If you have any interest to buy Ethereum (ETH), you will be required to have either Bitcoin abbreviated as (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH) for trading purposes. I have reviewed the major cryptocurrency exchange Binance in this post to help you determine the best sites to buy cryptocurrency using a credit card or bank account. Take a read and get tips on the best cryptocurrency trading.
Step 1: How to create a Binance account:
1.1 Visit Binance’s Website (https://www.binance.com/en)
There have been several phishing cases reported over the past years that are imitations to the original site, it is essential to scrutinize the URL to the website keenly. First, be on the lookout for the ‘Secure’ certificate that should pop up in your address bar and that acts as a confirmation of the site’s genuineness. Second, to be extra safe while trading on the platform, ensure to bookmark the authentic site to evade any confusion in future searches.
1.2 Fill in your trading details
You have to fill in your details by going to the ‘’Register” tab found in the right-hand corner of the website’s page and fill in your trading details. For instance, you will need to fill in your mobile number or you choose to use your email address. For the email address, it is necessary to use your main email that you can access easily and the most secure one since you will need it to sign in to your Binance account always.
You also need to choose a strong password for your email; a strong password should comprise a mix of numbers, symbols, upper and lower-case letters. You will receive a 6-digit code via the email you provided as your account’s verification code and for completing the registration process.
1.3 Allow 2FA-Two-factor authentication (Optional)
To make your account more secure you need to allow use of a two-factor authentication after your first log in. Trust me; it is vital to set up the 2FA because it makes your account more secure from any hacking activity!
Every time you log in with the two-factor authentication, you will need to provide a unique code once your type in your email and password. To get your unique code, use the Google authenticator app downloaded into your smartphone.
Step 2: Buying your first Bitcoin (BTC)
To send money to your Crypto wallet account on Binance either directly via your bank account through SWIFT money transfer or you can opt to use your debit/credit card. For this part, I will guide you on how to use your credit card.
Binance previously didn’t allow the use of credit or debit cards on its platform, but the same has been introduced. Binance partnered with Simplex to allow its users to use their credit and debit cards to buy Bitcoin or Ethereum. This has led to faster Crypto transaction speeds, low transaction charges, and more transaction flexibility.
I highly recommend buying Bitcoin first and then trading it for the right amount of Ethereum (ETH).
It is easy to purchase Bitcoins via your credit card but I will elaborate on best ways you can do it step-by-step to make sure you understand all the trading nitty-gritty.
- Move your mouse’s cursor to ‘Buy Crypto’ tab found on the top bar and activate the dropdown menu. Then choose the currency, For instance, US Dollars, and click the ‘Credit/Debit Card’ to lead you to the next step.
- You be led to the next page; in this page you will see options to choose the desired Bitcoin (Select BTC), and the amount you need to spend to buy your choice Bitcoin amount. The total amount you need to spend will be displayed according to the Bitcoin amount you request and the matching market price at that time (inclusive of all fees). However, you can choose to first set the total charge then the system will automatically calculate the order amount for you.
- Next, click “Buy BTC. A window that contains all the details of your order will pop up. However, before you confirm your order you need to read the disclaimer and Terms of Use. Once satisfied, confirm your order by ticking the tab and head to “Go to payment’’; click.
- Fill in your credit card details and personal information too. Once done, you need to click “Pay now” and give it a moment to verify your details.
- You will be required to verify your email and phone number if it happens to be your first simplex payment via a code send through your email or an SMS. Complete the verification process by opening the link in your email and type in the code you receive via SMS. Once you do all the above, you can click “Continue”.
- Verification of identity follows next via the use of an official document. Basically upload your identification document photo accompanied by your personal details and click the “Upload Document” tab.
Lastly, your personal document will be approved once verified by the system and an email send to show the confirmation of order purchase. Subsequently, your Binance account is credited with the purchased BTC or Ethereum.
Step 3: Transferring Your Cryptos to an Altcoin Exchange FTX
Now let us purchase Ethereum (ETH) using your investment from Binance.
But, not every crypto can be traded in Binance we need to transfer our coins to an exchange that Ethereum (ETH) can be traded.
Let me guide you to FTX which is a famous exchange to trade altcoins. We will use the link below to register your new account.
If you have completed similar processes as we’ve done before with Binance we are ready to transfer our Bitcoins.
Step 4: Depositing BTC to Exchange
After you have created your trading account setup at one of the exchanges that trades Ethereum (ETH), you will need to transfer your BTC from Binance to that specific exchange.
You will need to use a wallet system. Deposit BTC to ftx Click “Wallet” from the top left menu. Then, you will see the coin list, find BTC and lick deposit button and copy the given “Deposit Address” This part may be a little bit difficult but don’t worry, it is easier than a bank transfer.
After you have copied your unique BTC wallet address go back to Binance. Move your cursor to “Wallet” on the right hand side of the topbar and once the popup shows up, click on “Fiat and Spot (Deposit & Withdrawal)”.
Look for BTC in the list and click on “Withdraw” on the right hand side. Then, Paste the deposit address you just copied from the other exchange and select BTC as the transfer network.
Type down the amount that you want to withdraw (you may click the Max button if you want to withdraw all). Then, Click on the Submit button to begin with the withdrawal process.
For you to continue with the withdrawal, Binance may ask you for your 2FA code and also you will have to confirm the withdrawal with an e-mail.
That is all you need to do, now you should wait shortly so that the blockchain to confirm your transaction.
Step 5: Trade Ethereum (ETH)
Now you need to go back to Bitmax to buy Ethereum (ETH) with the Bitcoins you sent.
You will have to move your mouse over to trading and then click standard under cash trading.Then, in the left column make sure to select “BTC” pair and in the search bar type in “ETH”.
After you havemoved your coin click on it and now you will see a price table of ETH/BTC in the middle of the page. Select, the “Market” tab as that is the most straight-forward type of buying orders.
The, you have to type in your amount or choose what portion of your BTC deposit you would like to spend on buying, by clicking on the percentage buttons.
Once you have confirmed everything, click “Buy ETH”. Now you own your ETH!
Other Exchanges to Buy Cryptos
The following are other sites you can buy from these exchanges:
HotBit (Which permits US investors)
MXC (This exchange allows US investors)
On top of the above-listed exchanges, there are some more common crypto exchanges where daily trading volumes and a huge user base is available. This helps to ensure that you can sell your coins any time you want and the charges for the trading are not high. It is recommended that you should also register on these exchanges because whenever Ethereum gets listed there it give the traders who have already registered a large amount of trading volumes, that means you will be provided with some great trading opportunities!
Final Step: How to Store Ethereum securely in hardware wallets
1. Ledger Nano S
- Easy to set up and has a friendly trading interface.
- Allows use on desktops and laptops
- Lightweight and Portable too
- Has been designed to Support most blockchains and a wide range of (ERC-20) tokens
- Has many trading languages.
- Designed by a well-established company found in 2014 with great chip security
- It is not expensive but can be acquired at affordable price
2. Ledger Nano X
- It made with a more advanced and secure element chip (ST33) than Ledger Nano S
- Has an easy design that allows the use on desktop or laptop, or even smartphone and tablet through Bluetooth connection.
- Also Lightweight and Portable and has a built-in rechargeable battery
- Has a Larger screen
- Comes with more storage space compared toLedger Nano S
- It supports most blockchains and wide range of (ERC-20) tokens
- Provides several languages for every customer
- It was designed by a famous company found in 2014 with great chip security
- Can be obtained at an affordable price
If you still have plans to stay at hodl” as some people call it, basically misspelt “hold” (which become famous as time passes) your Ethereum for some long time, you need to find ways to ensure it stays safe safe,
However Binance is the most safe cryptocurrency exchange, in the past few years there have been hacking incidents and funds were lost. Because of the design of the wallets in exchanges, they will be accessible always via the internet (“Hot Wallets” as they are called), therefore exposing certain aspects of weaknesses.
Thus safeguard your cryptos by putting them in “Cold Wallets”, where the wallet will only have access to the blockchain(or simply “go online”) when you send out funds,. This reduces the chances of being hacked. For example, use a paper wallet which is a type of free cold wallet. It can also be defined as an offline-produced pair of public and private address and that you write on a paper for keeping safely with you. But, it is not permanent and may be faced by certain risk.
Thus, Hardware wallet is therefore the best compared to cold wallets. Since they are usually USB-enabled devices that can hold the key information of your wallet in the safest manner. Also they are designed using military-level security and their firmware’s are continuously upgraded by their manufacturers and this makes them extra safe to use. For example, Ledger Nano S and Ledger Nano X and are most common hardware wallets, you can buy one at $50 to $100 depending on the specifications they have. I highly recommend these for holding your assets because these wallets are a worthy every penny according to my experience and opinion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to buy Ethereum with cash?
The answer is No. Because there is no way you can directly buy Ethereum with cash. But, using marketplaces such as LocalBitcoins to first buy Bitcoin, and completethe rest of the steps by transferring your bitcoin to respective AltCoin exchanges.
How do I Buy Bitcoin from local sellers?
You can go to LocalBitcoins that is a peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange. It is more of a marketplace where users can buy and sell Bitcoins to and from each other. Users, known as traders, make advertisements to show their price and the payment method they want used. Then buyers buy from the traders to buy from sellers in a particular nearby region on the platform. LocalBitcoins is after all a good place to go to buy Bitcoins when it is impossible for you to find your favorite payment methods somewhere else. The site’s prices are high and you have you have to be extra careful to avoid conmen.
What are the quickest ways I can buy Ethereum while living in Europe?
While in Europe you have the advantage of buying cryptos in an easy and quick way. Because Europe has even online banks which help buyers to simply open an account and transfer money to exchanges such as Coinbase and Coinmama. Such banks which are common as online banks in Europe are Bunq, N26 and Revolut.
Can I use alternative platforms to purchase Ethereum or Bitcoin with credit cards?
Yes you can, you just need to visit Changelly which an easy to trade in site especially when it comes to buying Bitcoin with credit cards. It provides an automatic cryptocurrency exchange that gives a buyer the opportunity to exchange crypto fast and buy them using credit card. It has been designed to allow users to have easy crypto buying since it has a simple user interface and provides instructions that are easy to follow too.
About Ethereum (ETH)
What Is Ethereum (ETH)?
Ethereum is a decentralized open-source blockchain system that features its own cryptocurrency, Ether. ETH works as a platform for numerous other cryptocurrencies, as well as for the execution of decentralized smart contracts.
Ethereum was first described in a 2013 whitepaper by Vitalik Buterin. Buterin, along with other co-founders, secured funding for the project in an online public crowd sale in the summer of 2014 and officially launched the blockchain on July 30, 2015.
Ethereum’s own purported goal is to become a global platform for decentralized applications, allowing users from all over the world to write and run software that is resistant to censorship, downtime and fraud.
Who Are the Founders of Ethereum?
Ethereum has a total of eight co-founders — an unusually large number for a crypto project. They first met on June 7, 2014, in Zug, Switzerland.
- Russian-Canadian Vitalik Buterin is perhaps the best known of the bunch. He authored the original white paper that first described Ethereum in 2013 and still works on improving the platform to this day. Prior to ETH, Buterin co-founded and wrote for the Bitcoin Magazine news website.
- British programmer Gavin Wood is arguably the second most important co-founder of ETH, as he coded the first technical implementation of Ethereum in the C++ programming language, proposed Ethereum’s native programming language Solidity and was the first chief technology officer of the Ethereum Foundation. Before Ethereum, Wood was a research scientist at Microsoft. Afterward, he moved on to establish the Web3 Foundation.
Among the other co-founders of Ethereum are: – Anthony Di Iorio, who underwrote the project during its early stage of development. – Charles Hoskinson, who played the principal role in establishing the Swiss-based Ethereum Foundation and its legal framework. – Mihai Alisie, who provided assistance in establishing the Ethereum Foundation. – Joseph Lubin, a Canadian entrepreneur, who, like Di Iorio, has helped fund Ethereum during its early days, and later founded an incubator for startups based on ETH called ConsenSys. – Amir Chetrit, who helped co-found Ethereum but stepped away from it early into the development.
What Makes Ethereum Unique?
Ethereum has pioneered the concept of a blockchain smart contract platform. Smart contracts are computer programs that automatically execute the actions necessary to fulfill an agreement between several parties on the internet. They were designed to reduce the need for trusted intermediates between contractors, thus reducing transaction costs while also increasing transaction reliability.
Ethereum’s principal innovation was designing a platform that allowed it to execute smart contracts using the blockchain, which further reinforces the already existing benefits of smart contract technology. Ethereum’s blockchain was designed, according to co-founder Gavin Wood, as a sort of “one computer for the entire planet,” theoretically able to make any program more robust, censorship-resistant and less prone to fraud by running it on a globally distributed network of public nodes.
In addition to smart contracts, Ethereum’s blockchain is able to host other cryptocurrencies, called “tokens,” through the use of its ERC-20 compatibility standard. In fact, this has been the most common use for the ETH platform so far: to date, more than 280,000 ERC-20-compliant tokens have been launched. Over 40 of these make the top-100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, for example, USDT, LINK and BNB.
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How Many Ethereum (ETH) Coins Are There In Circulation?
In August 2020, there were around 112 million ETH coins in circulation, 72 million of which were issued in the genesis block — the first ever block on the Ethereum blockchain. Of these 72 million, 60 million were allocated to the initial contributors to the 2014 crowd sale that funded the project, and 12 million were given to the development fund.
The remaining amount has been issued in the form of block rewards to the miners on the Ethereum network. The original reward in 2015 was 5 ETH per block, which later went down to 3 ETH in late 2017 and then to 2 ETH in early 2019. The average time it takes to mine an Ethereum block is around 13-15 seconds.
One of the major differences between Bitcoin and Ethereum’s economics is that the latter is not deflationary, i.e. its total supply is not limited. Ethereum’s developers justify this by not wanting to have a “fixed security budget” for the network. Being able to adjust ETH’s issuance rate via consensus allows the network to maintain the minimum issuance needed for adequate security.
How Is the Ethereum Network Secured?
As of August 2020, Ethereum is secured via the Ethash proof-of-work algorithm, belonging to the Keccak family of hash functions.
There are plans, however, to transition the network to a proof-of-stake algorithm tied to the major Ethereum 2.0 update, which launched in late 2020.
After the Ethereum 2.0 Beacon Chain (Phase 0) went live in the beginning of December 2020, it became possible to begin staking on the Ethereum 2.0 network. An Ethereum stake is when you deposit ETH (acting as a validator) on Ethereum 2.0 by sending it to a deposit contract, basically acting as a miner and thus securing the network. At the time of writing in mid-December 2020, the Ethereum stake price, or the amount of money earned daily by Ethereum validators, is about 0.00403 ETH a day, or $2.36. This number will change as the network develops and the amount of stakers (validators) increase.
Ethereum staking rewards are determined by a distribution curve (the participation and average percent of stakers): some ETH 2.0 staking rewards are at 20% for early stakers, but will be lowered to end up between 7% and 4.5% annually.
The minimum requirements for an Ethereum stake are 32 ETH. If you decide to stake in Ethereum 2.0, it means that your Ethererum stake will be locked up on the network for months, if not years, in the future until the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade is completed.
Where Can You Buy Ethereum (ETH)?
Given the fact that Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, ETH trading pairs are listed on nearly all of the major crypto exchanges. Some of the largest markets include: