Owning Bitcoin is the in-thing, with many people hoping to profit by selling it at a higher price in the future. To minimize costs, it's important to use platforms that offer low-cost methods of acquiring Bitcoin. This article discusses free ways to obtain Bitcoin and affordable options for buying or selling it.

There are costs associated with acquiring Bitcoin. One of the cheapest methods is using Bitcoin faucets. However, crypto exchanges are considered safer for obtaining BTC. They allow you to buy virtual currencies using various payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal. Transaction fees may vary among different cryptocurrency exchanges.

Alternatively, you can trade Bitcoin online without necessarily owning cryptocurrency. You can go long (buy) to increase your Bitcoin holdings or go short (sell) to sell off digital assets. Bitcoin's price volatility makes it attractive for short-term traders and speculators. Read more:  How to Day Trade Crypto Like a Pro?

1. Get Bitcoin for Free

There are several ways to get Bitcoin for free. For example:

Faucets: Bitcoin faucets are platforms that offer small amounts of Bitcoin as rewards for completing tasks, like solving captchas or playing games. These rewards are usually given in Satoshis, the smallest unit of Bitcoin.

Airdrops:  New cryptocurrencies distribute free tokens to holders of existing ones, like Bitcoin, in a process called airdrops. By participating and claiming these tokens, you can accumulate Bitcoin at no cost.

Mining: Bitcoin mining uses specialized hardware to solve complex math problems, validate transactions, and earn new Bitcoins. It's no longer profitable for individuals to mine Bitcoin with regular computers, but other cryptocurrencies can be mined and exchanged for Bitcoin.

Staking: Some cryptocurrencies allow users to stake their coins as collateral and earn rewards for securing the network. These rewards can be converted into Bitcoin

Earn through services: There are websites that offer ways to earn Bitcoin by completing tasks like surveys, app testing, or freelancing. Users are paid in Bitcoin for their services.

Affiliate Marketing: Some companies or platforms offer affiliate programs, You can write articles or market on social media, so you can earn free Bitcoins as a reward.

2. Buy Bitcoin With cheap exchanges

There is a long list of platforms that allow you to buy and sell Bitcoin, with and without fees. We will look at some in detail later in this article. These platforms include crypto exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance.

3.  Trade Crypto with brokers

Most trading platforms offer numerous ways of crypto investments such as bitcoin derivatives, crypto CFD, futures, and options. For example, trading Bitcoin CFDs differs from purchasing Bitcoin directly on an exchange. Instead of buying actual Bitcoin assets, you engage in going long or short based on the underlying asset.  

By going long or short, you can profit from price movements. Going long means buying Bitcoin (BTC/USD) when you expect its price to rise, while going short involves selling Bitcoin when you anticipate a decline.  But derivatives involve leverage, allowing you to open larger positions with a smaller margin. To mitigate risks, investors should employ risk management tools such as stop-loss orders, while also choosing licensed brokers.

 1.  Coinbase

Coinbase is one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world and the biggest in the United States. Its "Pro" version has exciting features and tools like charts, and graphs for more advanced traders. The platform supports several forms of payment: wire transfers, credit cards, and debit cards. It also accepts PayPal withdrawals.

Pros:

• Multiple deposit and withdrawal options

• Insured BTC deposit

• Incredible online and mobile wallet-associated services

• Excellent security features and two-factor authentication

• Easy to use

Cons:

• Users are not entirely anonymous

• Support and help are not among the fastest

• Deposits and withdrawals can be delayed for up to 72 hours

2. Binance

According to Coinmarketcap, Binance is the biggest crypto exchange in the world. It handles $8.8 billion daily trading volume, about six times more than Coinbase which follows at a distant second. With low fees, 408 coins, and support for multiple languages, Binance is one of the best and cheapest ways to buy Bitcoin online. What's more, the crypto exchange supports several payment methods, including bank transfers, credit cards, or debit cards.

Pros:

• Significantly low fees

• Offers over 400 virtual coins for trading 

• Excellent mobile app 

Cons:

• Binance US has limited functionalities 

• Does not support crypto-fiat trading 

3. Localbitcoins

LocalBitcoins accepts dozens of payment methods depending on your location. You can buy and sell Bitcoin using debit, credit cards, and skrill. It also accepts local payment methods like M-PESA 

Pros:

• It upholds privacy when buying Bitcoins

• Supports numerous payment methods

• It doesn't have buying and selling limits

• Transactions between LocalBitcoins users are instantaneous (10-60 minutes when sending Bitcoins to your Localbitcoin wallets)

Cons:

• High fees for cash transactions 

• Does not support altcoins

• Large amounts may require ID verification

• Delivery  speeds depend entirely on the seller confirming the payment

4. Gemini

Gemini is a famous Bitcoin exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins. It is a regulated platform that offers a simple and secure way to buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. However, it does not accept common payment methods such as debit cards for deposits and withdrawals. To buy Bitcoin on Gemini, you need to link your bank account and initiate an ACH deposit or wire transfer.

Pros:

• Good Reputation

• Licensed in 42 US states and over 60 countries around the world

• Instant Deposit for ACH Transfers

• It offers dollar-to-crypto and crypto-to-crypto trading

Cons:

• It severely lacks in payment methods

• Doesn’t guarantee absolute privacy

5. Kraken

Kraken is a San Francisco-based crypto exchange founded in 2011. It serves customers across the globe and is available in 176 countries. Besides Bitcoin, the company supports 90 digital tokens and seven fiat currencies. It is currently considered the world's largest bitcoin exchange in euro volume and liquidity. It allows traders to make deposits and payouts using bank transfer and SEPA credit transfer payment methods.

Pros:

• It comes with an integrated wallet

• It offers regular and business accounts

• It has two-factor authentication for added security

• Deposits are secured in offline cold storage

• Multisig wallets to reduce possibility of theft 

Cons:

• It has experienced technical issues and downtimes in the past

• The user interface looks outdated

  
  

Mitrade 

Mitrade is a user-friendly trading platform, that offers access to over 40 cryptocurrencies and various other assets.

Mitrade prioritizes compliance and holds regulations from esteemed global authorities such as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). When purchasing Bitcoin on Mitrade, users can find it along with other cryptocurrencies. Payment options include credit cards, bank deposits, or Skrill.

Deposits on Mitrade are free but require a minimum amount of $50 withdrawals are free for 4 times a month. Account denominations are in USD, so deposits in fiat currencies like GBP may be subject to conversion fees based on bank transfer rates.  

Pros:

• Regulated by ASIC

• Easy-to-use trading platform

• High level of online support

• Competitive transaction costs

Cons:

• Only one trading platform, no MT4

• No US traders

Please note:  The cryptocurrency market's high volatility offers endless trading opportunities. You can trade cryptocurrency online directly on the Mitrade platform.

Step1: Open an account on Mitrade

Step2: Go long ( buy) or go short ( sell ) on Bitcoin

Step3: Set up the position size, stop-loss/take-profit levels

The lowest amount is 0.01, so if you choose 10X leverage, the lowest deposit is about $26 ( according to the current bitcoin price). If you choose no leverage, so you need to deposit $260 to open the trade.

In conclusion, there are numerous cheap ways to buy Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. However,  you should do your due diligence and choose a platform that suits your investment goal. 

First, look for Bitcoin faucets and other free ways if you don't mind growing little by little. However, if you plan on acquiring significant funds, find a reputable exchange with low fees, high trading volume, incredible analysis tools, high limits, and preferably, mobile apps. 

Besides buying bitcoin on crypto exchanges, Crypto CFD trading is another easy way of getting profit from cryptocurrencies. You simply trade Bitcoin through a forex broker. 

It is common for beginners to have jitters. It is understandable when starting out. But here is the good news. You can use Mitrade's trading tools ( e.g. Trading Analysis/economic calendar) to identify the trading opportunities in the market. Try Mitrade today and happy trading!

If you want to learn strategies and free demo trading, please click here to sign up for Mitrade's multi-asset trading platform. We offer trading on 300+ the world's most popular assets.