Relai Review: Features, Fees, Compliance & More [2026]
Regulatory clarity has become one of the more decisive factors in how European investors choose a bitcoin platform. With MiCA now in force across the EU and Switzerland maintaining its own financial oversight framework, regulatory status has become a more important factor for European bitcoin investors. Relai stands out because it combines a MiCA license from France’s AMF with Swiss SRO membership through VQF.
This review covers Relai's features, fee structure, compliance setup, and whether the platform is worth using.
Key Takeaways
Relai is a Swiss-made, Bitcoin-only app built for simple buying and long-term saving.
The app uses a self-custody model, so users control their own bitcoin and recovery phrase.
The Relai savings plan lets users automate regular bitcoin purchases through DCA.
The platform combines Swiss VQF membership with a MiCA license from France’s AMF.
Relai is best suited to European bitcoin holders who want simplicity, regulation, and control over their funds.
What Is Relai?
Relai is a bitcoin-only app based in Switzerland, founded by Julian Liniger and Adem Bilican. In 2025, the platform surpassed 1 billion USD in total volume and reached 500,000 downloads.
The platform is available in English, German, French, and Italian.
The product is deliberately narrow. Relai is built around the single use case of buying and accumulating bitcoin in a way that keeps the user in control of their funds. There are no altcoins, staking, or derivatives.
What Features Does Relai Offer?
Rather than being overloaded with a ton of features, Relai has a few core offerings.
Self-Custody Wallet
Every bitcoin purchased through Relai is sent to a wallet the user controls. Relai operates on a non-custodial model, which means the platform does not hold user funds. At setup, users receive a recovery phrase that provides independent access to their bitcoin through any compatible wallet.
The practical implication is straightforward. Relai's operational status has no bearing on the security of user funds. A platform outage, insolvency, or security breach would not affect bitcoin held in a self-custodial wallet, because that bitcoin is not on Relai's systems.
This is the structural difference between Relai and a custodial exchange. On a custodial platform, the exchange holds the private keys, but on Relai, only the user does.
Bitcoin Savings Plan
Relai's savings plan automates bitcoin accumulation through dollar-cost averaging (DCA). Users set an amount and a purchase frequency, weekly or monthly, and the app executes each purchase automatically.
The minimum is €50 or CHF 50 per interval. DCA removes timing decisions from the process, which suits investors focused on long-term accumulation rather than active management. Spreading purchases over time averages the entry price across different market conditions rather than concentrating exposure at a single point.
Relai Business
For companies looking to add bitcoin to their corporate treasury, Relai offers a dedicated service for businesses who want to buy bitcoin. Relai Business includes personal onboarding and tailored guidance for organizations navigating a bitcoin treasury strategy, covering both the practical setup and the considerations that come with holding bitcoin at the company level.
Relai Private
Investors transacting above 100,000 CHF or EUR can access Relai Private, a dedicated tier that provides personalized support and expert guidance for larger purchases. It applies the same non-custodial model as standard accounts, with an added layer of service for high-value transactions.
User Experience
Relai's interface keeps the product simple by design. There are no order books, leverage settings, or multi-asset dashboards. You just have to choose an amount, set a payment method, and confirm. For savings plans, frequency is set once, and the app handles execution from there.
Onboarding is also quick and usually takes just a few minutes. The app is available on iOS and Android, and Standard account holders can access support with ease through both the app and website. Relai Private users are assigned a dedicated point of contact.
How Much Does Relai Charge?
Relai's standard service fee is 1%, which can be reduced to 0.9% with a referral code applied at checkout. Business accounts and high-volume investors can access lower rates depending on transaction size.
For savings plans, Relai currently offers a zero-fee incentive on certain monthly auto-invest plans, valid for orders between 50 and 100 CHF/EUR. This represents a meaningful cost reduction for investors using DCA as their primary accumulation method. Instant payment methods, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, carry an additional processing fee of 3.0%.
SEPA bank transfers avoid this surcharge and represent the lower-cost option for regular purchases. Standard Bitcoin network fees apply when selling or transferring from the wallet.
Is Relai Regulated and Compliant?
Here’s what you need to know about the app on the regulatory and compliance front.
EU Regulation
In the European Union, Relai is registered as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) with France's Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) under MiCA, the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation. MiCA creates a harmonized EU framework for crypto-asset service providers, though firms still need to follow the relevant cross-border/passporting processes.
Swiss Regulation
In Switzerland, Relai AG holds SRO membership with VQF, the country's financial services self-regulatory organization, and operates in full compliance with Swiss anti-money laundering legislation. The company is independently audited.
Together, these frameworks support Relai’s regulated operations in Switzerland and its licensed crypto-asset services in the EU. For investors and companies with regulatory requirements, or those who treat compliance status as a selection criterion, this dual coverage is a concrete differentiator.
On the custody side, the compliance model is reinforced by architecture. Private keys never leave the user's device. Relai has no access to user funds and cannot move bitcoin on a user's behalf. This removes the counterparty exposure that comes with custodial platforms, where regulatory failure or insolvency can directly affect user assets.
Who Is Relai Best For?
Relai is best suited to long-term bitcoin investors who want a regulated, non-custodial platform without the complexity of a full exchange. Its savings plan works well for those who want to accumulate consistently without managing each purchase manually.
It also suits European investors who want MiCA-compliant services, and companies exploring a bitcoin treasury position through Relai Business. For beginners, the simplified interface reduces the barrier to entry without removing control of funds.
Active traders, investors looking for altcoin exposure, or users who need advanced analytics will find the platform too limited for those purposes.
Overall, the platform's limitations are deliberate rather than incidental. For investors whose priorities align with what Relai is built to do, it is a clean, well-regulated option in a market where those qualities can be harder to find than they should be.
