passported EEA member states. Bitpanda: Available to Bitpanda users across the EEA. Always confirm your specific country in the issuer's current terms.
Do either of these cards come with bank-style deposit protection?
No. Both hold your balance as safeguarded e-money under the E-Money Directive, which is not the EUR 100,000 Deposit Guarantee Scheme. The safeguarding rule is the functional equivalent, with different mechanics.
Why compare issuers instead of cashback rates?
Cashback rates are promotional and change constantly, and they are widely reported elsewhere. The issuer-to-regulator mapping is the durable, decision-relevant fact and the part most comparison sites get wrong or omit.
Sources cited on this page
- Bybit EU Card product and cardholder terms (issuer-published)
- ACPR REGAFI register - search Harmoniie SAS (electronic money institution)
- Bitpanda Card product page and cardholder terms (issuer-published)
- MFSA Financial Services Register - search Transact Payments Malta Limited
- Directive 2009/110/EC (E-Money Directive) - Article 7 safeguarding
- European Banking Authority EUCLID register of EU payment and e-money institutions
Issuer and authorisation facts are verified against primary sources per our methodology. Cashback, fees and country availability are commercial product data that change frequently; read the current card terms before relying on them. Corrections welcome at our contact page.