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You'll need a Bitcoin wallet before you buy since some exchanges require one.
Don't have a wallet? Read our guide on the best Bitcoin & cryptocurrency wallets.
- Popular Exchanges to Buy Bitcoin in Germany
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Coinmama- Works in almost all countries
- Highest limits for buying bitcoins with a credit card
- Reliable and trusted broker
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eToro- Supports Bitcoin, Ethereum & 15 other coins
- Start trading fast; high limits
- Your capital is at risk.
We do not promote, endorse, or earn commissions from the trading of securities of any kind, including CFDs, however, eToro requires that we provide you with the following disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 62% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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Bitpanda- Best for Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France & rest of Europe
- Does NOT support USA
- Trusted exchange
Coinmama Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Coinmama allows customers in almost every country to buy bitcoin. They charge a 4.9%-5.9% (depends on volume) fee on each purchase.
Customers in Europe can also purchase bitcoins with SEPA transfer for a lower fee.
Want to buy using Coinmama? This step-by-step guide will show you how to use Coinmama.
We may receive compensation when you use Coinmama. Please visit Coinmama for its exact pricing terms.
- Works in almost all countries
- Highest limits for buying bitcoins with a credit card
- Reliable and trusted broker
- Some of the highest fees among credit/debit card bitcoin brokers
Bitpanda Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Bitpanda is a Bitcoin broker based in Europe.
They have high payment limits and low fees across their wide range of payment methods.
Bitpanda offers customers the option to buy bitcoins with credit card, debit card, SOFORT, Skrill, NETELLER, giropay, eps, SEPA, and Online Bank Transfer.
Our guide will show you how to buy bitcoins with a credit card on Bitpanda.
We may receive compensation when you use Bitpanda. Please visit Bitpanda for its exact pricing terms.
- Some of the lowest fees for buying bitcoins with credit/debit card
- Reliable and trusted broker
- Fees aren't shown openly on the site but instead included in the buying price
CEX.io Buy Bitcoin Read Review
CEX.io lets you buy bitcoin with a credit card, ACH bank transfer, SEPA transfer, cash, or AstroPay. Purchases made with a credit card give you access to your bitcoin immediately. CEX.io works in the United States, Europe, and certain countries in South America.
We may receive compensation when you use CEX.io. Please visit CEX.io for its exact pricing terms.
- Support for many countries and regions
- Low 0.2% trading fee
- Established and trusted exchange
- Verification process is extensive, requiring much personal information (including a photo) and incurring a long delay
- GBP market lacks liquidity
Kriptomat Buy Bitcoin
Kriptomat is a Bitcoin & crypto exchange based in Europe. It offers quick verification and the ability to buy bitcoin, ether, litecoin and other coins. Buyers can get coins using a credit card, debit card, SEPA, Skrill, Sofort and other payment methods.
- Available in 23 languages
- Quick verification process
- Limited payment methods
- Only supports EU countries
Kraken Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Founded mid-2011, Kraken is the one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, and the largest in Europe based on daily average trading volume. It is available in almost all countries. Deposits can be made via bank wire, SEPA, ACH and SWIFT.
- Very low 0.25% taker fee, falling to 0.1% with sufficient trading volume
- Very low maker fee, falling to 0% with sufficient trading volume
- Highly-rated for security and data protection
- Requires ID verification, so not private
Bitcoin.de Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Bitcoin.de is a major European peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange. Users can buy bitcoin online from other Bitcoin.de users through SEPA bank transfers.
- One of the oldest and largest exchanges in Europe
- Claims to have high security and regular audits
- Limited to SEPA as a payment method
Paymium Buy Bitcoin
Paymium was the first European Bitcoin exchange, founded in 2011. It provides a EUR/BTC exchange service, and complies with all relevent European Regulations. Customers can purchase bitcoins via SEPA, wire transfer, or credit card.
- Established and trusted exchange
- Mobile app available
- ID verification required for amounts over €2,500, so not private
Bity Buy Bitcoin
Bity is a Bitcoin exchange and ATM operator, based in Switzerland. Their 5 ATMs allow for a quick first purchase and only require phone verification for an initial buy limit of 1,000 EUR or CHF. Their online service accepts wire transfers, SOFORT and online bank transfers.
- Easy to start buying bitcoins after mobile phone verification
- Payment limit of up to €100,000 annually after intensive verification
- ID verification is required for most purchases, so not a private way to buy
- Low annual limit of only €4,000 without intensive verification
Bitstamp Buy Bitcoin
BitStamp is one of the world's largest and most well-known Bitcoin exchanges. Deposits can be made through bank transfer, SEPA transfer, international bank wire, and now even credit cards.
- One of the longest-running Bitcoin exchanges
- Very low 0.25% fee, falling to 0.1% with sufficient trading volume
- Good range of deposit and withdrawal options
- Deep liquidity promotes a price close to fair market rate
- Offers wide range of altcoins
- Has been hacked before, users should not store funds on the exchange for any period of time
- High 8% fee on small credit card purchases, falling to 5% with sufficient trading volume
- Geared towards traders; slightly confusing for first time buyers
CoinCorner Buy Bitcoin
CoinCorner is a Bitcoin exchange based on the Isle of Man. They cater to first-time buyers in the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia, and certain African, Asian, and South American countries. CoinCorner users may purchase bitcoins with SEPA, credit/debit card, GBP bank transfer, and now Neteller too. No verification required for purchases under £100.
We may receive compensation when you use CoinCorner. Please visit CoinCorner for its exact pricing terms.
- Trusted and regulated company in the UK
- Wide range of payment options
- Good customer support
- Instant credit card purchases
- Supports a very wide range of countries
- Video tutorials covering the basics of Bitcoin and buying and selling
- Multi-sig security features
- 1% trading fee slightly high by European standards
- Offers a mobile wallet but this is not ideal for bitcoin storage
- Requires ID verification, so not private
- Does not provide exchange prices for comparison without sign-up
Bitcoin ATMs Buy Bitcoin
You can use our Bitcoin ATM map to buy bitcoins with cash. Bitcoin ATMs can be a quick and easy way to buy bitcoins and they're also private. That convenience and privacy, however, comes with a price; most ATMs have fees of 5-10%.
- Our map makes it super easy to find a Bitcoin ATM near you
- Bitcoin ATMs often have 5-10% fees per purchase
Bitit Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Bitit lets you purchase bitcoin online with a 3DS-enabled credit/debit cards or with cash via Neosurf, Flexepin (coming soon) and Cashlib vouchers, available in over 150,000 local stores across Europe.
We may receive compensation when you use Bitit. Please visit Bitit for its exact pricing terms.
- Unique way of purchasing offers extra privacy over other methods
- 8% Neosurf fee is slightly better than Coinhouse's 10%
- Available in 50 countries
- €10,000 initial weekly Neosurf cash payment limit
- Bitcoin gift cards also available; more expensive than other options
- In-person buying methods offer more privacy but can be confusing
- Identity verification required for buying amounts over €25
- €500 initial weekly credit/debit card limit
itBit Buy Bitcoin Read Review
itBit is a global Bitcoin exchange, licensed with the New York State Department of Financial Services. It also operates a global OTC trading desk, making it easy for customers to buy large amounts (100 BTC and up) of bitcoin. It supports all US states besides Texas.
- OTC trading desk is one of the best ways to buy large amounts of bitcoins
- Deep liquidity promotes a price close to fair market rate
- Extremely low fees; 0% for market makers and 0.2% for market takers
- Fee on OTC brokering service is only 0.1%
- Limited payment options
- Geared towards traders; exchange interface may be confusing for first time buyers
- Requires ID verification, so not private
Bitfinex Buy Bitcoin
Hong Kong-based Bitfinex has long been one of the largest USD Bitcoin exchanges in the world. Bitfinex accounts may be funded by bank wire only, their fee on accepting such transfers is low at only 0.1%.
In August 2016, however, it was hacked and lost around 30% of its users funds. While Bitfinex can be helpful for buying large amounts of bitcoins, it is probably best to not use the exchange until it fully compensates affected users.
- Very low fees even for low volume buyers; 0.1% for market makers and 0.2% for market takers
- One of the best ways to buy large amounts of bitcoins
- Allows lending of fiat or bitcoin to margin traders at interest (but this is risky in light of the hack)
- Very deep liquidity promotes a price close to fair market rate
- Supports several altcoins
- Was recently hacked and has yet to fully compensate all users for their loss
- Geared towards traders; possibly quite confusing for first time buyers
- Single payment option
Mycelium Local Trader Buy Bitcoin
Mycelium Local Trader helps you find local Bitcoin sellers. Once you locate a seller, you meet up in-person and conduct the trade. Mycelium charges absolutely no fees. While Mycelium Local Trader works great in highly-populated areas, users in low population areas will have trouble finding sellers.
- Easy and cheap way to buy bitcoins with cash
- Private way to buy bitcoins, no personal information required beyond cellphone number
- Users in sparsely populated areas will have trouble finding sellers
BitSquare Popular Buy Bitcoin
BitSquare is a decentralized Bitcoin exchange. They facilitate trade by escrowing bitcoins of both buyer and seller, to promote the successful conclusion of trades. It offers high privacy and security, and never controls its users funds.
- The exchange never has control of your money
- Usually requires some bitcoin for escrow, so not an option for first-time buyers
- Works over TOR for increased privacy
- Very low 0.0008 BTC flat fee
- Currently low volume, so may be hard to purchase depending on buy amount or your location
- 1 bitcoin trade limit, no limit on number of trades
The State of Bitcoin in Germany
Germany’s capital, Berlin, was dubbed as the Bitcoin Capital of Europe by British publication The Guardian back in 2013 thanks to the widespread acceptance of the cryptocurrency in the city. Not surprisingly, Germany is a leader in Bitcoin adoption as various developments suggest. For instance, over 25% of the young Germans surveyed by the German Consumer Center were willing to invest in cryptocurrency.
Another survey by German retail bank Postbank suggests that 29% of Germans treat cryptocurrencies as a desirable investment avenue. Additionally, leading corporate houses in the European nation have been integrating Blockchain technologies in their businesses. More importantly, the German government has been supportive of Bitcoin and that has played a critical role in the adoption of the cryptocurrency.
The Regulatory Environment
Bitcoin in Germany is tax-exempt as long as it is used for making payments, according to the Federal Ministry of Finances. This means that virtual currencies such as Bitcoin are equivalent to other legal means of payment in Germany. The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) in Germany treats Bitcoin as a financial instrument.
As a result, Bitcoin trading platforms in the country had to take a permit from BaFin in order to facilitate trade and issue the digital currency. However, a recent ruling by a German court has challenged the standing of Bitcoin as a financial instrument. According to the court, Bitcoin trading in Germany doesn’t require permits and licenses, and it isn’t issued by either the central bank or any other public authority.
Bitcoin cannot be treated as a financial instrument as per the court ruling, which means that there is an inconsistency in the regulatory standing of Bitcoin in Germany. In fact, this is an inconsistency that’s seen throughout the European Union. Though different countries in the EU have legalized Bitcoin, there’s lack of a region-wide framework regarding cryptocurrencies.
This means that the likelihood of further tweaks in Germany’s approach toward Bitcoin is likely so that different countries in the EU are on a similar page with respect to cryptocurrencies. However, potential Bitcoin buyers and existing holders can expect any changes to be favorable with respect to Bitcoin and its adoption in a manner to what some other countries outside the EU have done.
Germany could take steps to curb money laundering and financial terrorism by introducing related regulations, and such a move will enhance Bitcoin adoption by boosting confidence in cryptocurrencies. As it stands, reputable organizations in the country are already taking positive steps to boost adoption of Bitcoin.
For instance, the German National Tourism Board started accepting payments in Bitcoin last year. Just recently, Boerse Stuttgart, which is Germany’s second-largest stock exchange, officially launched a new cryptocurrency trading application that will allow users to trade Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and XRP. This is Germany’s first crypto-trading app that has the backing of a traditional securities exchange, a move that could bring more users into the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Buying and Spending Bitcoin in Germany
One of the easiest ways to buy Bitcoin in Germany is through cryptocurrency exchanges. There are several exchanges offering Bitcoin in Germany, and you can easily select one based on your requirements and preferences using our guide. Different exchanges have different transaction fees, withdrawal limits, payment modes, and verification processes that need to be kept in mind before users select one.
Additionally, Bitcoin buyers need to keep in mind the fact that certain exchanges might require them to get a wallet of their own before they are able to buy the digital currency. Also, it is recommended to have a wallet of your own for security reasons, preferably a hardware wallet. If you don’t have a wallet, refer to our guide on the Best Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Wallets to choose one.
Another way to buy Bitcoins in Germany is through automated teller machines (ATMs). These ATMs allow users to instantly purchase the cryptocurrency using cash, and most of them don’t require any verification either, thereby ensuring the buyer’s anonymity. You can locate Bitcoin ATMs in Germany using our Bitcoin ATM Map, though there are only three of them available for now in the cities of Berlin, Stuttgart, and Munich.
As far as spending Bitcoin is concerned, we have already seen that the scenario is a positive one in the country as evident from the Tourism Board’s decision to accept payments in Bitcoin. In fact, a closer look suggests that there are quite a few businesses accepting Bitcoin payments in Germany’s major cities such as Munich and Berlin.
In all, Germany has a thriving Bitcoin environment that could get better in the future, assuming that the government takes positive steps toward protecting investors’ interests.
