How to Buy Bitcoin in The USA
We found 5 trusted online cryptocurrency exchanges operating in The United States including Kraken, Coinbase, and Gemini.
Kraken is the most popular Bitcoin exchange in The United States with 13,000,000 users
Coinbase allows buying and selling Bitcoin with 5 forms of payment
Gemini accepts users and payments from 1 countries
Ease of Use
Easy
Fees
Average
Verification
2-3 Days
Reputation
Trusted
With millions of active users, an international market, and strategic investors on board, Kraken, joins Coinbase and Binance to become the big three cryptocurrency exchanges in the global market.
Buy Bitcoin
With millions of active users, an international market, and strategic investors on board, Kraken, joins Coinbase and Binance to become the big three cryptocurrency exchanges in the global market. Kraken provides cryptocurrency to fiat trading and provides price information to Bloomberg Terminal. In February 2019, Kraken announced that it had raised $100 million in a direct offering to its largest customers at a $4 billion valuation.
Kraken is considered one of the safest bitcoin exchanges around. The platform provides cryptography-verified proof of reserve audits. These audits verify the total amount of cryptocurrency held by Kraken. The company appears to be well-capitalized and very safe to use.
Ease of Use
Easy
Fees
Average
Verification
1 Day
Reputation
Trusted
Coinbase is one of the most popular digital currency exchanges, based in the U.S and boasting over 43 million users.
Buy Bitcoin
Coinbase is one of the most popular digital currency exchanges, based in the U.S and boasting over 43 million users. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the platform offers both an all-in-one exchange and a wallet, making it one of the easiest starting points with Bitcoin. Coinbase’s wallet and merchant services, which have won the trust of over 108 million users, have their payment platform integrated with more than 48,000 businesses worldwide.
Coinbase is one of the world’s largest bitcoin exchanges and also considered to be one of the safest. Coinbase is a regulated company and holds licenses in all districts in which it operates. It is also a VC backed company with over $100 million in funding. Cash held in Coinbase wallets is FDIC insured up to $250,000.
Ease of Use
Medium
Fees
High
Verification
1-2 Days
Reputation
Trusted
Gemini is a digital asset exchange and custodian, founded in 2014 by brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, that allows customers to buy, sell, and store digital assets such as bitcoin and ether.
Buy Bitcoin
Gemini is a digital asset exchange and custodian, founded in 2014 by brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, that allows customers to buy, sell, and store digital assets such as bitcoin and ether. Gemini is regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS) and also the first exchange to launch bitcoin futures contracts in December 2017.
Gemini is considered to be one of the most secure cryptocurrency exchanges on the market. Gemini is governed by the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and complies with anti-money laundering (AML) rules. Client deposits are eligible for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance coverage and the company is also heavily capitalized to protect the digital currency you store offline
After buying bitcoin from an exchange, it's important to withdraw to your own non-custodial wallet for security, privacy, and to have full control over your bitcoin.
Zengo is an easy iOS & Android crypto and NFT wallet. Buy, sell, and self-custody directly from the app.
Ledger Nano S Plus is a secure hardware wallet that connects to your computer via USB-C
BlueWallet is a popular desktop Bitcoin wallet which is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux
Ease of Use
Medium
Fees
Average
Verification
1-2 Days
Reputation
Trusted
Launched in 2015, Uphold is a unique New York-based exchange offering users the options to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, equities, and precious metals.
Buy Bitcoin
Launched in 2015, Uphold is a unique New York-based exchange offering users the options to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, equities, and precious metals. An account on Uphold gives you access to over 50 U.S. stocks, 65 cryptocurrencies, four precious metals, and 27 national currencies. Uphold does not charge any deposit, withdrawl, or trading fees, instead, opting for a spread between 0.8% to 3%.
Uphold employs security audits at least annually to ensure client funds remain safe from vulnerabilities. Uphold also works with licensed banking partners in the US and is regulated by the United States Treasury Department regulator, FinCEN.
Ease of Use
Easy
Fees
Low
Verification
1 Day
Reputation
Trusted
OKX is a leading cryptocurrency exchange known for its vast selection of cryptocurrencies.
Buy Bitcoin
OKX is a leading cryptocurrency exchange known for its vast selection of cryptocurrencies. With its user-friendly interface, low fees, and deep liquidity, OKX stands out as an ideal choice for both novice and experienced traders seeking a reliable and feature-rich platform.
OKX has created an asset risk reserve fund committed to continually allocating a percentage of our earnings to guarantee and protect assets from crypto security risks
Buying bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in The United States is a simple process and usually takes less than 10 minutes to get fully setup.
The first step is to register with a platform, app or exchange and complete a Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
The exchange you choose will be interoperable with most devices, desktop and mobile, and will allow you to withdraw to your own personal hardware wallet.
There are also several options available for buying and selling without verification on P2P exchanges, although they are much less user-friendly and are recommended for more advanced users.
Before purchasing, there are a couple of important things you'll need to prepare:
1. Create an account with an exchange
The United States has 5 trusted exchanges available for you to sign up for, with the most popular being Kraken and Coinbase, which account for a combined 123,000,000 active users.
Both exchanges are considered to be beginner-friendly and offer multiple deposit methods and a variety of cryptocurrencies.
Exchanges will differ by fees, security, payment methods, and other features, so explore the "info" tab on the exchanges listed above to find which one is the right fit for you.
The platform you end up choosing will depend on your preferences and the cryptocurrencies and payment methods they support.
Also it's important to note that you can always sign up to other exchanges later.
2. Complete the KYC verification process
After signing up to an exchange you will need to verify your identity and address, which is part of the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. This is an unavoidable legal requirement for almost all exchanges in The United States.
To complete this step you will need your photo ID readily available to take pictures of both the front and back sides of the document.
In most cases your verification will be approved instantly and at most can take 1-2 days.
3. Make a fiat deposit
To begin buying bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies you will need to link a bank account or credit card to the exchange.
Some of the payment methods provided by Kraken and Coinbase are: Electronic Funds Transfer, Bank Transfer (SEPA), Wire Transfer.
Depending on the payment method, it could take anywhere from a couple of minutes to days for the funds to arrive at the exchange.
4. Buy cryptocurrency
Once your account has been funded, you are ready to buy your first bitcoin. It's important to note that you do not need to buy a full bitcoin.
Most exchanges will let you buy as little as a few dollars worth of bitcoin, or any other cryptocurrency.
5. Send your bitcoin to a personal wallet
Once you've purchased bitcoin or your cryptocurrency of choice it's important to withdraw it to your own secure personal wallet.
Leaving your coins on an exchange poses a security risk as many exchanges are targets for hackers to steal user funds. Storing your own coins on your personal hardware wallet mitigates that risk.
The United States
The U.S. Treasury classified bitcoin as a convertible decentralized virtual currency in 2013. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, classified bitcoin as a commodity in September 2015. Per the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), bitcoin is taxed as a property.
🌎 View bitcoin and cryptocurrency legality around the world
There are 5 trusted exchanges operating in The United States with the most popular being Kraken , Coinbase , and Gemini.
You can review each of these exchanges and find best exchange that works for you. Bitrawr ranks exchanges in The United States based on fees, users, and security while giving placement preference to exchanges located in The United States or specifically catering to users in The United States.
Most of the exchanges operating in The United States have debit/credit card payment options available. Remember that this requires completing KYC.
No! For complete custody of your Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies it is recommended to store them in a hardware wallet as it keeps private keys safe and entirely offline.
Bitcoin ATMs are an excellent way to buy bitcoin using cash and offer little to no requirements for KYC. ATMs are commonly located inside of convenience stores, shops, restaurants, malls or airports. Find one near you using our ATM map.
Yes, Coinbase works for users in The United States. Coinbase in The United States allows for the use of debit cards, credit cards, bank accounts, wire transfers, and in some cases, PayPal to buy cryptocurrencies.
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