As per a report by KuCoin, almost half of Germans are tempted to buy Bitcoin. Germany has nationwide crypto laws cutting the ambiguity on crypto investments. The country is seen as the most crypto-friendly, with tax-free investments if you can HODL for at least one year. Frankly, one year is too much for an investment that can burn to ashes in a few hours. Still, only a handful of countries have some kind of tax-free mechanism for crypto investors, and Germany is amongst them. With the favorable crypto treatment by the authorities, Germans should see an influx of leading exchange platforms to make things competitive. Crypto exchange platforms are the gateway to crypto trading. It’s where you buy, sell, trade, stake, lend, and borrow. However, not all these activities might be possible at every crypto exchange. So join me in listing some of the best avenues for buying crypto in Germany.
Coinbase
As of date, Coinbase is the third biggest crypto exchange by transaction volume. It gives you access to hundreds of crypto assets to trade. This crypto exchange follows a maker-taker model for charging fees. The maker fee is capped at 0.4%, while the taker fee sits at a maximum of 0.6%. Higher investments are naturally incentivized. Coinbase affirms offline storage for the majority of crypto assets, although it didn’t put an exact number on it. However, the general best practice is to transfer your crypto to a hardware crypto wallet or any self-custodial hot wallet. And interestingly, Coinbase has its own wallet if you can take care of the private keys. Finally, you can use Coinbase for staking, lending, etc., and the standard buying and selling of crypto coins.
OKX
OKX is more of a traditional crypto exchange, currently standing at 19th by daily trading volume among around 300 listed at CoinMarketCap. In addition to the standard buying and selling, you get crypto loans, a fixed income crypto earning program, a native crypto mining pool, etc. These things make it stand apart from some trading-only exchange platforms. Even the fees are just about 0.1% (taker) and 0.08% (maker). Conclusively, the availability to do so much crypto and lower trading fees make it an attractive platform to buy crypto in Germany. Try OKX today.
Crypto.com
Crypto.com is another big-name crypto exchange. It has a unique pricing model which encourages its customers to hold CRO, its native token. The maker-taker fees are discounted based on how much CRO one is staking with them. For instance, the fee for an investor with no CRO stake is 0.4% (maker-taker). But someone with a 10k CRO stake can bring this down to 0.32%. This goes up to 50 million CRO staking, at which you don’t pay any trading charges. Crypto.com also has its own self-custodial wallet. In addition, the platform supports lending, borrowing, staking, and a host of other programs, making it a one-stop solution for buying Bitcoin in Germany.
BISON
Backed by Börse Stuttgart, BISON is the made in Germany choice for a crypto exchange. But technically, BISON declares it isn’t a crypto exchange, and all trades go through EUWAX AG, a subsidiary of Börse Stuttgart. Notably, BISON doesn’t charge you any fee for buying, selling, or keeping crypto custody. In contrast, they make money from the difference in buying and selling prices. Besides, you get a no hidden fee promise if you choose to trade with them. Another exciting thing about them is their sentiment analysis tool. As crypto is backed by nothing but public speculation, this gives you a collection of public moods from all over the internet. This can be really helpful in timing your trades. Finally, you can have a demo account to see if BISON fits your bill.
Blockchain Exchange
Blockchain exchange calls itself the fastest crypto exchange promising trades in microseconds. They don’t boast a long list of supported tokens. Instead, they are focused on simplicity, with 129 live trading pairs as of this writing. The most you pay in terms of fees is 0.4% taker and 0.2% maker fee. And as with everywhere else, this goes down the more you trade. Blockchain exchange also has a non-custodial wallet giving you utmost control of your investment. Additionally, this platform supports staking and earning interests up to 12% APY.
Bitcoin.de
Bitcoin.de is another made in Germany solution to buy Bitcoin that stores 98% of crypto in cold storage. This exchange holds the funds in the respective customer accounts. In addition, the investments are protected with statutory deposit insurance for maximum security. Both parties, the seller and the buyer, pay a 0.5% flat fee. Like many others on this list, Bitcoin.de limits itself on the number of cryptocurrencies. Currently, the platforms support BTC, BCH, XRP, LTC, ETH, etc.
Bitpanda
Bitpanda isn’t just about cryptocurrencies but features investing in stocks, ETFs, and precious metals. The maximum fees are 0.15% (taker) and 0.1% (maker). Bitpanda has extensive support for multiple cryptocurrencies. Apart from this, you have Bitpanda staking to maximize gains on your holdings. Conclusively, this is an excellent platform for buying Bitcoin in Germany that one shouldn’t miss.
BITY
BITY is a swiss-regulated crypto exchange focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum. You can buy, sell, and swap these top two cryptocurrencies. Besides, BITY lets you buy USDC, which is a stablecoin. They don’t function on a traditional maker-taker model. Instead, all the listed prices are fees and tax included. There are various levels of accounts, each having its own investment limit. And you can also start without a BITY account. However, the primary merits of BITY registration are less fee, access to the transaction history, fast-paced transactions, etc. With its limited trading options and a small pool of cryptocurrencies, BITY is an excellent option for beginner to mid-level investors to buy crypto in Germany.
NURI
Formerly Bitwala, NURI is a blockchain banking service that can be a good choice for the Germans to buy Bitcoin. It has got multiple savings plans based on Bitcoin and Ether with auto investments. You can start with as little as a week with the option to customize the plan on the go. And similar to staking, you can also have a Bitcoin interest account with up to 3% annual interest with weekly payouts. Additionally, NURI gives you a choice between self-custodial or custodial private key management. Besides, you get alerts when your assets move a set percentage which is great considering crypto volatility. Conclusively, NURI is a bit different than a conventional crypto exchange. Even so, it can be the exact proposition one might need to manage a unique crypto investment portfolio.
Coinmama
Coinmama is narrowed on the core trading and has fewer cryptocurrencies than what you see on a fully-fledged exchange. You get support for BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, ETC, etc. The fee is based on your loyalty level, depending on the trading volume. Still, buying transactions have fees capped at 5%, and the selling ones have this at 3.9%. Finally, this Ireland-based crypto exchange is the one asking for the most premium for its services. And what is promised in return is excellent customer support, high spending limits, and multiple payment options.
Conclusion
So these were some of the trading platforms to buy crypto in Germany. As already stated, you’ll see many more options in the coming days, thanks to the commending treatment crypto is getting in there. But irrespective of that, crypto investments are extremely risky. So, don’t invest the amount you can’t lose. And go through this crypto lingo if you’re a beginner in this realm.
