Exchanges and brokers
Last reviewed November 1, 2026
You can buy bitcoin through crypto exchanges, stock brokers, payment apps and decentralised exchanges. What matters is who is behind the platform and who holds your coins.
In the US, crypto exchanges generally register with FinCEN as money services businesses and hold state money transmitter licences; New York adds its own BitLicense. In the UK, crypto firms must be registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering purposes, and promotions to UK consumers must follow FCA rules. In the EU, MiCA licences apply.
Crypto Signpost does not rank or recommend platforms. This page covers how they work and what to check.
Exchange, broker, DEX
On an exchange you trade with other users through an order book. A broker sells you coins directly and earns the spread, the gap between buy and sell prices. A DEX lets you swap from your own wallet without an account. Many mainstream brokerages and payment apps now offer crypto too.
Check the licence
Look the firm up on the regulator's register (the FCA register in the UK, state regulator lists or NMLS Consumer Access in the US) and check that the legal name matches the one on the website. Offshore platforms serving customers without a licence give you far less protection.
Compare fees properly
Look beyond the trading fee: spreads, deposit and withdrawal charges and network fees for moving coins out. A "zero fee" app can cost more than a 0.1% exchange if the spread is wide. Our average cost calculator shows what you actually paid.
Withdrawing to your own wallet
If you plan to hold long term, check that withdrawals to a personal wallet are allowed and what they cost. Always pick the right network: USDC on Ethereum and USDC on another chain are not interchangeable, and a wrong-network transfer is often lost.