United States is considered as one of the most developed regions in terms of bitcoin network structure. Thus, we made a quick bitcoin guide on how to buy bitcoins in the US quickly and safely through reviews of top exchange in the country’s cryptocurrency market.

We list their verification demands, deposit methods, pros and cons as to compare them between each other easily.

Summary: How To Buy Bitcoin In The US

Coinbase allows you buy BTC instantly with a credit/debit card or bank account (ACH transfer). Here is a step-by-step guide to making the bitcoin buying process in the United States as smooth as possible.

Using a Web Browser

Proceed to Coinbase, it’s the most popular bitcoin exchange in the US.
Complete the verification process (if needed).
Go to the Buy/Sell page.
Enter the BTC amount you want to buy.
Select the wallet you wish to have your funds deposited into.
Select your desired payment method (credit/debit card or bank account).
Confirm the buy order is correct and click “Buy Bitcoin Instantly”.
Your bitcoins will be delivered to your Coinbase BTC wallet immediately.
Transfer them to your hardware bitcoin wallet to securely store your bitcoin for the long term (optional).

Using the iOS & Android Apps

Create a Coinbase account and download iOS or Android app.
Tap the menu icon near the top left of the screen to open the Navbar.
Select Buy from the Navbar.
Enter the amount in bitcoins (BTC) that you wish to buy.
Select the bitcoin wallet you want to deposit into.
Select your preferred payment method (credit/debit card or bank account).
Review your order and tap Buy bitcoin.

Please note:

When you fully complete identity verification and build a history of successful purchases, you will receive higher bitcoin buy and sell limits.

No matter if you are an experienced BTC merchant or a beginner that wishes to purchase and sell bitcoins for the first time, you came to the right place. This article will show you how to purchase bitcoins from various providers while giving you a list of purchase methods that you can use.

Buy bitcoin in the United States

Apart from exchanges, this tutorial will show you how to purchase bitcoins from the US anonymously, cheaply and, above all, safely.

Bitcoin Payment Ways In The USA

We have listed the most popular purchase methods that you can use to get BTC from exchanges in the USA:

ACH bank transfer;
online bank account;
credit/debit card purchase;
cash purchase;
PayPal.

Bitcoin exchanges differ in methods they accept when it comes to buying BTC, thus a close investigation of each broker would be vital in your search for quality BTC seller.

Bitcoin scam

You should also use caution as many websites have proven to be a scam in the past, so trade only with those that have been established players in the market.

Is BTC Legal In The USA?

Is bitcoin legal in the USA? Bitcoin has been recognized as a digital asset that investors use to either make a profit from its trading or to purchase goods and services from online shopping marketplaces.

The government bodies have even designed a tax regulation policy for investors who purchase, mine and sell BTC, which means that it is safe to work with.

BTC legal in the USA

Safe Bitcoin Exchanges In The United States

We have conducted a market research on where you can purchase bitcoins if you are located in the US and came up with top 20 brokers that you should check out.

Coinbase

Coinbase is considered as one of the most popular choices in the US when it comes to BTC purchase.

The exchange offers credit/debit card purchases as well with a connected bank account.

Exchange bitcoin with Coinbase

The fees for bank card purchases stand at 3.99% and are instantly carried out while bank wires would cost 1.49% and would take up to 5 business days to complete.

Pros

available in all US states;
high limitations for BTC purchase.

Cons

full verification of your account is needed;
bank transfers can take up to 5 days for wire transfers (ACH transfers are instant).

LocalBitcoins

LocalBitcoins is the most popular P2P platform for bitcoin trading in the world.

based on a large number of traders, the transactions could be done in almost all regions of the world, US included (except in New York).

Get bitcoins at LocalBitcoins exchanger

The limitations depend on traders while verification is not required by the website. The transaction fee stands at 1%.

Pros

the possibility of private purchase without verification;
a variety of purchase methods;
possibility to find competitive BTC prices;
globally available.

Cons

scammers have been reported in the past;
little amount of bitcoins available for purchase.

GDAX

GDAX is an exchange closely connected with Coinbase, drawing on the supply of bitcoins from Coinbase as well as from own sources.

The exchange offers low takers fees of 0.25% while maker and payment methods are free.

GDAX bitcoin exchange

The broker accepts bank and wire transfers. Transferring funds and coins between Coinbase and GDAX is free as well.

Pros

low fees for bitcoin purchase;
connected with Coinbase’s BTC supply.

Cons

not supported in Wyoming, Hawaii, and Minnesota;
as with Coinbase, full verification of your account is required.

Bitfinex

based in Hong Kong, a P2P platform, Bitfinex is considered to be one of the largest bitcoin exchanges in the world, owning about 10% of the US market share.

BTC platform Bitfinex

The fees are considered to be one of the lowest in the market as well, with maker fee standing at 0.1% and taker fee at 0.2%. Bank wire fees stand at 0.1% with $20 being the minimum fee.

Pros

low transaction fees;
supports several altcoins;
margin trading and lending allowed.

Cons

bitcoin/altcoin deposit the only payment method accepted;
credit/debit cards are not accepted;
was hacked in 2016, resulting in $70 million in funds lost.

CoinBTM

CoinBTM is an ATM provider based in New York with over 40 kiosk machines located in NY and New Jersey.

The limitations on bitcoin purchase are set on a daily and weekly basis with management reserving the right not to prove an explanation for such action.

Pros

an easy way to purchase BTC with cash, PayPal, Skrill and other online methods;
highly private as no verification is needed.

Cons

high fees of 10%;
limited regional coverage.

Coinmama

Coinmama offers bitcoin purchase only with a credit card or debit card at a fee of 11.6%.

The transactions are done instantly. The verification is a must should you choose this BTC provider and it includes ID, phone, email and proof of address. The limitations, on the other hand, are set as $5,000 daily and $20,000 monthly.

Exchange bitcoin with Coinmama

Pros

possible to purchase bitcoins without verification up to $150;
high purchase limits with credit/debit card.

Cons

verification is required;
very high purchase fees;
available in only 15 US States;
only credit/debit card purchase accepted.

Xapo

A Swiss-based Xapo exchange that is globally available, including the US.

The broker accepts SWIFT transfers as a payment option, though you can also order an Xapo debit card as a way to easily purchase and withdraw bitcoins.

The exchange also provides vault services for its customers.

Exchange bitcoin with Xapo

Pros

has a great liquidity of BTC;
offers a vault services to protect your bitcoins.

Cons

fees are hidden in exchange rate;
ID verification required;
limited purchase options.

Mycelium

Mycelium is a P2P platform where traders buy and sell bitcoins between each other.

The Local Trader is part of the wallet application that Mycelium has to offer and the applications based on mobile phone only (iOS or Android).

The meeting is in person but no verification is needed to purchase bitcoins.

Mycelium P2P marketplace

Pros

no verification needed;
in large cities bigger chance to get cheap BTC for cash.

Cons

the potential for frauds and scams;
non-urban areas have scarce BTC offer.

LibertyX

based in America, the LibertyX offers bitcoin platform on mobile devices, smartphone and iPhone as well.

It offers a network of bitcoin providers that sell BTC to traders under their own terms. The verification, BTC price and purchase limitations depend on each individual store.

The LibertyX map offers pins about local stores and has information about their fees, working hours and all other relevant details.

Pros

possibility to purchase BTC privately;
low 1.5% fee for store purchase;
different stores have different purchase methods accepted, mostly cash.

Cons

stores add their own fees to the 1.5% base;
Facebook attachment is required.

Gemini

based in the USA, more specifically in New York, the American Gemini exchange offers bitcoins in most of the States apart from Alaska, Arizona and Wisconsin. The accepted purchase methods are ACH transfer and wire bank account deposit.

The maker and taker fees stand at 0.25% but with sufficient trading volume, the cost could be brought down to zero.

Purchases themselves are conducted for free.

Pros

very low transactions fees;
ACH transfers are instantaneous.

Cons

not available in 3 States;
verification is a must for purchasing and withdrawing BTC.

ShapeShift

ShapeShift is an interesting exchange as it does not require any sort of registration from your side.

The payment methods also do not exist but rather you swap altcoins for BTC and vice versa.

The miner fees are fixed for each altcoin, thus the larger amount you trade, the lower percentage cost it would be.

Buy bitcoin with ShapeShift

Pros

no verification or registration is needed;
available in all US states.

Cons

only altcoins are accepted as a purchase method;
apart from miner fees, other costs are hidden in the exchange rate.

Kraken

Although Kraken is mostly EUR dominated, the exchange offers its services for US traders as well.

The purchase methods accepted in Kraken are bank wire and SWIFT transfers which could take up to 5 business days.

Kraken bitcoin exchange

The fees are structured as maker and taker fees with them standing at 0.16% and 0.26% respectively. Bank wire deposits cost $5 currently.

Pros

low transaction fees;
offers a variety of altcoins and currency.

Cons

verification needed before you can buy bitcoins;
could be confusing for a first-time buyer to navigate through the website.

BTC-E

BTC-e exchange was found by Russian investors with headquarters based in London.

The trade was supported from most countries in the world with bank transfers and bank wire deposits accepted means of trade. Since July 2017, the broker has ceased its operations due to the arrest of BTC-e staff members and the seizure of server equipment.

Bitcoin broker BTC-e

On 31st July, the management has revealed that it will restart operations within a month. We advise extreme caution should the exchange reopen again, as all customer funds were seized as well.

Wall Of Coins

Wall of Coins is a P2P marketplace that offers cash transactions as a purchase method for BTC traders.

Other purchase methods depend on the order book set by sellers which could include bank wire transfers, SWIFT deposits and others. The fees stand at 1% for all transactions while verification is needed only for a phone number.

Wall of Coins exchange

Pros

low transaction fees of 1%;
verification of phone number needed only;
available in all US States.

Cons

high-volume trades are very hard to find;
the potential for scams as with all other P2P platforms.

CEX.IO

CEX.io is a very popular bitcoin provider that accepts a variety of purchase methods, including credit and debit card, ACH bank transfers and Crypto Capital.

The fees stand at 3.5% + $0.25 for credit/debit card deposits while other methods are free.

Exchange bitcoin with CEX.io

Depending on the verification levels, the purchase limitations can be set as $300 daily and $1,000 monthly for basic level (email and phone only) while higher levels increase the limits towards $10,000 daily and $100,000 monthly.

Pros

traders can purchase privately with only email and phone verified;
low fees, including transaction cost of 0.2%.

Cons

for higher purchase limits, extensive verification is needed;
you need to deposit first before purchasing BTC.

Bitstamp

Bitstamp is one of the largest bitcoin exchanges in the world, operating since 2011. It is a licensed broker, registered in Luxembourg.

The fees depend on the trade volume, with transaction fees standing at 0.25%. The accepted purchase methods for US traders are bank transfer, bank wire and credit cards.