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Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.
1. You could lose all the money you invest
2. You should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong
3. You may not be able to sell your investment when you want to
4. Cryptoasset investments can be complex
5. Don't put all your eggs in one basket
If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA's website here.
For further information about cryptoassets, visit the FCA's website here.
We extensively review and test crypto exchanges and trading platforms which are registered with the UK’s financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to decide our top picks. We’ve compared more than 10 platforms on aspects such as user experience, fees, payment methods and selection of coins.
The right crypto platform for you will depend on what you want to use it for. Some people use several to benefit from their different stand-out features – one could be best for its range of coins and another for its low fees.
Here are 3 of our top crypto exchange picks, with a full list further down.
eToro uses its experience as an investing platform to make things easy for crypto newbies. Its beginner-friendly interface makes buying and selling crypto quick and simple for someone just starting out.
eToro pioneered the concept of copy trading back in 2010. This feature, known simply as CopyTrader, allows you to view and mirror trades made by experienced investors. Getting started is easy – simply choose a trader you want to copy and then set your account to follow their trading moves.
With a minimum of US$200, you can automatically repeat trades from some of eToro's top-performing crypto traders - although there's no guarantee they'll keep making profit. There is no additional fee charged for this service.
Meanwhile, if you want to try before you buy, you can practice with $100,000 using eToro's virtual portfolio. This allows you to learn about the market and hone your trading skills before doing it for real.
Withdrawals and deposits are made in US dollars instead of pounds, so you’ll have to pay a conversion fee. You can avoid this fee by becoming a Diamond-tier eToro Club member, but that requires a huge account balance of $250,000
I like that eToro's app interface is easy to navigate and lets you see the biggest movers and trending cryptos at a glance. Having the option to copy the portfolios and trades of top cryptocurrency investors in just a few clicks is also a highlight.”
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, eToro Money |
|---|---|
| Deposit fees | Free |
| Withdrawal fees | $5 (min. withdrawal $30) |
| Trading fees | 1% plus spread |
CoinJar makes it simple to get started on your crypto journey. It’s one of the few exchanges that lets you instantly buy crypto using your debit card. There is a fee attached to this, but it’s comparatively low.
If you’re not in a rush, then UK users can make GBP deposits and withdrawals without incurring any sort of charge. Trading on CoinJar comes with a small percentage fee, but it has low spreads - a fee often hidden by crypto exchanges.
You can also take advantage of CoinJar Bundles. These are themed baskets of crypto which help you get started if you’re unsure which crypto to buy first. You can also set up an automated weekly, fortnightly or monthly purchase to benefit from pound-cost averaging to build your stack over time. This helps you buy in at an average price over time, instead of forking out a one-off lump sum.
My CoinJar highlight is its Bundle feature. You can diversify your portfolio in one single purchase, all through the app.”
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, SEPA, Faster Payments (FPS), Apple Pay, Google Pay |
|---|---|
| Deposit fees | Cryptocurrency: Free FPS: Free Visa / Mastercard purchase: Free (2% for Instant Buy) Apple Pay / Google Pay purchase (Instant Buy): 2% |
| Withdrawal fees | Bank transfer: Free Cryptocurrency: Free |
| Trading fees | Maker: 0.02-0.10% Taker: 0.06-0.10% |
Kraken is one of the longest-running platforms in the industry and has maintained its legacy by constantly improving its services.
You can start building a cryptocurrency portfolio today from 200+ supported coins. Kraken is popular with over 10 million users, which makes it one of the world's largest exchanges. But for overall features and trading tools, Kraken blows most crypto exchanges out of the water. It's clearly made for traders but it doesn't leave novices behind either.
Kraken Pro, which is free, has a broad range of advanced trading features. It prides itself on offering low spreads and providing deep liquidity across markets so you don't need to worry as much about slippage (which is when the price changes quickly during your order and you feel short-changed). Its interface is also fully customisable, so you can include as many data-displaying tabs and panels as you’d like.
While new traders may feel daunted by the exchange at first, the large variety of guides can help anyone become knowledgeable about cryptocurrency, its underlying technology and the different forms of trading. You'll find these under the 'Learn' tab. It's worth reading the deposit and withdrawal guides in particular - if you use SWIFT, your withdrawal could cost you up to £35. See the 'Fees & deposits' tab in this guide for more about fees.
Meanwhile, more experienced traders will appreciate Kraken's high-quality system and easy-to-use user interface (UI). They'll be pleasantly surprised by how straightforward it is to trade, move crypto and manage assets.
I'm a fan of Kraken’s clean and simple app interface. However, it's frustrating that Kraken Pro is free and has lower fees, but you have to access it as a separate app.”
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Faster Payments (FPS), Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT |
|---|---|
| Deposit fees | Cash: Free up to £21 depending on method of deposit Cryptocurrency: Mostly free but requires a minimum balance to deposit |
| Withdrawal fees | Cash: Free up to £35 depending on method of withdrawal (min. withdrawal £1) Cryptocurrency: Minimum withdrawal requirement and flat-rate withdrawal fee that varies for each cryptocurrency |
| Trading fees | 0%-0.4% plus spread |
| Advanced Trading Features | Yes |
Uphold offers a seamless user experience and a straightforward fee structure. Plus, it has several exciting features like its debit card.
The card lets you spend crypto and national currencies wherever Mastercard is accepted. On top of this, you can benefit from 0% foreign transaction fees and low exchange rates, making the Uphold Card the perfect travel companion.
The ability to use crypto or national currencies gives you flexibility. You can also track your spending with real-time analytics and, if you misplace your card, you can freeze it using the app.
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer (ACH), Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
|---|---|
| Deposit fees | Free |
| Withdrawal fees | Debit card: 1.75% (min. £1) Apple Pay/Google Pay: Free Bank (FPS, SEPA): Free + Fee equivalent to $0.99 on selected blockchain networks + Fee equivalent to $0.99 on selected smaller trades (under $500) |
| Trading fees | 0.25%-2.95% Spreads also apply |
Revolut is steadily becoming a one-stop shop for all things crypto. Since it was accepted into the FCA's full register of crypto asset firms, we've seen a series of new features.
The user-friendly digital app marries its e-money banking account services with its cryptocurrency features to create a seamless user experience. Customers can buy, hold and exchange 150+ cryptocurrencies in-app within seconds. Using funds from your Revolut account, you can start investing almost immediately.
From the app, you'll be able to choose which cryptocurrencies to invest in, set up recurring buys, send crypto to other Revolut users and take advantage of performance analytics to help you understand how your portfolio is performing. You can also add a crypto spending mode to your existing Revolut prepaid card, which allows you to pay for purchases with instantly converted tokens. Revolut also offers you a discount on your tax report from Koinly, making your self assessment that much easier.
Plus, if you're an advanced trader, Revolut now has its own standalone platform, Revolut X. Not available through the app, the desktop platform has lower maker and taker fees than Revolut's standard offering. It also offers full-stack protection and advanced trading analytics.
I like that Revolut’s crypto trading platform sits within its app alongside banking services. If you’re just starting out, it means that you can easily keep an eye on your portfolio while completing your other banking tasks.”
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
|---|---|
| Deposit fees | Free |
| Withdrawal fees | Fees vary, from £1 |
| Trading fees | 0.49% (Ultra plan), 0.99% (Premium or Metal plans), 1.49%/min. fee of £1.49 (Standard or Plus plans) plus spread Revolut X - 0% maker fees, 0.09% taker fees |
Crypto.com has one of the largest lists of cryptocurrencies available for Brits to trade - over 350 coins - and is constantly looking to add more.
If you're looking for less-common altcoins, Crypto.com will have you covered. It has an extensive range of low-market-cap coins and you can see the latest releases in its 'Showroom'. Just remember that coins with a market cap can be even more volatile than the top cryptos, so do plenty of research before plunging in.
Crypto.com also offers other useful services to its 80 million customers worldwide. For example, you can get a crypto card, explore its NFT marketplace or set up your own DeFi wallet.
| Deposit methods | Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, SEPA, Faster Payments (FPS), Apple Pay, Google Pay |
|---|---|
| Deposit fees | Free |
| Withdrawal fees | Cryptocurrency: Fees vary |
| Trading fees | Maker: 0.00-0.75% Taker: 0.05-0.75% |
Bitcoin's price is expected to rise to $87,169 by year-end 2024, according to the average prediction from Finder's panellists.
Our most bullish panellists see BTC trading at $200,000 by the end of 2024, while our most bearish panellist sees it dropping well below where it is now, reaching $10,000 by the end of the year.
Our panellists also predict BTC will hit $127,494 by 2025 and $383,514 by 2030. The panel is far more bearish than last quarter when their long-term prediction for 2025 came in at $150,996 and $567,489 for 2030.
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Every year, the personal finance comparison site, finder.com, follows popular types of investments in a tracker to see how they perform against each other. By fictitiously investing £1,000 in the 7 different types of investments, the aim is to understand the risk associated with different approaches.
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*Cryptocurrencies aren't regulated in the UK and there's no protection from the Financial Ombudsman or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Your capital is at risk. Capital gains tax on profits may apply.
Cryptocurrencies are speculative and investing in them involves significant risks - they're highly volatile, vulnerable to hacking and sensitive to secondary activity. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This content shouldn't be interpreted as a recommendation to invest. Before you invest, you should get advice and decide whether the potential return outweighs the risks. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.
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