Whether you just want to invest in Ethereum or need some Ether to get started using NFTs, DeFi, and other blockchain apps, buying Ethereum (ETH) is essential in all of these cases.
How to buy Ethereum
The most popular way of buying Ethereum is on cryptocurrency exchanges and brokers, which offer a secure and fast way to buy Ethereum with traditional payment methods you know from online shopping.
Select one of the available Ethereum exchanges below to see a guide on how to buy Ether step-by-step:
We have created numerous guides on how to buy Ether (ETH) on many different crypto exchanges with Ethereum. Whether you've already invested in crypto before or are a newbie to the world of cryptocurrencies, this guide will provide you with the necessary information on how and where to buy Ethereum in 2024.
Where can you buy Ethereum?
As the relevancy of blockchain-based applications grows, it's crucial to know where and how to trade Ethereum in 2024, as Ether is very often the entry ticket and native currency of all those dApps.
Ethereum is the second most popular cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, which is why you can buy Ethereum on basically any cryptocurrency exchange or broker. Those are platforms that allow you to sell and buy Ether with common payment methods you know from online shopping.
When buying Ethereum, it's recommended to do so on trading platforms that offer ETH trading on a spot basis, meaning you buy actual Ether on the blockchain that you can later withdraw to your personal crypto wallet.
While most crypto exchanges allow you to sell and buy Ethereum, the user interface, safety, convenience, and efficiency may vary heavily.
When starting out learning how to buy Ethereum, we suggest looking for crypto exchanges with ETH that offer fast registration and easy trading of Ether at acceptable fees.
Many good Ethereum exchanges that meet these criteria are listed above, and mark the best platforms for buying Ethereum.
Exchanges: Most popular way of buying Ethereum
Luckily, because Ethereum has such as big market cap, there is enough volume on many different Ethereum exchanges for users to reliably sell and buy Ethereum.
Therefore, crypto exchanges with Ethereum form the most popular option for buying Ethereum, as they offer...
💳 Various deposit methods: Most Ethereum exchanges enable users to purchase Ethereum using basically any traditional payment method they prefer, which makes buying Ethereum an easy process.
🚪 On- and off-ramping: Almost all Ethereum exchanges work together with banks to offer users an easy way to cash in and out of Ethereum (ETH).
🛡 Regulated trading: Most popular ETH exchanges have licenses in certain countries they operate, which makes them legitimate companies, meaning that especially users located in the same country do not have to worry that the Ethereum exchange will steal their funds or newly bought Ether.
💰 High Liquidity: When choosing a platform for selling and buying Ethereum, you'd like a platform that allows you to trade Ethereum for any amount at any time. Because Ethereum exchanges arrange trades between users who sell and buy Ethereum, they will always find a counterparty that will reliably sell the Ethereum you'd like to buy.
These characteristics make Ethereum exchanges and brokers the by far most popular options to buy Ethereum in 2024.
We have practically tested buying Ethereum on numerous recommended crypto exchanges and created step-by-step guides on how to buy ETH.
Buy Ethereum with Euro
Since the vast majority of European crypto exchanges accept euro deposits natively, it is completely unproblematic to buy Ethereum for euros.
In practice, buying Ether with euros € goes as follows:
Create an account on an Ethereum exchange that accepts euros, e.g.
Bitvavo
Deposit euros on the ETH exchange using your preferred payment method
Buy Ethereum for Euros
In our Ethereum buying guide, we practically demonstrate how to buy Ethereum with Euros on popular crypto exchanges.
Moreover, in the majority of cases, if you choose a European Ethereum exchange, there are also no additional exchange fees when buying Ether with Euros, making the Euro very suitable for buying Ethereum.
Where to buy Ethereum Derivatives
While crypto exchanges allow you to buy Ethereum the classic way, some investors wish to trade the Ethereum price in both directions, allowing them to bet on both Ethereum going up in price (longing) or Ethereum crashing in price (shorting).
By buying Ethereum derivatives you can do just that on selected Ether trading platforms - although keep in mind, that buying Ethereum futures is far from buying actual Ether, as these derivatives do not give you actual ownership of any Ether on the Ethereum blockchain.
How to invest in Ethereum in 4 steps
You can invest in Ethereum on any cryptocurrency exchange or broker of your choice in just four major steps, which consist of:
Make an account on an Ethereum exchange or broker
If necessary, activate your account by entering some basic information and verifying your identity
Deposit money to your account with a payment method of your choice
Buy Ethereum
Optional: Withdraw the newly purchased ETH to your personal Ethereum wallet
After buying Ether, you invest in the Ethereum network by simply holding your purchased Ether coins, automatically gaining exposure to the entire Ethereum ecosystem.
The reason why buying Ether is equivalent to investing in the Ethereum blockchain is that every single transaction in the Ethereum network requires users to pay transaction fees in form of Ether: Hence, the more people use Ethereum, the more valuable the Ether (ETH) you bought become.
We have practically demonstrated this process of how to invest in Ethereum on numerous different exchanges in this guide.
Types of buying Ethereum: Spot and Futures
When first hearing about Ethereum and wanting to buy some yourself, you'll highly likely come across two different types of Ethereum trading platforms.
🪙 Ethereum spot exchanges and brokers allow users to sell and buy actual Ethereum that exists on the blockchain, just as one would expect. When buying spot Ethereum, you are not forced to sell it in the future and can in most cases even withdraw the purchased ETH on the blockchain to your personal crypto wallet.
Buying Ethereum on spot markets is the only way to actually buy Ethereum and freely invest in it long-term 👍
📄 Ethereum futures platforms however don't sell actual Ethereum but so-called Ethereum futures contracts, which are derivatives representing the price of Ethereum, allowing you to trade Ethereum both towards the down- (shorting) and up-site (longing), potentially with risky leverage. When Buying Ethereum futures, you do not actually buy the underlying Ethereum on the blockchain.
Buying Ethereum futures is rather appropriate for experienced traders who want to short to mid-term trades, potentially with leverage 👎
Most beginners getting to know where and how to buy Ethereum in 2024 will want to do so on spot markets, buying actual Ether (ETH) just as they planned. Unfortunately, Ethereum futures platforms are frequently being promoted online, leading beginners to invest in derivatives that they believe to be real Ethereum.
Therefore, our guide on how to buy Ethereum lists brokers and exchanges with ETH that offer buying Ethereum on spot markets and not only futures.
Options for buying Ethereum (ETH)
Depending on whether you already have some cryptocurrencies or not, there are numerous different ways how to buy Ethereum.
| Option for buying ETH | 💬 Description | ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum Exchanges | Buy Ethereum directly from other users who sell theirs on the exchange | Low fees, You can buy any amount (order book) | Requires registration, sometimes hard to use |
| Ethereum Brokers | Let the broker buy Ethereum from other exchanges with ETH for you | Often easy to use | Requires registration, higher fees |
| Ethereum ATMs | Buy Ethereum on the go | Cash accepted, no registration required | High fees, Daily limits |
| Decentralized Exchanges | Buy Ethereum on decentralized exchanges which live on top of blockchains | No registration required | Requires you to already own crypto, sometimes higher fees |
From all these different options for trading Ethereum, going the classic route and buying Ethereum on exchanges frequently forms the most convenient and easiest way to buy Ethereum online.
Should I buy Ethereum?
Being the second-biggest cryptocurrency, crypto beginners often wonder if they should buy Ethereum or not, as the difference between Ether and other cryptocurrencies may not be obvious at first glance.
In general, there are a few major reasons why crypto investors choose to buy Ethereum, like:
To pay other participants all around the globe of the Ethereum network with relatively low fees
To use DeFi applications on the Ethereum network, where Ethereum acts as a currency and is required for paying fees
To trade NFTs on marketplaces like OpenSea
To sell the bought Ethereum in the future, hopefully at a higher price
You can see that in comparison to other cryptocurrencies, Ethereum is not only being bought as an investment but also as a payment- or utility token for the Ethereum blockchain. This is because you need to buy at least some Ether to interact with any application on the Ethereum blockchain, such as buying NFTs or using DeFi apps.
Although, when just getting started with Ethereum, you are most likely looking to buy Ethereum as a pure investment, by just buying and holding Ethereum - at least before you get more familiar with Ethereum's practical use cases.
Given Ethereum's crypto market dominance when it comes to DeFi, NFTs, and smart contracts in general, Ethereum makes a major position in many crypto investor's portfolios.
Because of Ethereum's wide acceptance in the crypto world as well as evolving network effects, many crypto investors decide to buy Ethereum over other smart contract blockchains, in hopes of the network continuing to grow and their Ether coins appreciating in value.
Yet, as Ethereum is a volatile cryptocurrency that may both go up or down in price, it's important you research Ethereum to independently understand which risks are involved with investing in Ethereum. Only then you can really decide whether you should buy Ethereum or not.
Is Ethereum a good investment?
Short answer: Whether Ethereum is a good investment for you or not fully depends on your personal circumstances, and most importantly your risk tolerance.
It's important to understand that when buying Ethereum, you basically invest in the success of Ethereum as a global network for decentralized applications, such as NFT marketplaces, cryptocurrency exchanges, lending platforms, and much more.
This is because Ether (ETH) is the native currency of Ethereum, required for basically any interaction with decentralized applications on Ethereum. Hence, as an analogy in the traditional world of finance, buying Ether can be seen as buying a stock of a company - in this case, the company is the global network Ethereum.
If you don't believe that Ethereum's decentralized applications - which are spread all around the world to ensure 24/7 uptime, rather than being hosted on the servers of single companies - will continue to gain traction in the future, Ethereum probably isn't the best investment for you.
Although even then, buying Ethereum may act as a hedge for traditional investments, which in itself is worth researching as well.
In the end, you need to keep in mind that investing in Ethereum is risky, like all other cryptocurrencies, and requires throughout research, consideration, and at best advice from a certified financial advisor who can take your individual circumstances into consideration to decide whether Ethereum is a good investment for you or not.
Do you have to buy a whole Ethereum?
Just like other cryptocurrencies, Ethereum is divisible, meaning you can even buy fractions of a single Ether coin, e.g. 0.5 ETH, 0.25 ETH, 0.1 ETH, etc. This allows you to invest small amounts of money - as low as $1 or even just a few cents - into Ethereum, without being forced to buy whole Ether coins.
This characteristic is very helpful for crypto beginners who would like to get familiar with how to buy Ethereum, allowing them to start with very small amounts
Unlike traditional currencies such as the US-Dollar, in the world of cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, even fractions of ether, e.g 0.5 ETH or 0.25 ETH, are commonly referred to as "Ether" or "Ethereum". Therefore, when we refer to buying ether, we also mean buying fractional amounts of ether such as half, quarter, or even eighth of an ether.
In practice, buying Ethereum in fractions is as easy as entering an amount such as "0.01234" for the ETH you'd like to buy on your Ethereum exchange of choice.