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With Bitcoin now one of the best-performing assets in the financial arena, many people in the UK are looking to invest in this digital currency.
The good news is that the process takes less than five minutes when using a top-rated online broker that supports UK debit/credit cards and e-wallets.
In this article, we’ll show you how to buy Bitcoin in the UK with an FCA-regulated broker that charges super-low fees.
Where to Buy Bitcoin UK - Quick Steps
Follow the quickfire guide below to learn how to buy Bitcoin in the UK at eToro - an FCA-regulated broker that supports plenty of convenient payment methods.
- Step 1: Open an account with eToro - First, open an account with eToro by entering your personal information. Upload a copy of your passport or driver’s license to get your account verified.
- Step 2: Deposit Funds - Deposit a minimum of around £7 with a debit/credit card, e-wallet, or UK bank account.
- Step 3: Search for Bitcoin - Enter ‘Bitcoin’ into the search box and click on ‘Trade’ when you see the cryptocurrency appear.
- Step 4: Buy Bitcoin UK - In the ‘Amount’ box, enter the size of your Bitcoin purchase. The minimum at eToro is about £7.
Once you click the ‘Open Trade’ button, your Bitcoin purchase will be executed by eToro instantly.
Best Place to Buy Bitcoin Cheaply
When learning how to buy Bitcoin UK, you will need to choose a suitable online broker. The best places to buy cryptocurrency UK and Bitcoin from the comfort of home are discussed below.
1. eToro - Buy Bitcoin with debit card and credit card
eToro is one of the best places to buy Bitcoin in the UK – not least because the broker is authorised and regulated by the FCA. You can open an account in less than five minutes and proceed to deposit funds instantly with a UK debit/credit card. Bank account transfers and e-wallets like Paypal and Skrill are also supported.
We like the fact that eToro only requires you to meet a minimum crypto investment of around £7. As such, you can buy Bitcoin in the UK without needing to risk large sums of capital. Best of all, eToro is also a low-cost broker. This is because you will only need to cover the ‘spread’ when buying Bitcoin - which starts at just 0.75%.
What we also like about eToro is that the broker has a huge number of investable assets on its website. Not only does this include dozens of other cryptocurrencies, but thousands of UK and international stocks, ETFs, forex markets, and commodities like gold and oil. You can also trade CFDs with leverage and engage in short-selling (non-crypto markets).
In terms of user-friendliness, you can learn how to buy Bitcoin UK at eToro even as a beginner. This is because the platform is super easy to use. There is no requirement to download a Bitcoin wallet either, as eToro allows you to safely store your digital currencies via your online portfolio. Finally, eToro also offers a mobile trading app on both iOS and Android, making it the best app to buy Bitcoin UK.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
2. Coinbase - Great Place to Buy Bitcoin for Beginners
Coinbase was founded in 2012 and is now home to over 70 million clients. You do not need to have any prior experience to use Coinbase, as the crypto exchange is aimed at beginners. Once you have registered an account and verified your identity, you can buy Bitcoin in the UK with a debit or credit card.
Take note, although the purchase will be executed instantly, you will be charged a whopping 3.99%. If purchasing less than $200 (about £140) worth of Bitcoin, Coinbase will charge you a flat fee. In percentage terms, this works out at an even higher price. On top of how to buy Bitcoin UK, Coinbase supports dozens of altcoins, but no traditional assets like stocks and ETFs.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
3. Crypto.com - Safe Place to Buy Bitcoin in the UK
Crypto.com is a free cryptocurrency app that can be downloaded to your phone via the Google Play or Apple Store.
To buy Bitcoin online in the UK from this provider, you will first need to create an account and upload some ID.
The Crypto app does allow you to transfer funds via a UK bank account. As the transaction is facilitated via the Faster Payments network, the funds should arrive pretty much instantly. Then it’s just a case of meeting the minimum investment to buy Bitcoin.
Ways of Buying Bitcoin
If you’re based in the UK and looking at the best way to buy Bitcoin – this ultimately depends on your preferred payment method.
Your options include the following:
Buying Bitcoin with PayPal
You can buy Bitcoin with PayPal if you have an account with eToro. The provider will charge you a very competitive 0.5% fee to use PayPal – and the transaction will be executed instantly. This option is also the best way to cash out Bitcoin – as PayPal withdrawals are super fast.
Buying Bitcoin with Credit or Debit Card
Perhaps the most common way to buy Bitcoin in the UK is via a debit or credit card. All you need to do is open an account with an FCA-regulated broker like eToro before securely entering your card number, expiry date, and CVV.
Then, the payment will be processed instantly and you can proceed to buy Bitcoin. While Coinbase charges 3.99% on debit/credit card payments, you will pay just 0.5% at eToro.
Buy Bitcoin with Neteller or Skrill
Very few online brokers or crypto exchanges allow you to buy Bitcoin in the UK with an alternative e-wallet like Neteller or Skrill.
With that said, we found that eToro does support these e-wallets in addition to Paypal. Once again, your deposit will be processed instantly at a very competitive transaction fee of just 0.5%.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
Why Buy Bitcoin?
If you’re wondering why so many people in the UK and further afield are looking to buy Bitcoin - check out the core benefits of this digital currency below.
Price Performance
Most people invest in Bitcoin UK because they have seen how well this digital asset has performed in recent years.
In fact, had you invested in this cryptocurrency back in 2009, you would now be looking at gains in the millions of percentage points. In the prior five years alone, Bitcoin has increased in value by over 5,000%. It’s no wonder that most crypto-hungry traders are looking to invest in cryptocurrency UK right now.
Low Entry Point
Although Bitcoin now trades for thousands of pounds per token, UK residents can now invest in this digital currency with a small amount of money.
This is because user-friendly brokers like eToro allow you to invest from just $10 per trade - or about £7. This is especially useful when you consider just how volatile Bitcoin is.
Easy to Cash Out
In a time not so long ago, cashing out Bitcoin in the UK was no easy feat. Fast forward to 2022, however, and you can now sell Bitcoin back to pounds and pence at the click of a button.
When using eToro for this purpose, your sell order will be executed instantly and you can then proceed to request a GBP withdrawal back to your debit/credit card or bank account.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
Bitcoin Price?
Bitcoin is typically traded and analysed in US dollars in a similar way to gold, oil, and other commodities. This is why when you see the Bitcoin price at your chosen broker, it will typically be displayed in USD.
With that said, you can still buy Bitcoin in the UK with British pounds. Most brokers will simply perform a real-time GBP/USD conversion at the time of the transaction.
Bitcoin Price Prediction
You will find a plethora of Bitcoin price predictions by performing a simple Google search. Make no mistake about it - most Bitcoin price predictions that you come across are not based on any tangible data or fundamental research.
On the contrary, the prediction is nothing more than the opinion of the respective author. Sure, many market commentators argue that Bitcoin could surpass $100,000 by the end of 2022. However, there is no sure-fire way of knowing whether or not this will come to fruition.
As such, we would suggest avoiding Bitcoin price predictions and instead engage in your own research and analysis.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
How to Buy Bitcoin UK - Tutorial
In this section of our guide, we will show you how to buy Bitcoin in the UK with FCA-regulated broker eToro. To reiterate – eToro allows you to buy Bitcoin on a spread-only basis and at a minimum purchase of just $10.
Step 1: Open a Bitcoin Trading Account
To get the ball rolling, visit the eToro website and open a trading account. You can do this by entering your first and last name, home address, national insurance number, and any other personal information required by the broker.
You will also need to enter your mobile number and email address. Finally, choose a username and password before proceeding to the KYC (Know Your Customer) process.
Step 2: KYC Verification
In choosing eToro to buy Bitcoin in the UK, you are using a trusted platform that is both authorised and regulated by the FCA. In turn, this means that eToro is legally required to verify your identity before it can allow you to buy Bitcoin.
To complete the process, upload a clear copy of your ID – which can be a valid password or full driver’s license. eToro will then validate your document in real-time – so expect to have a verified account in less than a minute.
Step 3: Deposit Money
You will need to deposit some money into your eToro account before you can buy Bitcoins UK.
Supported payment methods at this brokerage site include debit and credit cards issued by Visa and MasterCard. UK bank account transfers and e-wallets including Paypal, Skrill, and Neteller are also accepted.
The minimum deposit amount at eToro for first-time customers is $10. In terms of fees, you will pay just 0.5% to deposit in GBP.
Step 4: Search for Bitcoin
You should now have a verified eToro account with at least $10 in trading capital. If so, enter ‘Bitcoin’ into the search box at the top of the screen.
You will then see ‘BTC Bitcoin’ appear from below the search box – like the image above. Simply click on the ‘Trade’ button to proceed to the next step.
Step 5: Buy Bitcoin UK
And finally – you will now be presented with an order box. Here, you need to specify your total investment. The minimum at eToro is just $10 – or about £7.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
Once you are happy with the information entered, click on the ‘Open Trade’ button to complete your Bitcoin purchase. The tokens will instantly be added to your eToro portfolio.
Conclusion
In summary, you can now buy Bitcoin in the UK from a trusted broker like eToro in under five minutes. Simply open an account, deposit funds with a debit/credit card, and proceed to invest in this popular digital currency from just $10 – or about £7.
Most importantly, you will be completing the process safely, as eToro is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection. Your capital is at risk. Additionally, 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
This article is brought to you by Crypto PR and does not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.
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