Marc Serafino
Bitcoin is no longer a novelty only the tech-savvy, rich folks can play with. Quite the contrary, today there are a few dozen different websites, so called exchanges, from where you can buy bitcoins and other, less popular cryptocurrencies.
We want to help you out distinguish between reputable platforms and those that have yet to prove their value. So we’ve prepared a list of the most popular bitcoin exchanges where you can buy and sell cryptocurrency. In no particular order, here are the 12 web platform we like the most:
1. Coinbase
Coinbase is one of the most reputable bitcoin exchanges available, which also operates exchanges of other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Litecoin. The company lets users make individual transactions as well as automated bitcoin purchases on a weekly and monthly basis. As of May 2017, Coinbase had 7.4 million users.
2. Wirex
Formerly known as E-Coin, Wirex is a cloud-based hybrid personal banking platform that offers bitcoin debit cards, remittances, and mobile banking. The service allows users to link bitcoin wallets to Visa and MasterCard debit cards in up to three fiat denominations (dollars, pounds sterling, and euro). Also worth noting is that Wirex allows users to buy bitcoins with PayPal with other services.
3. Bitfinex
Bitfinex is a crypto-currency exchange trading and currency-storage platform with many advanced features and support for a number of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Zcash, Monero, Litecoin, Dash, Iota, and Ripple. Since 2014, it has been the largest Bitcoin exchange platform, with over 10% of the exchanges’ trading.
4. Gemini
Gemini dubs itself the next generation digital asset platform built for businesses and investors. It enables users to buy, sell, and store bitcoin and ether with superior trading features, and high-end security. Also, Gemini is the first U.S. exchange licensed for bitcoin and ether trading, regulated as a trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS).
5. LocalBitcoins
Helsinki, Finland-based LocalBitcoins operates a platform where individual bitcoin buyers and sellers from all over the world can find each other. Sellers post ads on the website, where they state exchange rates and payment methods for selling bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. On the other hand, buyers respond to those ads by agreeing to the terms and price. LocalBitcoins runs a reputation and feedback mechanism, as well as an escrow and conflict-resolution service.
6. Kraken
Popular among the traders, Kraken was one of the first bitcoin exchanges to pass an independent audit. The service allows shorting, and also supports advanced order types and automated trading. For an added security — and Kraken prides itself with the security of its platform — every user is required to setup a two-factor authentication.
7. BitStamp
Based in Luxembourg, Bitstamp was one of the first bitcoin exchanges to accept bitcoin purchase with credit and debit cards. That, and the fact it is in business for more than 5 years, has made it the world’s second largest bitcoin exchange by volume in 2016. Another key feature of Bitstamp is that it allows users to withdraw bitcoins as physical gold — which isn’t offered by any other bitcoin exchange on this list.
8. OKCoin
As of August 2016, OKCoin is the largest bitcoin exchange in the world with a volume of over 16,000,000 Bitcoins per month. The service is operated from Beijing, China and Singapore; and is popular among both traders and investors. In addition to Bitcoin, it is also used for trading of Litecoin and Ethereum.
9. BTC-e
BTC-e is another more-than-five-year-old bitcoin exchange service; it prides itself with transparency, offering a live tracker with the current bitcoin price and the most recent transactions in the platform from the trade history. The site’s interface is rather simple, though it has some fans, especially those who like to chat with other cryptocurrency buyers.
10. ItBit
Headquartered in New York with an international office in Singapore, itBit received a trust charter from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) in May 2015, and became the first company to operate a regulated bitcoin exchange in the United States. The platform is mostly used by traders and financial institutions, offering a “boutique service” for large bitcoin trades over 100 BTC.
11. BitQuick
As its name suggests, BitQuick is all about speed, touting itself as the “premier service to buy bitcoin in just 3 hours.” The platform lets users buy bitcoins with cash deposit into a bank from sellers with bitcoin already in escrow for a low 2% fee. Also, users can sell their bitcoins at their own prices for cash deposited into their bank accounts for 0% fee.
12. Poloniex
Poloniex dubs itself as the “world’s most active digital asset exchange,” offering a secure trading environment along with advanced charts and data analysis tools to its customers. The platform enables its users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, litecoin, namecoin, dogecoin, and more.
Start now or stay behind…
Now that you know the services, it’s time to act! Pick the one that sounds best to you and take it from there. Note that all of the companies listed here are legitimate businesses, and you can’t miss with any of them. Nevertheless, you may want to visit a few of them before selecting the one that works best for you. Good luck! 😉
