We know what you’re thinking,”How can I turn my hard-earned dollars into digital assets like Bitcoin?”
The answer is simpler than you think. If you need help turning your fiat currency into digital currency, you’re in the right place. We’re here to help you learn about the best platforms for making this transition, we’ll unpack how their fees work and more.
Keep reading to find the best fiat-crypto exchanges in 2024.
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Summary of the Best Fiat to Crypto Exchanges
Below is a cheat sheet for the best crypto exchange for fiat withdrawal and deposit. With fiat money, you can easily and quickly buy cryptocurrencies (such as USD or EUR).
Platform
Fiat Currencies Supported
Trading Fees
Special Features
Which User-Selected Fiat to Crypto Exchanges Are the Best?
Choosing the right exchange depends on what you’re looking for and will best suit your needs. Have a look at our list, as we’ll unpack each exhange option, why you should choose them, what they are best for and more.
Coinbase
💡 Best for beginners
Launched in 2012, Coinbase is one of the most popular and secure cryptocurrency services on the market. They accept debit and credit cards, along with bank and wire transfers. Credit and debit card payments are the fastest way to convert your fiat to crypto on this platform, as these transactions are nearly instantaneous. Transfers will take a bit longer, but the upside is that they have less fees than using a card.
In order to use Coinbase you will need to have your identity verified. There’s also Coinbase Pro, which offers lower fees but it is slightly less user-friendly and requires more customer verification.
Why choose coinbase?
Their platform has integration with direct deposit and PayPal, making it easier than ever to do fiat to Ethereum exchanges, along with Bitcoin and any other supported asset.
Coinbase user experience
I found that Coinbase has a user-friendly interface and simple ways to convert cryptocurrencies to fiat and vice-versa.
- Beginner-friendly UI make it easy to make quick buys
- One of the oldest and most reliable exchanges
- Earn $200 in free crypto after completing sign-up process. Terms apply.
- Variety of products including exchange, staking, wallet
- Advanced Trading options for experienced traders
Pros
User friendly platform that’s perfect for beginners
Integration with PayPal and direct deposit
Offer a Coinbase Learn program
Cons
Most conversions are done using a spread
Coinbase Pro isn’t the default way to trade
Kraken
💡 Best for security
It’s important to mention that Kraken exchange has been in operation since 2011 and they have never been hacked. That’s pretty impressive.
They comply with financial regulations for the US, Canada, Australia, UK, and more, while also allowing fiat deposits from all those countries. Kraken is very dedicated to its security, offering bug bounties for anyone who can find issues with the platform.
Why choose Kraken?
They offer top-notch security, period. Kraken has never had a security breach, which is something that most crypto exchanges can’t boast.
The user experience
I find using Kraken to be the same as using Coinbase. They have a decent user interface and similar options for extra products including staking.
- Exceptionally secure exchange with proof of reserves
- Supports many different funding options
- Accepts users from across the globe including USA and Canada
- Very high trading volume
Pros
Never been hacked
Accept fiat from multiple countries
Low fees
Cons
Not available to New York residents
Not available to Ontario residents
Uphold
💡 Best for alternative assets
Uphold is unique among the other exchanges on this list, because you can convert any of their assets to any of their other supported assets from the same trading page. You don’t need different accounts or platforms to convert something like Bitcoin to a US stock like Apple. You just enter what you want to trade and what you want to receive, and they will do the work.
Why choose Uphold?
They allow you to convert anything to anything, this includes crypto to stocks, stocks to fiat, and much more.
The user experience
I found the ability to convert any of Uphold’s supported assets to any other from a single interface to be extremely convenient and fast.
- The ultimate anything-to-anything exchange with support for foreign currencies, crypto, precious metals and more
- Easy sign-up process with streamlined UI
- Remarkably secure with proof of assets feature
- Available to people in over 150 different countries
Pros
Reserves updated regularly
Convert anything to anything
Great user interface for trades
Cons
Fees charged as spreads
High withdrawal fees
Binance
💡 Best for experienced crypto users
Launched in 2017, Binance is a force to be reckoned with. They’ve become one of the most reputable and fun to use exchanges. They offer the most trading pairs of any trusted exchange. They accept debit and credit cards, along with bank and wire transfers as well. Similar to Coinbase, using a credit card is the fastest crypto deposit, but incurs more fees than using a transfer. In order to use Binance you will need to have your identity verified.
Why choose Binance?
They have the highest trading volume of any exchange, with the lowest trading fees. This means you get the most out of your trades.
The user experience
Binance is so easy to use because I can have a trade filled so quickly, thanks to their high trading volume.
- Easy sign-up process
- Lowest transaction fees of any major exchange
- 175+ different digital assets available
- Free deposits
Pros
Highest volume of any exchange
Wide selection of crypto assets
Many supported fiat assets
Lowest trading fees
Cons
Not available to US or Canadian residents
Crypto.com
💡 Best for an all-in-one exchange
Crypto.com is a rising crypto platform that offers a robust exchange in addition to a popular app, crypto earn, payments, NFTs and arguably the best debit card in crypto. The Crypto.com Visa gives users cashback denominated in the company’s native CRO tokens. A good credit or debit card is very useful for crypto exchanges because it gives customers the ability to spend their crypto without ever having to sell it. This platform is regulated in multiple countries and supports deposits and withdrawals in many types of fiat.
Why choose Crypto.com?
This platform offers the best crypto debit card in the industry with the best bonuses.
The user experience
I used the Crypto.com app, in addition to their Cronos Network and it was a seamless process. It’s also a good way to be involved with DeFi.
- One-stop shop for crypto with built-in exchange, app, lending platform, debit card and more
- Native CRO token gives users a huge variety of perks and can be staked for over 10% APY
- Potential for earning high amount of interest when storing digital assets on Crypto.com
- A long-term goal of building cryptocurrency adoption on whole
Pros
Crypto debit card
Many fiat currencies supported
Wide product offering
Cons
Their app and exchange are separate products
How to Convert Fiat to Crypto: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: You’ll first need to get verified on a trading platform that allows for fiat to crypto exchange such as any of the ones mentioned above.
Step 2: Find out what fiat currencies the platform accepts and how they accept them. For example, if they accept USD, they may accept bank transfers and even direct deposit. If they accept CAD, they may accept bank transfers and Interac e-Transfer.
Step 3: Send your fiat to the platform through any of the supported methods. For example, if you can fund the account using CAD through Interac e-Transfer, then follow the steps to do so.
Step 4: Wait for the exchange to confirm your fiat deposit.
Step 5: Once the exchange has confirmed your fiat deposit, you can then convert it into crypto. There are generally two ways to do this with an exchange.
➡️ The first way is through an “Instant” buy or sell option. This option is the fastest, but will also cost you the most in terms of fees.
➡️ The second option is to use their spot markets, this option is slower, but will have much lower fees than Instant options, so you’ll get more crypto for your fiat this way.
For either option, you simply put the amount of fiat you wish to convert to crypto, and the exchange will take care of the rest. Your crypto will be deposited into your exchange account.
Understanding the Terminology: What is Fiat Currency?
Fiat currency, or fiat money, is government-issued currency that has no physical commodity backing it, like gold or silver, but is instead backed by the issuing government. The value of the currency then comes from supply and demand on currency markets. The US Dollar, Euro, Canadian Dollar, Japanese Yen are all examples of fiat currencies.
In the past, governments would mint coins out of a valuable physical commodity, such as gold or silver, or print paper money that was redeemable for an equivalent amount of a physical commodity. Fiat currency does not work like this anymore, it is irredeemable.
Since fiat currencies are not linked to a physical reserve of something such as gold, it risks losing value due to inflation, or even worse, becoming worthless in the event of hyperinflation. There is no intrinsic value in fiat money as there is in a commodity such as gold. Commodities like gold also have demand for use in things such as jewelry, electronics, computers and so forth. However, fiat currency helps give governments greater control over economic variables, and when handled properly create economic strength. When mishandled, inflation, and hyperinflation can occur because it can be printed endlessly.
Crypto On-Ramp and Off-Ramp: Unpacking What these Terms Mean
Crypto on-ramps and off-ramps are crypto exchanges that allow for fiat deposits, and withdrawals of fiat currencies. In other words they let you exchange fiat currency (like USD or EUR) for crypto like Bitcoin and vice versa. Whether you are buying or selling cryptocurrency you will at some point need these ramps.
Crypto on-ramps
A cryptocurrency on-ramp is necessary for you to make an initial purchase of cryptocurrency, using fiat currency. After this, you’ll be able to trade crypto and invest in other crypto assets. It allows for the deposit of fiat into the system through a debit or credit card, bank transfer, or wire transfer and converts the funds into cryptocurrency. Bank transfers are typically the most common way to fund an exchange account.
The type of fiat you can use and the cryptocurrency you can buy depends on the trading pairs offered by the exchange. Signing up for a fiat to crypto exchange requires identity verification due to the possibility of money laundering and is the most difficult part of the process.
Crypto off-ramps
Cryptocurrency off-ramps are exchanges that allow you to convert your crypto assets into products, services, or fiat currencies. When exchanging crypto assets for goods, services or other crypto assets, there isn’t much regulation. Moving crypto from one exchange to another rarely requires any sort of identity verification.
When you want to convert your digital assets into fiat, that’s when you will need to have your identity verified. Just like when converting your fiat into crypto using an on ramp. In both these instances the verification is necessary because of government regulations, aiming to prevent money laundering, terrorist funding and other financial crimes.
Navigating the Know Your Customer (KYC) Process
The process for getting verified in order to use on and off-ramps can be a bit tedious but is not difficult. The information required by the exchange depends on the government where the exchange is based.
In general, you will need to provide identity documents issued by a government, such as a driver’s license or passport, and then you will need to provide documents proving your residency such as a utility bill. The best fiat to crypto exchanges make this process extremely easy for the average customer.
Once all of this is verified you will be able to use the exchange. You can learn even more in our What is KYC for Cryptocurrency guide.
A Check List of What to Look for in a Good Fiat Exchange
When choosing a fiat exchange there are a few factors which you will want to take into account, these are privacy, limits, trading fees, speed, and reputation.
✅ Assess the privacy on the exchange platform
Privacy refers to how much personal information you will need to provide to the exchange. If you are doing a fiat to crypto exchange, you will most likely need to have your identify verified. This will mean providing photos of your ID and documents that prove where you live.
✅ What are the limitations on the platform?
The limits you’ll encounter refer to how much you can buy on the exchange. If you are planning on buying a large amount of crypto with your fiat, you will have to make sure the exchange supports the order size. Likewise, if you are planning on withdrawing a lot of fiat after converting your crypto, you will need to take into account their withdrawal limits. Otherwise you may end up having to do multiple transactions and potentially incur multiple fees for deposits or withdrawals.
✅ Look at the fees they will charge you
Trading fees refers to how much the exchange charges you to convert your money into crypto. This fee varies by exchange and by payment method. For example, you may get charged a 3.5% fee to use a credit card, but 0% fees to send a bank transfer. We have broken down the fees above to make it easeir for you. It’s also important to do your own research, as the fees do get updated.
✅ The processing speed of your exchange is crucial
Speed refers to how fast your crypto will be delivered once you have paid. If the exchange takes days to deposit your assets, then you may want to use a different one. These days, most exchanges have very fast deposit speeds, especially for credit card purchases, though withdrawal times are almost always at least one day.
✅ Security and reputation are essential for success
The exchange of your choice needs to have a solid reputation. All of the exchanges we listed have top-notch security, so we have done all those checks for you. With the number of scams that have occurred in the cryptocurrency world it is paramount to make sure the exchange is reputable before depositing your money with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best fiat to crypto platforms with the best rates are the ones like Coinbase and Kraken, who don’t charge you any deposit fees for fiat deposits. A fiat crypto marketplace such as BitPay is also a good way to do a fiat to crypto conversion.
You can exchange fiat for crypto at any of the fiat to crypto trading platforms that have been mentioned on this page.
The best way to convert fiat to crypto is to use a crypto exchange. It’s worth doing a little research, however, as some crypto exchanges are crypto only. The best fiat to crypto exchanges make it easy to fund your account with real-world money and swap it for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Your mileage will vary but once again, crypto exchanges are typically the best choice for buying and selling crypto with cash. They offer the most competitive fees and typically accept various payment methods including credit or debit cards and bank transfers.
Crypto exchanges are the most popular way to exchange cash for crypto but there are a few other options including Bitcoin ATMs and instant conversion apps like Cash App or Strike. Of course those options typically have much higher fees compared to a crypto exchange.
To a certain degree supply and demand but governments around the world also manipulate the value of their own currency for better or for worse in some cases. Geopolitical conditions at large also play a part in the value of money, obviously.
To a certain degree supply and demand but governments around the world also manipulate the value of their own currency for better or for worse in some cases. Geopolitical conditions at large also play a part in the value of money, obviously.
Anything you put cash in. Leather wallets are popular. Just remember there is no recovery seed for a physical cash wallet.
You can only convert fiat to crypto instantly if you have already completed identity verification for the platform. Otherwise, you will need to first have your identity verified.
