Best crypto exchanges and brokers

Compare crypto exchanges

How to buy crypto in 4 steps

• Compare crypto exchanges The first step to buying crypto is to choose a crypto exchange from the dozens of options available in the market. Comparing in the table below helps you find one with the features you want, whether it’s low fees, ease of use, or 24-hour customer support.
• Create an account After selecting an exchange, the next step is to sign up for an account. This involves providing some personal information like your name, email address, and identity verification documents, such as your driving license or passport. Have these details and documents at hand to speed up the registration process.
• Deposit funds To buy crypto, you’ll need to deposit funds into your account. Exchanges offer a variety of deposit methods, including bank transfers, debit cards, and even third-party payment solutions like PayPal.
• Buy crypto With your account funded, you’re all set to buy crypto. On user-friendly exchanges, this is as simple as entering the amount you want to purchase and clicking “Buy”. If you like, you can transfer your crypto to your personal wallet after purchase.

Frequently asked questions

Beginner’s guide to crypto

• Where can I buy and sell crypto?

  To buy and sell crypto in the UK, you need to sign up to a cryptocurrency exchange or app. Our guides and comparisons help you to filter down your options to what’s important to you.

  Crypto guides are plastered with warnings and there’s a good reason for that, which is that crypto is incredibly volatile and you could lose all your money. It’s worth knowing that before you take the plunge.

• What is an altcoin?

  Altcoin stands for alternative coin, and refers to any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin (BTC). This broad term covers everything from coins like Ether (ETH), which was released in 2014 and has a 12-figure market cap, right down to brand new crypto coins which were invented this morning.

• Are Bitcoin and BTC the same thing?

  Yes, Bitcoin is also known as BTC (and, less commonly, XBT). All cryptos have a “code”, called a ticker symbol, which is typically 3 letters but can be 4 or more. Bitcoin is BTC, Ether is ETH, Ripple is XRP and so on.

• What's the difference between a wallet and a crypto exchange?

  Typically, a crypto wallet is used to safely store your crypto (online or offline) and it can be hardware or software. Whereas, a crypto exchange works like a stock exchange where you can buy or sell crypto by dealing with other crypto investors, and the exchange itself acts as a middleman (or broker) to help facilitate trades.

How do you pick the best crypto exchange?

• How do I choose the right crypto exchange?

  This depends on what cryptocurrencies you’re interested in and how you plan to invest. We’ve listed some of the best crypto exchanges that excel in different categories, but the best exchange for you to use will be based on which one suits your needs and budget.

  First, think about how you plan to invest in cryptocurrency (or whether you’re looking to trade cryptoassets). If you’re a complete beginner, check out the more beginner-friendly apps and platforms that are simple to use and have some useful learning resources.

  If you happen to know your hash rates from your halvings, you might want to think about using one of the crypto exchanges offering more advanced trading features to help you make the most of your investing experience.

  Whether you’re a beginner or experienced crypto trader, it’s always worth comparing fees to try and find the best UK crypto exchange with low fees to ensure you get the most value from your digital investments.

• What is the best crypto exchange in the UK according to Reddit?

  There’s no single thread where all the crypto-enthusiast Redditors get together to vote on the best UK crypto exchange. However, a number of posts, threads and comments have highlighted Kraken, which is also on our list as one of the best.

• How do maker and taker fees work?

  To trade crypto, there has to be a buyer and a seller. The people adding to the order book are makers. For example, if you’re selling a coin at a high price. These orders didn’t exist beforehand, so you’re making more options available. If you buy or sell at a price which is already available, you’re taking options away. Both makers and takers can be charged a fee when trading, called – you guessed it – maker fees and taker fees.

• Can I leave my crypto funds on the exchange?

  It’s up to you whether you want to leave your funds on an exchange or store them in your own private wallet, which can be done either online or offline. If you do choose to leave your funds on an exchange, it would help to choose one which has additional insurance. This is because the exchange could be hacked, which is something that has happened at very large crypto exchanges in the past.

• What's the best crypto exchange to withdraw fiat in the UK?

  Our current pick is Uphold is a good choice because you get a debit card linked to your digital wallet that allows you to withdraw your crypto balances as fiat currency (pounds sterling, for example) at a cash machine just like you normally would. You can also use it in shops and online to spend directly from your cryptocurrency balance and you’ll even earn 1% cashback in GBP when spending on your card.

• What's the best decentralised exchange or non-KYC crypto exchange?

  We don’t score and rate decentralised exchanges or those that don’t follow “know your customer” (KYC) requirements because these exchanges don’t comply with the rules.

Crypto safety and protection

• Is it legal to buy Bitcoin?

  Yes, it is legal to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC) in the UK. In order to ensure you’re being legally compliant, it’s a good idea to use only crypto exchanges which are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). All of the crypto trading platforms in this guide registered with the FCA (which means they’ve passed checks for money-laundering).

• Can I buy crypto in the UK?

  Yes, you can trade crypto legally from the UK on FCA-registered exchanges like those in this guide. There are currently no signs that crypto trading will be made illegal in the UK.