Where to Buy Bitcoin

In this article, I’ll introduce several websites where you can buy and sell Bitcoin. I’ve grouped the platforms according to whether they require identity verification:

• Platforms with KYC are cheaper, easier to use and offer more features, but require identity verification.
• Platforms without KYC let you buy Bitcoin with varying degrees of legal anonymity.

KYC = a process for verifying users’ identity and/or address.

Non-KYC platforms are much closer to Bitcoin’s underground, libertarian ethos, but require a deeper level of expertise.

1) Platforms for buying Bitcoin with KYC (€ & $):

• Bitstack : Ideal for discovering Bitcoin and setting up recurring investment plans.
• Binance: For trading or investing large amounts with low fees.
• Paymium: Founded in France by Pierre Noizat in 2011, Paymium is the oldest platform still operating today. A solid option for buying Bitcoin with confidence. Read our Paymium review (referral code: sErZAB8KgCGSZy9uxgzc).

2) Buy Bitcoin without KYC (€ & $):

• Peach : Easily buy €10 to €100 of Bitcoin without KYC from your phone (referral code: PR1D16). An ideal way to buy your first non-KYC Bitcoin. Watch our video to learn how to buy Bitcoin on Peach.
• Bisq: An excellent way to buy Bitcoin while preserving your privacy. Bisq is a desktop application and is more complex than AgoraDesk and Peach.

Bonus: Make Bitcoin bought on KYC platforms more private:

There are ways to help if you regret linking your Bitcoin to your identity. Here are CoinJoin and Bitcoin/Monero swaps.

a) CoinJoin (Bitcoin mixing):

CoinJoin combines transactions from several Bitcoiners to obscure the link between your coins and your identity.

This is comparable to clearing your web browser’s history. CoinJoin users don’t need to know or trust one another, or even be in the same place. You remain in control of your Bitcoin throughout the process.

• Samourai Wallet: This Bitcoin wallet lets you initiate CoinJoins securely with people you don’t know. The first mixing round is paid; subsequent remixes are free and can continue indefinitely. It also offers a range of tools to improve privacy on the Bitcoin network. Available on Android.

b) Bitcoin/Monero swap services:

Les swaps non KYC involve exchanging cryptocurrencies without revealing your identity. This exchange uses a centralized intermediary that will not ask for any information about you or the origin of your funds.

For example, you could buy Monero on Binance after identifying yourself, then swap it anonymously for Bitcoin on Majestic Bank. This can give you Bitcoin that is not directly linked to your identity, unlike a standard Bitcoin purchase on Binance. Monero is used here because its transactions are private. Binance would know only that you bought and withdrew Monero. Majestic Bank would know only that an anonymous user exchanged an amount of Monero for Bitcoin.

• Majestic Bank: Swap Monero for Bitcoin without revealing your identity or creating an account (access Majestic Bank via Tor).