Bitsdaq Crypto Exchange Review: What Happened and Why It’s Dead

By Robert Stukes    On 24 Jan, 2026    Comments (10)

Bitsdaq Crypto Exchange Review: What Happened and Why It’s Dead

Bitsdaq was never one of the big names like Binance or Coinbase, but for a while, it had a real shot at becoming a serious player in Asia’s crypto scene. It promised low fees, strong security, and a partnership with Bittrex - a name many traders trusted. But today, if you try to visit bitsdaq.com, you’ll get an error. The site is gone. The exchange is dead. And the BQQQ token? It’s just floating in limbo with almost no trading left.

What Bitsdaq Actually Offered

When Bitsdaq was active, it wasn’t trying to compete with giants by offering hundreds of fiat pairs. Instead, it focused on one thing: making crypto-to-crypto trading cheaper and smoother. It charged a flat 0.10% fee on every trade - no matter if you were placing limit orders (maker) or filling existing ones (taker). That was half the industry average at the time, which was usually 0.25%. For active traders, that added up fast.

Deposits? Only crypto. No bank transfers, no credit cards. You had to buy Bitcoin or Ethereum somewhere else - like Bittrex or KuCoin - then send it over. That made it harder for beginners, but it also meant the platform avoided the messy compliance headaches that come with fiat on-ramps. It was built for people who already knew their way around crypto wallets.

Security was its biggest selling point. Bitsdaq didn’t just store keys in one place. It split them across multiple encrypted servers, used three layers of encryption, and partnered with CloudFlare to block DDoS attacks. It also defended against common web exploits like XSS and CSRF. For a smaller exchange, that level of protection was unusual. Most platforms at the time were still getting hacked regularly.

The Bittrex Partnership That Mattered

The real surprise? Bitsdaq didn’t just claim to work with Bittrex - it actually did. Bittrex, known for its clean track record and strict security, shared its order book with Bitsdaq. That meant when you traded on Bitsdaq, you weren’t just seeing its own thin order book. You were seeing the combined depth of both exchanges. That’s huge. Thin order books cause big price swings. With shared liquidity, even large trades could go through without huge slippage.

At first, people were skeptical. Was this just marketing? Then it turned out Bittrex wallets were among the top holders of BQQQ tokens. That wasn’t a coincidence. It was proof the partnership was real. This wasn’t a logo on a webpage - it was technical integration.

The BQQQ Token: High Hopes, Low Reality

Bitsdaq had its own token: BQQQ (also called BQ). It was sold in an IEO in 2018, raising $6.5 million. The total supply was capped at 1.1 billion tokens, giving it a $55 million market cap at launch. That put it below big players like Binance Coin ($4.5 billion) or KuCoin Shares ($100 million), but it was decent for a new exchange token.

BQQQ had uses: you could pay trading fees with it and get discounts, participate in IEOs on the platform, and even earn rewards. CryptoPotato gave it an 8.7/10 for utility - one of the highest scores in their review. The idea was simple: as Bitsdaq grew, BQQQ would grow with it.

But here’s the problem: private investors got nearly 50% discounts during the sale and ended up holding over 95% of all tokens. That meant most of the supply was locked up in the hands of insiders. If they ever sold, the price would crash. That’s exactly what happened after the exchange shut down. Today, BQQQ trades at around $0.005 - down from its peak of $0.05. The 30-day chart shows 100% green days, but that’s because almost nobody is trading it anymore. No volume. No liquidity. Just ghosts.

Empty trading floor with fading Bitsdaq screens while rival exchanges glow brightly in pixel art.

Why It Failed

Bitsdaq had the tech. It had the security. It had the partnership. So why did it die?

First, it never got enough users. The fiat-free model kept out newcomers. The Asian focus helped, but it didn’t go deep enough into local markets like Japan, South Korea, or India. Competitors like Binance and OKX rolled out localized apps, customer support in local languages, and easy fiat deposits. Bitsdaq stayed too narrow.

Second, it couldn’t compete with the marketing budgets of bigger exchanges. Binance spent millions on sponsorships, influencers, and global ads. Bitsdaq had a whitepaper and a technical blog. That’s not enough.

Third, the crypto market crashed in 2022. Smaller exchanges without deep pockets couldn’t survive. Liquidity dried up. Trading volumes dropped. Even with Bittrex’s help, Bitsdaq couldn’t keep users engaged.

By late 2024, the website stopped updating. Customer support went silent. Then, in early 2025, Cryptowisser officially labeled it as “dead” in their Exchange Graveyard. No announcement. No warning. Just gone.

What You Should Learn From Bitsdaq

Bitsdaq’s story isn’t just about a failed exchange. It’s a warning.

If you’re considering trading on a smaller exchange, ask: Is this platform still active? Are there real users? Is the token still being traded? Don’t trust old reviews or price predictions. CoinCodex once said BQQQ could hit $0.0079 - but that was before the exchange shut down. Those predictions are meaningless now.

Also, never invest in a token just because the exchange says it’s “utility-based.” If the exchange dies, the token becomes digital trash. BQQQ had real use cases - until it didn’t.

And if you’re holding BQQQ? You’re holding a token with no home. No exchange supports it anymore. No one’s buying. You can’t withdraw it. The only place it trades is on tiny, unreliable DEXs with almost no liquidity. Holding it won’t make you rich. It will just take up space in your wallet.

Digital graveyard with tombstones for Bitsdaq and BQQQ, a lone wallet holding the token.

Alternatives to Bitsdaq (That Still Work)

If you liked Bitsdaq’s low fees and security focus, here are real alternatives:

  • Binance: 0.10% trading fee (lower with BNB), 300+ trading pairs, fiat deposits, strong security.
  • KuCoin: 0.10% flat fee, 700+ coins, good for altcoins, supports fiat.
  • Bybit: 0.10% maker fee, 0.06% taker fee, excellent for derivatives, strong liquidity.
  • OKX: 0.08% fee with OKB, deep order books, supports 20+ fiat currencies.

All of these are active, have real customer support, and are still growing. None of them are dead.

Final Thoughts

Bitsdaq had potential. It had the right ideas: low fees, strong security, and a smart partnership. But ideas don’t keep exchanges alive. Users do. Liquidity does. Marketing does. And when the market turned, Bitsdaq had nothing left to fall back on.

Today, it’s just a footnote in crypto history - another example of how even well-built platforms can vanish overnight. Don’t let nostalgia fool you. If an exchange’s website is down, it’s gone for good. Move on. Use something that’s still alive.

Is Bitsdaq still operational?

No, Bitsdaq is permanently closed. As of early 2025, its website is no longer accessible, customer support has disappeared, and trading has stopped. Cryptowisser lists it as "dead" in their Exchange Graveyard.

Can I still trade or withdraw BQQQ tokens?

You can’t trade BQQQ on any major exchange anymore. A few tiny decentralized exchanges (DEXs) still show it, but there’s almost no volume. Withdrawals are impossible because Bitsdaq’s systems are offline. Holding BQQQ now is like holding a digital receipt for a closed store.

Was Bitsdaq safe to use before it shut down?

Yes, during its operation, Bitsdaq was considered one of the more secure smaller exchanges. It used multi-layered encryption, distributed wallet keys, DDoS protection, and partnered with Bittrex for liquidity and security. There were no known hacks or major breaches while it was active.

Why did Bitsdaq fail when it had a partnership with Bittrex?

The Bittrex partnership gave it liquidity and credibility, but it didn’t bring users. Bitsdaq never solved its biggest problem: no fiat deposits. That made it hard for new traders to join. Meanwhile, bigger exchanges like Binance and OKX offered everything - fiat, apps, support, marketing. Bitsdaq stayed too small, too niche, and couldn’t compete.

Should I invest in BQQQ now that it’s cheap?

No. BQQQ has no utility anymore. There’s no exchange supporting it, no team maintaining it, and no demand. The low price reflects zero liquidity, not a bargain. Investing in dead tokens is gambling, not trading.

What should I do if I still have BQQQ tokens?

If you still hold BQQQ, you’re unlikely to sell it at any meaningful price. The best option is to hold it as a learning experience - a reminder that even well-designed projects can fail. Don’t add more funds. Don’t chase price predictions. Just keep it in your wallet and move on to active assets.

10 Comments

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    Athena Mantle

    January 24, 2026 AT 17:25
    OMG this is literally the story of every crypto project that thinks ‘tech = survival’ 🙃
    Bitsdaq had the security of a Swiss bank and the user base of a library on a Sunday. BQQQ was basically a digital collectible card that got trashed when the game shut down. Sad, but predictable. 💔
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    carol johnson

    January 26, 2026 AT 05:27
    I mean… if you didn’t have a fiat on-ramp in 2020, you were already dead in the water. 💅
    Bitsdaq was basically a crypto spa for degens who thought ‘simplicity’ meant ‘exclusivity.’ Spoiler: it didn’t. The Bittrex partnership was cute, but it didn’t pay for marketing. Or rent. Or salaries. 🤷‍♀️
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    Paru Somashekar

    January 27, 2026 AT 06:30
    The failure of Bitsdaq underscores a critical principle in financial technology: technological superiority alone cannot compensate for market accessibility and user onboarding. The absence of fiat integration, coupled with insufficient localization efforts, rendered the platform unsustainable despite robust security architecture. Furthermore, the concentration of BQQQ token supply among private investors created inherent systemic vulnerability. This case exemplifies the necessity of holistic ecosystem development in decentralized finance.
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    Steve Fennell

    January 28, 2026 AT 00:58
    Honestly, this is such a clear case study. Security is table stakes now. What matters is ease of entry. If you make someone jump through 5 hoops just to deposit, you’re not building a platform-you’re building a clubhouse for insiders. Bitsdaq had the tech, but no heart. And crypto? It’s all heart.
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    Kevin Pivko

    January 29, 2026 AT 21:13
    Let’s be real-Bitsdaq was a glorified altcoin dumping ground for VCs who thought ‘low fees’ meant ‘free money.’ BQQQ was never meant to survive. It was a rug-pull with a whitepaper. The fact that people still hold it? That’s not hope. That’s delusion. And now you’re all just ghosts haunting a dead exchange. 🫡
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    Nadia Silva

    January 30, 2026 AT 21:56
    I don’t understand why Americans keep pretending small exchanges can compete with Binance. We have real infrastructure. We have regulation. We have scale. Bitsdaq was a cute experiment. But in crypto? Cute doesn’t pay bills.
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    Roshmi Chatterjee

    February 1, 2026 AT 03:26
    I remember when BQQQ was trading at $0.03 and I thought, ‘this could be the next BNB!’ 😅
    Turns out, the only thing growing was the number of people quietly dumping. Still, I’m glad someone wrote this-so many new traders don’t know how fast these things vanish. Lesson learned: if the website’s gone, the token’s a paperweight.
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    MICHELLE REICHARD

    February 2, 2026 AT 10:36
    Funny how everyone acts surprised. The token had 95% of its supply locked by insiders. That’s not a utility token-it’s a Ponzi with a blockchain. And the ‘Bittrex partnership’? Please. It was a handshake, not a merger. The real failure? Trusting a platform that never advertised to normal people.
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    tim ang

    February 2, 2026 AT 15:48
    Man, I used to trade on Bitsdaq back in 2019. The fees were insane low and the UI was clean. But I always knew it was gonna crash. No ads. No app. No TikTok influencers. Just a whitepaper and a dream. I moved to KuCoin before it died. Best decision ever. If you’re still holding BQQQ… just delete it. You’ll feel better. 🙏
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    Jennifer Duke

    February 4, 2026 AT 01:26
    I mean… I get it. Low fees are sexy. But if you don’t have customer support, you’re not a platform-you’re a glitch. And BQQQ? It was basically a crypto version of a loyalty card from a store that went out of business. You can’t even return it. So… yeah. Don’t be that person holding dead tokens. It’s not ‘HODLing.’ It’s hoarding regret.

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