Since Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have reached unprecedented popularity in the last months, more and more ways to invest have appeared lately for those who wish to receive profit for this popular asset class. In order to make it easier for you to navigate the existing opportunities, we have complied the definitive list of the best online brokers that trade in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other altcoins.

Cryptocurrencies can be incredibly exciting opportunities for investors of all types because of their dramatic price fluctuations. Moreover, anonymity, security, and the absence of the central intermediary make them even more promising alternative to traditional assets like stocks and currencies in the years to come.

So there’s no shortage of opportunities. But as a cryptocurrency trader, it’s crucial to know which online broker to go with, because your success will very much depend on it. By considering your own needs, preferences, and goals with respect to crypto trading, you can use our list of online brokers to easily identify the ones that match what you’re hoping to accomplish.

Here, you’ll find recent companies making major headways as well as long-established trading platforms that have added Bitcoin and altcoins to their options.

What method of trading are you most accustomed to? If it’s chart movements, trading from your mobile device, and so on (in other words, the way most of us trade), an online broker is the way to go.

Jumping in is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Take a look at the brokers we selected:

2. Register with one or more of them, depending on your preferences.

3. Begin trading cryptocurrencies and earning profits.

The Benefits of Trading with a Broker

It is possible to get an account on a specialized cryptocurrency exchange and trade directly on the exchange – so why is it useful to choose a broker instead? Because most traders are more successful when they’re trading within their comfort zone! At an online broker, you don’t need to have a technical background or to understand cryptography to trade bitcoin. Moreover, you will find a more intuitive, approachable, and supportive user experience, one you will never find elsewhere. In other words, it will look and feel a lot like what you’re already accustomed to.

Selecting from a Vast Choice of Brokers

As you can come across an endless selection of cryptocurrency brokerage sites in search engines, it is important to distinguish which ones are worth dealing with. It all comes down to your trading strategy, as well as ensuring the trading platform itself is not only trustworthy, but also offers fair and transparent services, starting with good customer support.

Live Support Staff

Markets are always moving, especially in the world of cryptocoins. This means that brokerage resources should have a day and night, year-round customer support team that’s available via both urgent and non-urgent channels. Sending an email and waiting to hear back is fine now and again, but you need to know you’re able to speak to someone on the phone as quickly as possible. In the world of trading, a quick and simple clarification could lead to an otherwise missed opportunity for profits.

Variety of Investment Options

Just like with centralized currency markets, having your investments spread across different cryptocurrency pairs helps with long-term portfolio stability. And at the very least, they should have the coins you’re looking to trade with. This is definitely one of the easiest filters to select only the brokers that match your preferences.

The Importance of a Personalized Account

Don’t rush into the market without thinking about convenience: before registering at a cryptocurrency broker, make sure they have the deposit/withdrawal methods you prefer, that any fees aren’t hidden or unreasonable, and their spreads are competitive. Realizing you can’t deposit money using your preferred method after creating an account would be a waste of time, wouldn’t it?

Cryptocurrencies You Need to Know About

Well over a thousand cryptocurrencies exist at the moment, and new ones are being created on a daily basis. However, there are several with a level of value, stability, and liquidity that make them essential to have on your radar.

Bitcoin (BTC)

Introduced in 2009, Bitcoin is probably the only cryptocurrency that is instantly recognized by anyone, with widespread usage in both online and offline shopping, and the highest market capitalization. Bitcoin is traded by the billions every day on many major exchanges around the world.

And since Bitcoin is often used to buy other cryptocurrencies (known collectively as altcoins), it’s not a bad idea to buy some Bitcoin in any case, and then use it to invest in alternative markets.

Bitcoin’s smallest denomination is known as a Satoshi, named after its anonymous creator(s), which is 0.00000001 BTC. Anyone can purchase any amount of a Bitcoin that is higher than this value. Many investors will simply buy Bitcoin and hold it for extended periods of time, hoping its value will continue to rise and stay stable, while others believe solely in its value as an anonymous, decentralized payment method, and use it just as one would use a classic currency like dollars.

Ethereum (ETH)

Dubbed the crypto silver (implying that Bitcoin is gold) because it is the second most popular and valuable cryptocurrency, Ethereum has become a widely used altcoin with a massive circulating supply. In 2017 alone, its value grew by a staggering 13000%, and its cofounder predicted its doubling or even tripling by the end of 2018, according to CNBC. Abbreviated as ETH and identifiable by its black, triangular logo, Ethereum is definitely worth keeping in mind, just as we’ve all been doing since its 2015 release.

Litecoin (LTC)

Basically having the same features as Bitcoin but at a fraction of the cost, Litecoin has remained an exciting altcoin since its introduction in 2011. While the transaction times are slightly slower than Bitcoin, its maximum circulating supply is nearly four times that of Bitcoin, making Litecoin still a highly viable option as a lucrative investment.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

A very recent evolution from Bitcoin, this cryptocurrency has been sitting strongly in the top ten for a while now. With faster transaction times and a stronger emphasis on user friendliness, Bitcoin Cash has quickly become a strong competitor to Bitcoin. In fact, recent expert projections have consistently shown exciting long-term growth. This will be a fun chart to watch, and traders have been having a lot of good luck with Bitcoin Cash/Bitcoin pairs trading.

Dogecoin (DOGE)

It’s hard not to love Dogecoin – it was inspired by a viral picture of a cute shiba inu dog, and its community is delightful, even coming together to send the Jamaican bobsleigh team to the Olympics. But its value and investment viability is no laughing matter, with nearly a half-a-billion USD market capitalization and over a hundred billion coins in circulation. While a single Dogecoin is worth far less than a penny, its regular fluctuation from a top 10 spot to the lower half of the top 50 makes it a popular focus for pairs trading. Opinions vary widely on where Dogecoin will be as the cryptocurrency niche progresses, but it’s fair to say that at the moment there’s no sign of fading.

Namecoin (NMC)

Bitcoin Cash might be the hottest new Bitcoin derivative, but Namecoin was the first, and it is still preferred by many over Bitcoin. Despite being mined with identical software, Namecoin is used for different purposes than Bitcoin and has since inspired a variety of cryptocurrencies that were implemented for specific and unique use cases.

Namecoin’s first use case was the ability to create an independent web domain (.bit) independently of the standard .com or .net regulators. And while other uses have been proposed and developed, much of Namecoin’s long-term goals rely on widespread acceptance of cryptocurrency usage, meaning its long-term value is directly related to worldwide interest in decentralized money as a whole. Time will tell.

Dash (DASH)

Dash — an early 2014 evolution of Litecoin that was first called XCoin and then changed to Darkcoin — is one of the most exciting cryptocurrencies. Its forums are more active than any others, and a highly-democratic approach – improvements to the network are proposed, voted on, and funded by the entire community. Pretty cool!

Dash also has one of the highest market capitalizations, is traded by the tens of millions every day, and offers instant, private transactions. Its value has remained steady, and its market interest continues to grow. By immersing yourself in their community, you can discover plenty of ways to earn Dash outside of mining by helping out the network, or you can buy in to become a Masternode and have a vote on what gets funded.

Nxt (NXT)

Nxt is basically Bitcoin without the mining, using a “proof of stake” algorithm instead of the “proof of work” algorithm that’s used by most of the major cryptocurrencies. This altcoin is more focused on improving cryptocurrency as a whole, creating a place where developers can build applications that can be used on different networks. The coin itself, however, will only continue to become more valuable as the platform grows in popularity. Plus, users can develop brand-new cryptocurrencies within the Nxt network, meaning you might find a good investment opportunity.

Peercoin (PPC)

Unlike Bitcoin or Nxt, Peercoin uses both proof-of-work and proof-of-stake in order to offer benefits of both technologies. The network’s scalability is exciting given its energy efficiency and low likelihood of monopolization, and it could then be argued that the success of this altcoin is dependent on the cryptocurrency industry as a whole. As long as cryptocurrency remains around its current level of popularity, Peercoin should remain a durable investment opportunity.

Considering Cryptocurrencies from a Trading Perspective

You’re most likely here because you’re a trader, not a long-term investor. This means that it’s particularly important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the cryptocurrencies you’re trading.

Once you dive into this niche, we’d bet trading on cryptocurrencies is going to become as natural to you as trading with traditional assets, especially if you find an online broker with a platform that matches your preferences.

That’s what we have create this resource for in the first place.

There have been billions of dollars made, and billions more to be made. For those interested in online trading, not entering the cryptocurrency arena could be considered as losing a lot of potential earnings.

How It All Started

The reason that cryptocurrencies are stressed as decentralized so often is because that was part of their original appeal. In the beginning, creating a new investment or trading opportunity was never part of the goal. Instead, the creators imagined a peer-to-peer network that rewards people for contributing to it, free of fees and regulations and monopolizations. Your identity could remain anonymous, not forcing you to hand over all of your private information to governments or large corporations.

This beautiful idea was first introduced to the world by Satoshi Nakamoto (a pseudonym) in 2009 in a proposal for Bitcoin, later inspiring thousands of other cryptocurrencies. Blockchain – the technology behind Bitcoin – has also been used for a wide variety of other applications, including logistics, law, medicine, and beyond. It could even potentially fix massive human rights crises.

The future of individual cryptocurrencies is still uncertain, but it is clear that the world will not stop using the blockchain technology, so crypto is sure to remain an interesting topic (and an investment opportunity) for many years. May your trading be profitable!