How To Buy Cryptocurrency In The UK

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How to buy cryptocurrency in the UK

Investing in cryptocurrency for the first time can feel daunting. Much like stock market investing, the first step is choosing a reputable platform and learning how to use it safely and confidently.

Different Ways To Buy Cryptocurrency In The UK

The good news is that UK investors have access to several beginner-friendly cryptocurrency platforms that are easy to navigate and offer a wide range of digital assets. Buying cryptocurrency in the UK is relatively straightforward, all you need is a crypto broker, cryptocurrency exchange, or a fintech app.

  • Cryptocurrency platform: buy, sell and hold cryptocurrency on a regulated crypto platform like IG.
  • Cryptocurrency exhchange: upload, buy, sell and download cryptocurrency against other people using an crypto exchange platform like Binance.
  • Crytocurrency ETP or ETN: these are funds you can buy and sell these like shares on the London Stock Exchange that track the underlying price of cryptocurrencies (mainliny Bitcoin).

Popular options include platforms such as Coinbase and IG, as well as neo-banks like Revolut. These platforms allow UK investors to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, often with low minimum investment amounts.

How The Process Of Buying Cryptocurrency In The UK Works:

  1. Pick a crypto platform: To invest through a crypto exchange or broker, we only feature FCA registered providers.
  2. Completing identity checks, including proof of ID and address, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days.
  3. Once approved, you can deposit pounds sterling and start investing.
  4. Then search for the cryptocurrency you want to buy (Bitcoin is BTC for example).
  5. Choose how much you want to buy (you will normally have to convert your GBP to USD at this point as most crypto platforms price cryptocurrencies in US Dollars).
  6. Finally, press buy and you will have bought the cryptocurrency and it will be held on the platform or exchange until you want to sell it.

It’s important to note that while crypto ownership is legal in the UK, regulation is strict. In early 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority banned the sale of cryptocurrency derivatives, including, futures, options, CFDs and financial spread bets to retail investors.

However, experienced investors who qualify for a professional trading account may still be able to trade crypto derivatives.

Compare Accounts For Buying Cryptocurrency

Use our reviews and comparison table of the best places to buy Cryptocurrency in the UK. You can compare accounts costs, minimum deposit and the number of cryptocurrencies on offer. Plus the different ways to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.  Please Note: Investing in cryptocurrencies is very high risk and there is a very high chance you may lose all your money. 

We have compared the best cryptocurrency exchanges and platforms in the UK, by what they are good for, how much they cost, how may cryptocurrencies you can trade and also what our users think of them. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. Crypto is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

What Is Cryptocurrency And How Does It Work?

Cryptoassets are underpinned by distributed ledger technology (DLT). A ‘distributed ledger’ is a digital database of transactions that is implemented across a network of computers and has no central administrator. Because the data in the database is stored across the network and not in one location, the network is said to be ‘decentralised.’

The key advantage of a decentralised network is that any transaction that takes place on the network is recorded in multiple locations at the same time. This means there’s a much higher level of security compared to a ‘centralised’ ledger, where data is stored in only one place.

‘Blockchain’ is the most well-known form of DLT. This is the technology that a lot of major cryptoassets are based on. With Blockchain, transactions are grouped into ‘blocks’ that are chained together and cryptography is used to secure and verify every transaction. The advantage of Blockchain is that all transaction data is public meaning that anyone can see it. This makes it pretty much impossible to forge a transaction on the network.

Advantages of buying crypto

 Advantages of buying crypto include:

  • The potential for big returns. In the past, cryptocurrency has generated strong returns for investors at times. For example, in 2017, Bitcoin generated a gain of around 1,320%.
  • Enhanced portfolio diversification. Crypto tends to have a low correlation to other assets such as stocks and bonds. This means that it can potentially be used to help diversify an investment portfolio.
  • The ability to make payments. Some cryptoassets can be used for payments. For example, with Bitcoin, you can send it to friends and family. You can also pay for some goods and services with it.

Disadvantages of buying crypto

Disadvantages of buying crypto include:

  • The potential for big losses. While crypto can generate big gains at times, it can also generate big losses. In 2018, Bitcoin lost nearly 75% of its value.
  • Growing regulatory scrutiny. At present, financial regulators around the world are taking a close look at cryptoassets. This means that there is a high level of regulatory uncertainty. In some countries, crypto has been banned by regulators.
  • Most retailers do not accept crypto. In the UK, no major high street shop currently accepts cryptocurrency as payment. This means you must convert your crypto to cash before you can pay for goods or services.

What are the main uses for cryptocurrency?

This is a major problem for cryptos, in that other than the almost cultlike CryptoBro brigrade who swear crypto is the future. They have yet to come up with a use case that is actually useful to the mainstream. That being said, there are some crypto assets that have a number of uses. These include:

  • Payments. Some cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin are designed to work as a medium of exchange. This means that they can potentially be used to pay for goods or services, or to transfer money to someone.
  • Smart contracts. Some cryptoassets such as Ethereum and Cardano are designed to facilitate smart contracts. Smart contracts are digital agreements that can be used to settle complex transactions and allow movement of funds under predetermined conditions.
  • Investments. Increasingly, investors are viewing cryptoassets as an asset class. One appeal of cryptoassets from an investment point of view is that they tend to have a low correlation to traditional asset classes such as equities and bonds. This means that they can potentially be used for portfolio diversification.

The difference between a fiat currency and a cryptocurrency

A fiat currency is a currency that is issued by and backed by a government. Examples of fiat currencies include the US dollar, the British pound, and the Euro.

A cryptocurrency, by contrast, is a digital currency that is not issued or backed by any government. Examples of cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin.

While governments can potentially manipulate fiat currencies by increasing or decreasing supply, they cannot manipulate cryptocurrencies as they are not controlled by any central authority.

The most popular cryptocurrencies to buy

Some of the most heavily traded and discussed cryptocurrencies are:

  • Bitcoin (BTC)Bitcoin is a digital currency that is based on blockchain technology and can be sent from user to user on the global Bitcoin network without the need for intermediaries such as banks. It was launched in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto (a pseudonym) and designed to be an alternative to traditional fiat currencies.
  • Ethereum (ETH) – Launched in 2015, Ethereum is a programmable blockchain technology with smart contract functionality. When people talk about trading Ethereum, they’re actually talking about trading ‘Ether’ – a tradable token designed to fuel the Ethereum ecosystem.
  • Binance Coin (BNB) – Binance Coin is a cryptocurrency that’s used to pay fees on the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. Binance Coin was initially based on the Ethereum network, however, it’s now the native currency of Binance’s own blockchain, the Binance chain.
  • Tether (USDT) – Tether is a cryptocurrency with tokens issued by Tether Limited, which is controlled by the owners of crypto exchange Bitfinex. Tether is a ‘stablecoin’ – a type of cryptocurrency that’s designed to be stable so that it can be used as a medium of exchange. Tether is designed to always be worth USD $1.00.
  • Solana (SOL) – Solana (SOL) is a cryptocurrency coin that runs on the Solana network. Solana is a blockchain platform that aims to provide high transaction speeds at a low cost without sacrificing decentralisation. Like Ethereum, Solana can support smart contracts.
  • Cardano (ADA) – ADA is the native cryptocurrency of Cardano – a public blockchain platform designed to run various applications such as smart contracts and decentralised applications (DApps). This platform was launched in 2017 as a competitor to the Ethereum blockchain. The key advantage of the Cardano platform is that it’s much faster than Bitcoin in facilitating peer-to-peer transactions.
  • XRP (XRP) – XRP is the token of Ripple – a payments company that provides solutions for global money transfers. Ripple operates RippleNet, which is a network of banks, payment providers, and other financial institutions that uses a single application programming interface (API) to make the process of moving money around the world faster and cheaper.
  • Polkadot (DOT) – DOT is the native cryptocurrency of Polkadot – a platform that enables cross-blockchain transfers of any type of data or asset. It’s designed to achieve high degrees of security and scalability by uniting multiple blockchains.
  • USD Coin (USDC) – USD Coin is a stablecoin that is supposedly pegged to the US Dollar. Each USDC is backed by one US dollar or asset with equivalent fair value, which is held in accounts with regulated US financial institutions.
  • Dogecoin (DOGE) – Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency that was originally created in 2013 by two software engineers as a joke. It is designed to be a light-hearted alternative to traditional cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

Cryptocurrency Prices in USD, GBP & EUR

CryptocurrencyUSD PriceEUR PriceGBP Price
Bitcoin (BTC)89,237.0076,017.4366,165.67
Ethereum (ETH)2,942.952,508.902,183.75
Tether (USDT)0.99911.17281.3475
Binance Coin (BNB)885.21754.07656.17
Ripple (XRP)1.91991.63491.4250
US Dollar Coin (USDC)0.99961.17341.3482
Solana (SOL)127.56149.74172.04
Cardano (ADA)0.362210.308280.26833
Dogecoin (DOGE)0.124390.146030.16777
TRON (TRX)0.302070.257350.22399
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