Easiest Way to Buy Bitcoin

Each of us at FintechZoom has been in the crypto sphere for a good long while. We experienced countless issues with liquidity, security, and customer service.

Read also this FintechZoom Article: How to Invest in Bitcoins: A Guide.

As we’ve made mistakes, we’ve also learned. Here is the sum of our knowledge: a list of exchanges we use and trust, and which I consider as the best places to buy Bitcoin.

	Suits Best For	Deposit Methods	Competitive Advantage
		Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Paypal, Skrill, and more	Crypto social network, Low fees when buying Bitcoin
		Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Amex	Deposit $5, Get $25 Free * using a US bank account
		Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Wire Transfer	Make a transaction >$100, Get $10 Free
		Wire Transfer, Interac e-transfer	Make a transaction >$100, Get $20 Free

1. eToro – Easiest Way to Buy Bitcoin

You may recognize the name eToro. You may even be able to picture their logo (their name in green with little horns like a bull). That’s because eToro is one of the most famous sites when it comes to trading stocks and other financial instruments.

Now they offer cryptocurrency trading and investing too. With all their offers combined, eToro counts more than 10 million users on their platform. Simply put, when looking for where to buy bitcoin — eToro is one of the best.

Pros

• Well established company.
• eToro is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
• Lots of deposit methods, including credit card, bank transfer, Paypal, Skrill, and more.
• Fees are low. All deposits are free. You only pay a 0.75% spread when buying Bitcoin on eToro. The downside is that withdrawals cost $25.
• Many cryptocurrencies are available for purchasing and trading.
• Social trading integrated, allowing you to copy experienced traders’ strategies.
• Leverage trading available.
• And more.

Cons

• You can buy and trade cryptocurrency through eToro, but you cannot withdraw crypto — only fiat. Thus, eToro is best if you plan on investing only, and not on transferring crypto to your friends.
• Due to local regulations, you cannot register an account on eToro if you reside in Canada, Israel, Japan, and Turkey.

2. Abra – Easiest Way to Buy Bitcoin

Founded in 2014 in the US, Abra aims to make cryptocurrency investing simple. They offer a convenient mobile app to buy Bitcoin, as well as many other cryptocurrencies and even stocks.

They introduced a unique crypto index called “BIT10”, allowing their users to invest in 10 of the best cryptocurrencies all at once.

Pros

• Unlike other cryptocurrency exchanges, Abra never takes custody of anyone’s funds other than their own. As a result, everyone using Abra always holds their own funds.
• Fees are lower than average if you use your bank account to deposit money.
• Their App is particularly user-friendly, and the registration process is fairly easy.
• Abra introduced a unique crypto index called “BIT10”, which allow its users to invest in 10 of the best cryptocurrencies all at once.
• They offer a great first deposit bonus.

Cons

• Abra’s best features aren’t available worldwide. They focus on serving US and Philippines customers.
• Abra only offers a mobile app — no browser interface is available.

3. Coinbase

Founded in 2012, Coinbase is considered by the majority of investors as one of the best places to buy Bitcoin.

At the end of 2017, Coinbase announced that it reached a user base of 13 million. Since then, with the increased adoption of cryptocurrencies, we can expect their user base to have grown way over the 20 million people who find it the easiest way to buy bitcoin.

Pros

• Coinbase is insured. This brings incredible peace of mind.
• Coinbase offers an incredible level of security. Your cryptocurrencies are safe even in the event of a hack. Rest easy.
• Coinbase is legal and regulated in every country it operates from.
• Open to residents of most countries, although some features vary based on your country of residence.
• Easy to use Interface. The site and mobile app are quick to understand and use.
• Over 15 cryptocurrencies available.

Cons

• You can use Coinbase to its full potential only if you’re a US, UK, or EU resident. Canadians, for example, cannot perform bank transfers — only credit and debit cards with 4% fees are accessible.
• Fees are on average: 1.5% when buying Bitcoin with your bank account, 4% when buying Bitcoin with a credit card.

4. BitBuy

There aren’t so many decent platforms to invest in Bitcoin from Canada, as most international platforms do not welcome Canadian residents or do not offer them as good features as other features.

But BitBuy is one of them, and probably the best way to buy Bitcoin for Canadian residents. Founded in 2013, they offer a great user experience as well as reasonable fees.

Pros:

• BitBuy is a registered money service business regulated by FINTRAC.
• Funding fees, trading fees and withdrawal fees are all reasonable compared to the competition in Canada.
• BitBuy has gone through many regulatory and financial audits successfully.
• They store most funds in cold storage, which means your funds should be safe.
• They offer a pleasant user experience.
• 6 cryptocurrencies available. Not great, but not bad for a Canadian exchange.

Cons:

• The biggest disadvantage of BitBuy is its lengthy registration and verification process. They will require many documents to validate your identity and address, and might need up to a few days to allow you to trade. But this is the case with most canadian cryptocurrency exchanges.