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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 & Crypto in Iceland
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Coinbase- High liquidity and buying limits
- Easy way for newcomers to get bitcoins
- "Instant Buy" option available with debit card
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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.
This ad promotes virtual cryptocurrency investing within the EU (by eToro Europe Ltd. and eToro UK Ltd.) & USA (by eToro USA LLC); which is highly volatile, unregulated in most EU countries, no EU protections & not supervised by the EU regulatory framework. Investments are subject to market risk, including the loss of principal.
Coinbase Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Coinbase is the world's largest Bitcoin (BTC) broker. They represent an easy and fast way for new users to purchase bitcoins. Coinbase supports customers in over 30 countries, including the United States, Europe (besides Germany), UK, Singapore, Canada, and Australia.
Customers in the above-mentioned countries can purchase bitcoins by debit card, bank transfer, SEPA transfer, and more.
We may receive compensation when you use Coinbase. Please visit Coinbase for its exact pricing terms.
- High liquidity and buying limits
- Easy way for newcomers to get bitcoins
- "Instant Buy" option available with debit card
- Purchases made with bank transfer can take up to 5 days to complete
- Coinbase may track how and where you spend your bitcoins
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
eToro Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
eToro is a trading platform and crypto exchange. It supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Zcash and many other coins.
Deposits can be made quickly via bank transfer, SEPA, NETELLER, PayPal and more. It also offers unique features like copy trading.
This ad promotes virtual cryptocurrency investing within the EU (by eToro Europe Ltd. and eToro UK Ltd.) & USA (by eToro USA LLC); which is highly volatile, unregulated in most EU countries, no EU protections & not supervised by the EU regulatory framework. Investments are subject to market risk, including the loss of principal.
We may receive compensation when you use eToro. Please visit eToro for its exact pricing terms.
- Offers unique copy trading feature
- Trusted echange that has been active in traditional finance
- Interface is clean and easy to use
- You cannot deposit cryptocurrency, but you can deposit with other payment methods
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
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
Coinbase Pro Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Coinbase's exchange, Coinbase Pro, is one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges in the United States. Users can fund their accounts via bank transfer, SEPA, or bank wire. Coinbase Pro offers good prices and low fees, but their confusing user interface may initially prove difficult to navigate.
We may receive compensation when you use Coinbase Pro. Please visit Coinbase Pro for its exact pricing terms.
- Some of the lowest fees available for US and EU customers
- Possible to buy bitcoins for 0% fees
- User interface is confusing for first time buyers
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
LocalBitcoins Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
LocalBitcoins is an escrow service which also helps to match bitcoin buyers and sellers. Users may advertise trades for whichever payment method they prefer.
Buying bitcoins via an in-person meeting, secured and facilitated by LocalBitcoins, may be one of the fastest and most private ways to buy bitcoins in any country, including the United States, Europe (besides Germany), UK, Singapore, Canada, Australia and many more.
We may receive compensation when you use LocalBitcoins. Please visit LocalBitcoins for its exact pricing terms.
- Can be private, fast and easy
- In-person trades require no personal information
- Purchases of bitcoin can be made quickly via cash deposit
- Beware of scams; always follow the rules!
- Harder to buy large amounts of bitcoins compared to large exchanges
- Slightly to significantly higher prices than regular exchanges; premium for higher privacy
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
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
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
How to Buy Bitcoin in Iceland
Citizens of Iceland can buy Bitcoin from many exchanges available to the United States and Europe.
Coinmama and Coinbase are popular options for most beginners. They both require you to verify your identity before buying Bitcoin, though.
If privacy is a concern, LocalBitcoins is a better option. They facilitate private peer to peer Bitcoin exchanges without requesting identity verification.
Regardless of the exchange you choose, buying a hardware wallet is always a good idea, and the only real way to secure your investment. Centralized exchange wallets are subject to theft, which is the last thing you want.
Most people opt for the Ledger Nano S, which offers the best protection, but you can use a software wallet as well.
From there, connect your payment method, verify your identity, and trade to your heart's content.
Bitcoin Mining in Iceland
Iceland became the first nation to use more electricity for Bitcoin mining than any other practical application back in 2018, shortly after Bitcoin's price run.
Back when Bitcoin mining was profitable nearly anywhere, it seemed like a gold rush - anyone with mining hardware could make a profit.
And thanks to Iceland's volcanoes, the country has an abundance of geothermal and hydroelectric plants that provided the mining facilities with seemingly infinite energy.
However, Bitcoin's price has retraced even further since 2018, and mining difficulty has increased. Given Iceland's average electricity cost of $0.12 per kWh, it's no longer profitable for the average person.
Even using the Antminer S19 - one of the latest models from Bitmain - isn't good enough to turn a profit. According to our mining profitability calculator, the S19 would lose more than $1,600 per year in Iceland.
Bitcoin mining is only profitable in countries with dirt-cheap electricity, like China, India, and Kuwait to name a few. Otherwise, you'll most likely pay more in electricity than the value of the Bitcoin you acquire.
Couple that with the substantial upfront cost to invest in mining hardware and the time it takes to get going, it's easy to see why 99% of people don't mine Bitcoin anymore.
If you live in Iceland and want Bitcoin, buying it directly from an exchange is the best option.
