How to Buy Bitcoin: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

Bitcoin is in the news today more than ever. Thanks to skyrocketing prices and rollercoaster dips, everyone and their dogs are interested in learning how to buy and sell Bitcoin. As the most popular form of cryptocurrency (and the blockchain technology that powers it) Bitcoin is now widely accepted around the world and has a growing number of applications. Before you can get into any of that, you need to first know where to go to purchase and store it.

There are a few steps you need to take to make your first purchase, but if you’re ready and willing to follow along, we’ll quickly teach you how to purchase Bitcoin.

Quick tips

Although each step does take some consideration, these are the main points you need to think over when it comes to making your first Bitcoin purchase:

• Install an offline Bitcoin wallet and set up a strong password to protect it.
• Set up an account on Coinbase (and its trading platform, Coinbase Pro, if you want additional control).
• Choose your preferred payment method.
• Buy some Bitcoin.

Step 1: Find a good Bitcoin wallet

Digital “wallets” are used to store Bitcoin until you are ready to spend them or exchange them for another currency. Wallets range in terms of features, platforms they can be used on, and security, so it’s important to choose one that works for you — though you should probably steer clear of the one evangelized by John McAfee.

To get you started, your best bet is to use the wallet that’s automatically provided to you on our recommended exchange, Coinbase. However, it’s also a good idea to set up a wallet that’s not linked to an exchange to ensure you’ll have ready access to your Bitcoin even in the event of overwhelming traffic or site closure.

Here are our recommended options:

Exodus: An all-in-one offline application with support for a number of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Exodus is free to use, has built-in shape-shift trading, and includes some simple graphing tools to help you visualize your cryptocurrency portfolio.

Mycelium: This one is a popular mobile wallet known for being compatible with more advanced tech, like Trezor hardware wallets (for maximum security) and Tor.

Bitcoin Core: A free and open-source choice that serves as a Bitcoin node, Bitcoin Core does an excellent job at verifying payments, only accepting payments from valid blockchains.

For a look at a few other of our favorite wallets, here’s a more in-depth guide to the best Bitcoin wallets.

Note: Although an online wallet is fine for your first Bitcoin purchase, if you find yourself with a lot of valuable cryptocurrencies because of trading or an upswing in value, make sure to store it in an offline “cold storage” wallet for maximum protection.

Step 2: Choose the right Bitcoin trader

The best place to make your first Bitcoin purchase is on an exchange. There are a whole lot of exchanges out there, with varying performance. Some are less trustworthy than others, and some can be quite…