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How to Buy Ethereum in 2024

Dominikas Pupkevicius
Dominikas Pupkevicius
January 4th, 2024
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Ethereum is known as a "Blue-Chip" coin owing to its smart contract capability, disinflationary supply, and competent performance in the cryptocurrency market. It is the largest smart contract coin, making it the optimal investment for most crypto enthusiasts.

This guide will cover the top platforms to buy Ethereum in 2024 ( brokers, exchanges, P2P marketplaces), the fees you'll encounter, and more.

Best Exchanges to Buy Ethereum

Sort by
eToro8.7Visitetoro.com

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.

Plus500 CFD Broker9.8Visitplus500.com

82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Pepperstone9.0Visitpepperstone.com

Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Eightcap8.8Visiteightcap.com
Webull8.3Visitwebull.com
Coinbase8.4Visitcoinbase.com
Changelly7.4VisitChangelly.com
Trading 2128.4Visittrading212.com

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 83% 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.

How We Compare

In the comparison table, we include crucial information such as trade values, fees, and ease of use so if you are new to cryptocurrencies, you know which platforms are the easiest to navigate and where to go to avoid hefty transfer fees. For your peace of mind while trading, we state whether or not each crypto is regulatory-approved and by which institutions.

We even add our own overall rating.

There is a lot happening in the cryptocurrency market right now, with a variety of tokens created on different platforms and a mode of operation that is very unlike that of traditional financial institutions. Both novice and experienced investors can use our comparison tables to simplify the process of identifying the right cryptocurrencies for them.

As with any investment, the decision to enter the cryptocurrency market requires thorough research. You can rely on us to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information, as we only use credible and reputable sources for our content. This puts investors in the best position to make smart crypto decisions.

Best Platforms to Buy and Trade Ethereum

In this section of the guide, we will explore the best platforms to purchase or trade Ethereum.

Buy Ethereum Using Cryptocurrency Brokers - The Easiest Way

Cryptocurrency brokers are websites and apps that let traders deposit fiat or crypto to trade coins. In the following table, you can find what we consider the best Ethereum brokers. These platforms are the ideal choices if you want to trade ETH since they offer easy methods for acquiring digital assets.

Provider

Fee (USD 1000)

Get Started

🥇 Coinbase

The spot trading fee starts at 0.6%.

Visit Coinbase

🥈 eToro

$10

Visit eToro

🥉 Crypto.com

The spot trading fee starts at 0.0750%. Varies based on trading level.

Visit Crypto.com

eToro disclaimer: 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

Coinbase is the ideal choice due to its simplistic design principles that make it easy for users to trade. The platform hosts multiple trading pairs for Ethereum and an educational section to help those with less investing experience.

eToro

eToro is an easy-to-use crypto broker that lets you withdraw coins to their digital wallet for better security. Moreover, users can also navigate around the demo account to test the broker's services, buy crypto, and try out various deposit methods, including PayPal.

Crypto.com

If you need an interactive mobile app for your Ethereum buying activities, then Crypto.com is an excellent option because it offers a diverse set of features like staking, trading, and a DEX. Also, the cryptocurrency exchange provides a desktop version of the app where you can use advanced tools to buy crypto and for trading. Find out more about exchanges by reading our guide on the best Ethereum exchanges.

Best Wallet to Buy and Store Ethereum - ETH Wallet Comparison

It is in the best interest of the users to store their Ethereum holdings in their personal cryptocurrency wallets to experience robust security and convenience. With these wallets, investors can buy crypto, transfer coins, stake, and connect to DEXs. Also, some Bitcoin wallets like Trust Wallet, Ledger Nano X, and Trezor Model T are compatible with various other coins, including Ethereum.

Provider

Wallet Type

Get Started

🥇 Ledger Nano X

Hardware

Visit Ledger

🥈 Trezor Model T

Hardware

Visit Trezor

🥉 MetaMask

Software

Visit MetaMask

Buy Ethereum Using CFDs - Best for Trading

Another way to invest in Ethereum is by signing up on a crypto broker platform offering ETH through Contract For Differences (CFDs). This is a derivative product which means you won't have real ownership of the asset and must leave your invested funds with the broker.

Despite not providing full ownership of Ethereum, these platforms often have easier investing processes. Below you'll find the top options that provide quick deposit methods, great security, and convenient sign-up processes.

Provider

Fee (USD 1000)

Get Started

🥇 Eightcap

Market Spread

Visit Eightcap

🥈 Pepperstone

Average spread of 4.04

Visit Pepperstone

Eightcap

Eightcap offers over 250 crypto derivatives with options for short or long coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. Moreover, this CFD broker offers a dedicated learning section and analytics that track recent market developments.

Pepperstone

Pepperstone is a popular broker that offers more than 20 crypto CFDs, including CFDs for three crypto indices. It is regulated by several leading bodies and offers leverage of up to 10:1 on its crypto CFDs.

Fun Fact: Did you know Ethereum hosts the majority of ICOs? Many new tokens on Ethereum for their Initial Coin Offering . This is partly because a majority of the ICOs are built on ERC-20.

Best Apps to Buy Ethereum - Most Convenient

The apps listed below provide outstanding services to investors, including but not limited to staking programs, cashback spending offers margin trading, Cryptowatch, and more.

In addition, all these apps support instant convert sections, letting you buy crypto immediately and conveniently with a credit or debit card.

Provider

Fee (USD 1000)

Get Started

🥇 Coinbase

The spot trading fee starts at 0.6%.

Visit Coinbase

🥈 Crypto.com

The spot trading fee starts at 0.0750%.

Visit Crypto.com

🥉 Kraken

$2.60. Varies based on trading volume.

Visit Kraken

Buy Ethereum on eToro App: Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Create an Account
Step 2: Verify Your Identity
Step 3: Deposit Money
Step 4: Buy ETH

Buy Ethereum With Exchanges - The Cheapest Way

Using a centralized cryptocurrency exchange is one of the most convenient and cost-effective options to trade, buy, and hold Ethereum. These exchanges offer a favorable fee structure followed by advanced security options, customer support service, and more.

The selected options disclosed below further reduce the trading fees based on your 30-day trading volume. On top of that, Binance and KuCoin have native tokens, using which you can claim further discount on fees by 25%, perfect for investors looking to trade often.

Provider

Fee (USD 1000)

Get Started

🥇 Binance

The spot trading fee starts at 0.1%.

Visit Binance

🥈 KuCoin

The spot trading fee starts at 0.1%.

Visit KuCoin

🥉 Kraken

$2.60

Visit Kraken

Buy Ethereum on Binance: Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Binance and Register
Step 2: Deposit Money
Step 3: Open the Trading Interface
Step 4: Complete the Trade
Step 5: Confirm the Transaction Using the Blockchain Explorer

Buy Ethereum Using Decentralized Exchanges (DEX) - The New Way

DEXs are peer-to-peer marketplaces where cryptocurrency investors can trade, stake, and enter liquidity pools. These applications are built on top of the blockchain network and are not regulated by any government authority.

Due to the decentralized nature of DEXs, there is no sign-up or verification process required, making it perfect for investing anonymously. Have a look at the top three decentralized platforms.

What is a centralized and decentralized exchange?

CEX is simply a traditional cryptocurrency exchange. It is owned by a company, for example Binance or Coinbase, so there is a good level of trust and security between the exchange and its users. Usually, centralized exchanges will be regulated in some way by financial regulating bodies and can even include insurance packages for its users.

As a result, users inherit this right of personal financial protection but are also obliged to share personal information to adhere to certain financial regulations, for example KYC (Know Your Customer). There is a clear relationship between a user and the parent exchange when looking at the makeup of a centralized exchange.

DEX on the other hand is an exciting new concept that has grown out of blockchain technology; it offers the same core features as its centralized counterpart (buying, selling and trading cryptocurrency) but instead there is no sense of ownership or control over the exchange. A decentralized exchange utilizes smart contracts to ensure that its trades and business are appropriately respected; it is made up of distributed ledger protocols and applications that result in a trading platform with zero centralized ownership. As a result of this, users may not have to share any personal information with their interface and have the unique opportunity to trade in a completely invisible fashion. Equally, they will receive minimal to no financial protection and very little support to conduct their trades.

Can You Buy Ethereum Using P2P Services?

Here are some peer-to-peer platforms if you're interested in buying Ethereum through an alternative method to exchanges and CFD brokers

Provider

Fee (USD 1000)

Get Started

🥇 Binance P2P

$0 - $3.50

Visit Binance

🥈 KuCoin P2P

$0

Visit KuCoin

🥉 Paxful

Varies

Visit Paxful

What Is the Difference Between Buying Ethereum and CFDs?

When you buy Ethereum, you can spend, store, and trade it whenever you like. However, when using an Ethereum CFD broker, you purchase a derivative product instead. This means you'll invest in Ethereum but not actually own any real assets.

  • No Liquidity issues.
  • Brokers issuing Ethereum CFDs offer easier buying processes.
  • No need to set up a crypto wallet and store coins.
  • Must verify your identity before using a broker to buy CFDs. This eliminates fraudulent activities on the platform.

Best Ways to Buy Ethereum

This section is a rundown of the best payment methods to buy ETH.

Buy Ethereum instantly with bank transfers - the fastest way

Bank transfers are one of the fastest modes to buy Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. Pay from your bank account. Available on the top crypto platforms like eToro, Coinbase Pro, and Binance, payment from your bank account is fast, and the apps often remember your information for next time. You can also opt to set up a recurring payment option if you plan to use a DCA strategy.

Buy Ethereum with PayPal - the safest way

PayPal has added a crypto market section where you can buy BTC, BCH, LTC, and ETH directly from the app. Alternatively, you can use PayPal as a payment method for depositing funds into brokers or exchanges.

Buy Ethereum using a credit or debit Card - the cheapest way

Most platforms will accept debit cards as a payment option to buy crypto with affordable fees. However, it is recommended to avoid the instant buy sections featuring debit cards as the fees are significantly higher than the trading interface. The top option in this category is Coinbase.

Crypto.com is an ideal crypto exchange for buying Ethereum using a credit card, as it offers a premium service to buy ETH. Furthermore, this exchange also extends several interesting features to users, including DEX, staking, DeFi wallet, educational resources, browser extension, and more.

What Are the Fees When You Buy ETH?

The table below calculates the fees you'll pay if you buy $1,000 worth of Ethereum and hold it for 30 days.

Platform

eToro Broker

Binance Exchange

Deposit fees

$0

$0

Purchase fees

$10

$1

Holding fees

$0

$0

Selling Fees

$10

$1

Payout fees

$5

$15

Total fees

$25

$17

Cheapest Way to Buy ETH

Binance, KuCoin, and BitFly have the best fee structures starting at 0.01%. These costs can be further reduced if you use the native tokens of the exchanges or have a high 30-day trading volume.

Provider

Fee (USD 1000)

Get Started

🥇 Binance

The spot trading fee starts at 0.1%.

Visit Binance

🥈 KuCoin

The spot trading fee starts at 0.1%.

Visit KuCoin

🥉 BitFly

$0

Visit BitFly

Fastest Way to Buy ETH

The platforms selected underneath were chosen for their fast sign-up and deposit processes. Also, they do not have complicated interfaces, and some offer instant buy sections.

Provider

Fee (USD 1000)

Get Started

🥇 eToro

$10

Visit eToro

🥈 Coinbase

The spot trading fee starts at 0.6%.

Visit Coinbase

🥉 Crypto.com

The spot trading fee starts at 0.4%.

Visit Crypto.com

eToro disclaimer: 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.

How to Buy Ethereum Anonymously?

This part of the guide covers how to buy Ethereum without revealing your identity.

How to buy Ethereum without verification?

Exchanges like Binance will let you trade cryptocurrencies for Ethereum without completing an ID verification process. However, you cannot deposit fiat currency, and there will be withdrawal limits.

Can you buy Ethereum offline?

To buy Ethereum, you'll need an internet connection to deposit funds, trade, and transfer coins. Therefore, you cannot buy Ethereum offline.

Should You Buy or Sell Ethereum?

Ethereum is one of the best projects that go beyond the concept of digital currency. Innovations like smart contracts and decentralized applications, followed by a diverse development community, make Ethereum a promising cryptocurrency to invest in. If you're undecided on the project, here are some pros & cons:

Why should you buy Ethereum?

Why should you sell Ethereum?

Ethereum is the largest smart contract cryptocurrency.

Fees are ultra-high for making transfers.

Ethereum is an established coin with the second largest market cap.

Currently, Ethereum has scaling issues, which is evident with the high gas fees.

Decentralized.

Although ETH is considered a blue chip coin, its price is highly volatile.

Large, diverse, and growing community

ETH has a huge market cap, so the profitability margins aren't as big.

You must pay short or long-term capital gain tax on your crypto profits. The amount varies based on your profit, so you should check your state's laws regarding this topic to get the best information.

What Impacts Ethereum Price?

Several factors can impact Ethereum's price and swing it in either direction. If you'd like to find out more, here are the main causes:

  • Demand: An increased demand can increase the price as more investors want to acquire ETH, and fewer people are selling.

  • New Developments: Technical development in Ethereum, like EIP-1159, The Beacon Chain, Berlin Hard Fork, and others, cast a positive impact on price.

  • Competition: Many smart contract projects like Cardano have been called the next "Ethereum Killer" since they offer lower fees and faster transactions. This means similar projects are taking a slice of Ethereum's market share and affecting its price.

  • Regulation: Cryptocurrency adoption must rise for coins to gain value since new investors enter the market.

  • Market Status: Bull and bear runs heavily dictate how the prices will ultimately shift. During bear runs, prices are likely to fall and not grow, while during bull runs, we can expect to see new all-time highs with significant market growth.

Historical Ethereum course: Major milestones in the history of Ethereum

Here is a historical chart of how Ethereum has performed since its creation.

Other Ways to Make Money With Ethereum in 2024

Ethereum is a dynamic coin, offering multiple ways to make money from it. The following section will expand on how you can earn money with Ethereum in 2024.

Stake Ethereum using DeFi or CeFi

Staking is a way to earn rewards for helping the network by allocating your Ethereum to a pool. Your Ethereum can be in a locked or unlocked stake, which changes the reward amount. During this process, you cannot withdraw or spend your Ethereum. Binance is one of the best options for Ethereum staking.

Buy Ethereum using ETPs (ETFs & ETNs)

Exchange-traded products (ETPs) are securities found on the stock exchange. The best platform to buy ETH ETPs is VanEck.

Buy and sell NFTs using ETH

Non-fungible tokens have become the trend since the 2021 bull run. These unique tokens make them the ideal technology for making tickets, storing digital art, and more. OpenSea is the largest platform for selling and buying Ethereum NFTs.

Buy stocks & shares in companies owning Ethereum

Coinbase is the largest publicly traded company holding significant quantities of Ethereum. This is to provide liquidity to their platform and hold it as an investment asset for the long term. You can purchase Coinbase stock with a premium broker like eToro.

Use Ethereum faucets

Cryptocurrency exchanges offer faucets, which are quizzes or courses you complete for a cryptocurrency reward. The most beginner-friendly option for doing this activity is with Coinbase, as they offer a variety of faucets.

What to Consider Before Buying Ethereum

There are certain considerations to take into account before buying ETH:

Fees: All brokers charge their services, but some of them are more expensive than others.

Limits: There are limits to how much you can deposit and withdraw using bank transfer, in addition to trading limits. All of those should be taken into account when selecting the right platform for you.

Speed: A bank transfer isn’t the fastest payment option out there, but you can minimize the time required to deposit by selecting a broker that offers instant transactions.

Security: Bank transfers are safe and secure, but you also need to make sure that the broker of your choice also has all the security protocols in place to maximize your protection.

User Experience: Some crypto trading platforms are more convenient to use than others.

What Are The Alternative Payment Methods to Buy Ethereum?

Instead of using an Ethereum broker, you can always use some of the methods from the list below:

E-wallets: There are several great e-wallet options, with the most popular one being PayPal. They are fast, secure, and convenient. Moreover, they are accepted by many online crypto brokers.

Credit /Debit Cards: If you have a bank account, chances are you already have a credit or debit card. Some of the most popular brands are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

Apple Pay: If you own an Apple device, you can set up its unique payment method, which offers fast and affordable transactions. Moreover, plenty of online brokers accept this method.

Is It Still Worth Investing in Ethereum or Not?

Ethereum is definitely worth investing in right now. Like Bitcoin, Ethereum is the first of its kind in the smart contract market, giving it a first-mover advantage. The coin is ideally a long-term HODL opportunity due to its promising potential in the developing web 3.0 market.

Trading cryptocurrencies is speculative and high-risk.

FAQs

How to Buy Ethereum Without Registration or KYC?
How can I get Ethereum in crypto ATM?
How many Ethereum coins are there? What is the Ethereum maximum supply?
What are Ethereum smart contracts? How do Ethereum smart contracts work?
What is the Ethereum network? How does the Ethereum network work?
Can you sell ethereum instantly?
How do I buy Ethereum instantly?

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Contributors

Dominikas Pupkevicius
Writer
Dominikas is a content and research writer with over 6 years of experience. He is passionate about blockchain technology and believes cryptocurrency is the future of humanity. Dominikas lives in the countryside with his 3 dogs and enjoys long walks.