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How to Buy Bitcoin in the UAE - Beginner's Guide

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By Alice Leetham - Updated 02 September 2022
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Created by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency. It is used to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries like banks. Many people buy Bitcoin as an investment, and it is accepted as payment by a growing number of businesses.

This guide will detail how to buy Bitcoin in the United Arab Emirates. We’ll look at the best crypto platforms available in the UAE & Dubai and who they are best suited to. 

Additionally, we’ll look at reasons to invest in Bitcoin and aspects such as the payment methods, fees, and regulations that UAE investors should be aware of.

How to Buy Bitcoin in the UAE

If you’re looking for a simple way to buy Bitcoin in the UAE, all you need to do is sign up with a crypto exchange. You can access it online with a computer, smartphone, or tablet to quickly buy and sell Bitcoin and a range of other cryptocurrencies. The best platforms are listed below as well as a quick step-by-step guide on purchasing Bitcoin in the UAE.

1. Choose a platform

Find a crypto platform that meets all your needs. Different platforms will provide different features and charge different fees. The safest platform to use is a regulated and reliable one, like the options listed below.

1
Min Deposit
$ 100
User Score
5
CFDs on BTC, ETH, LTC, NEO, XRP, IOTA, EOS, BAB, ADA, TRX, XMR
No need to open a crypto exchange account or use a special wallet
Regulated Broker - FCA, ASIC, CySEC (license number 250/14)
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Description:
Plus500 is a leading provider of Contracts for Difference (CFDs), delivering Leveraged trading on +2,000 financial instruments, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, Options and Cryptocurrencies. CySEC license number (#250/14)
Payment Methods:
Bank Transfer, Debit Card, PayPal, Credit Card, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Trustly, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Discover, Bank Transfer: SEPA, Bank Transfer: FPS, skrill
Full Regulations:
ASIC, FCA, FSA, MAS, CySEC #250/14
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2
Min Deposit
$ 10
User Score
4.95
Up to $240 bonus!
Build a diversified portfolio with crypto, stocks, and ETFs — all in one place.
Trade on the world's leading social trading and investing platform
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Description:
eToro offers a wide range of cryptos, such as Bitcoin, XRP and others, alongside crypto/fiat and crypto/crypto pairs. eToro users can connect with, learn from, and copy or get copied by other users.
Payment Methods:
Bank Transfer, Debit Card, PayPal, Credit Card, Wire Transfer
Full Regulations:
CySEC, FCA
3
Min Deposit
$ 0
Promotion
User Score
4.8
Get insights from millions of investors, creators, and analysts
Build your portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and crypto–all in one place
No minimum deposit
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Description:
Public is an investing platform that allows you to invest stocks, ETFs, crypto, and alternative assets like fine art and collectibles—all in one place.
Payment Methods:
Debit Card, Wire Transfer, Check, Bank Wire
Full Regulations:
Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849) through a software licensing agreement between Apex Crypto LLC and Public Crypto LLC. Crypto trading on Public platforms is served by Public Crypto LLC and offered through APEX Crypto. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved before trading.

2. Create and fund an account

Click the join button and provide any details necessary to create an account. You’ll need to provide an image of your photo ID to complete KYC. Then choose a payment option on the deposit page to fund your account.

3. Buy Bitcoin UAE

Find the BTC/AED trading pair if your platform has one. Otherwise, you will need to buy another currency first, like USDT. Create a buy order for the amount of Bitcoin you wish to purchase and click the buy button.

Table of Contents

Where to Buy Bitcoin in the UAE?

We’ve researched which crypto platforms are available in the UAE, and below you can read detailed reviews of the best ones to help you pick the right platform for you.

  1. eToro – Overall Best Platform to Buy Bitcoin UAE

We believe that the best platform available to UAE users is eToro. It provides Bitcoin stats, news, and research to help you learn more about the coin, and you can also keep up with its price action by adding Bitcoin to your watchlist and setting up price alerts.

The platform is designed to be easy to use, so it’s very quick and simple to buy Bitcoin or any of the 60+ other cryptocurrencies available. You can make your investment portfolio pretty diverse as eToro is a multi-asset platform that also provides access to stocks, ETFs, and forex.

eToro’s standout feature is the CopyTrader, which lets users replicate the trades of the best Bitcoin traders around the world. You can choose a trader to copy based on stats such as their risk tolerance and percentage profit. There are more social investing features that let you connect with and learn from other users.

The platform is very secure due to features such as SSL encryption, offline storage, and free insurance. The minimum deposit and minimum trade amount on eToro are $10 (about 37 AED), and the fees when buying or selling Bitcoin are 1% plus spread. Read our full eToro review here.

Pros

  • Tools for research

  • Easy to navigate

  • Access other asset types

  • Copy trading

  • Transparent fees

  • Strong security

  • Demo account

  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Fewer coins than some competitors

  • $5 (~18 AED) withdrawal fee

  1. Binance – Best Exchange for Buying Bitcoin UAE with the Lowest Fees

If you want to avoid spending lots of money on fees, Binance is a great platform for Bitcoin trading. The trading fees are a market-beating 0.1% or less, depending on your loyalty tier, and it is free to deposit BTC, though withdrawals carry a 0.0002 BTC fee on the Bitcoin blockchain.

The platform is popular with experienced traders as it provides customisable charts and indicators, as well as margin trading and Bitcoin futures. There are more than 600 other cryptocurrencies available on Binance.

Less experienced users aren’t left out, however, as the purchasing and swapping processes are made simple with the Buy Crypto and Convert features, respectively. There are also plenty of educational resources in the Binance Academy. Once you’ve bought some BTC, you can earn up to 5% APR on it with a Binance savings account.

You can buy a minimum of 70 AED worth of Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency with a credit or debit card for a 2% fee. You can also buy BTC on the P2P marketplace without fees, and the AED withdrawal fee is 2.9%. Read our full Binance review here.

Pros

  • Low trading fees

  • Advanced trading tools

  • Bitcoin derivatives

  • 600+ other coins

  • Educational resources

  • Bitcoin savings accounts

  • Has regulatory approval to operate in UAE

  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Limited AED payment options

  • May be a bit technical for beginners

  1. OKX – Best Place to Buy Bitcoin UAE for Advanced Traders

Those who want to engage in more advanced Bitcoin trading will find all the tools they need on OKX. There are charts and technical indicators, BTC derivatives, and even a trading bot where you can set up arbitrage orders and smart portfolios.

Less experienced users are catered for as well, as they can easily buy Bitcoin with instant card purchases and use the Convert feature to swap between BTC and any of the other 340+ coins. There are also plenty of tutorials and analyses in the Learn section.

Miners can join the OKX Bitcoin mining pool, and anyone can put their BTC into a savings account on OKX to earn an estimated 5% APY. Your coins will be kept safe in secure offline storage with emergency backups and a semi-offline multi-signature mechanism for online storage.

The minimum deposit for Bitcoin on OKX is 0.00005 BTC, and 0.00001 BTC is the minimum trade size. Although OKX doesn’t support fiat deposits, you can make instant card purchases of Bitcoin worth at least 37 AED for a fee of 1.99%. The trading fees on OKX are just 0.1% or less.

Pros

  • Technical trading tools

  • Bitcoin derivatives

  • Trading bot

  • 340+ other cryptocurrencies

  • Savings accounts

  • Strong security

  • Educational materials

  • Low trading fees

  • Mobile app

Cons

  • No fiat deposits

  • Fees for instant card purchases

Sign up with OKX
  1. KuCoin – Best Exchange to Buy Bitcoin UAE and Other Coins

KuCoin claims to be the number one altcoin exchange. If you have crypto interests beyond Bitcoin, KuCoin is the best place to find new and obscure coins as it supports more than 700 cryptocurrencies.

There are comprehensive trading tools, as well as a range of derivatives and margin trading for more advanced users. There is also a trading bot, providing a simple way to earn passive profits without monitoring the market.

The Convert feature makes it easy for beginners to swap between cryptocurrencies without fees at the click of a button. What’s more, after purchasing Bitcoin, you can earn interest on it with KuCoin’s flexible savings account.

There is a 3.8% fee if you make an AED deposit by card, while you can also buy USDT with AED on the KuCoin P2P Fiat Trade market. The minimum trade amount for Bitcoin is 0.1 USDT, and the trading fees are just 0.3% or less. Read our full KuCoin review here.

Pros

  • 700+ cryptocurrencies

  • Trading tools

  • Derivatives

  • Trading bot

  • Savings accounts

  • Low trade minimum

  • Competitive fees

  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Card deposit fees are a bit high

  • A bit technical for beginners

  1. Rain – Best Place to Buy Bitcoin Securely in the UAE

Rain provides a secure way to buy Bitcoin in the Middle East. The platform keeps your assets safe with its proprietary offline cold storage system, and uses bank-grade security practices.

The user interface is intuitive, making it easy to buy Bitcoin and swap between any of the 70+ available cryptocurrencies with just a few taps. The KYC process is simple, and your account should be verified within 24 hours.

There’s a Learn section full of news, insights, and information on trading and investing. You can also reach out to the customer support team, which is available via email around the clock, in both English and Arabic.

There are no fees for deposits, instant purchases, or swaps on Rain, but the price quoted for buy, sell, and swap transactions includes a margin. The weekly card buying limit is 19,000 AED, and the weekly trading limit is 370 million AED.

Pros

  • Strong security and offline storage

  • Easy to use

  • Simple verification

  • Educational resources

  • Customer support in Arabic and English

  • No fees for deposits, purchases, or trading

  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Lack of trading tools

  • No phone support

  1. BitOasis – Best Place to Buy Bitcoin with AED

BitOasis provides the simplest way to buy and trade Bitcoin and more than 60 other cryptocurrencies with your local currency. You can choose to deposit and trade with AED or SAR, and easily see the value of your portfolio in AED.

You can choose the BitOasis Core platform, which is easy to navigate for making feeless purchases, sales, and swaps. BitOasis Pro, on the other hand, caters to more advanced trading, with a high liquidity order book, swift order execution, trading charts, and a choice of order types.

The company is headquartered in UAE and is registered and compliant with the local regulatory authorities. BitOasis adheres to international best practices and uses multi-signature technology to secure the platform.

UAE customers can make card deposits for a 3.99% fee and deposit by wire transfer for free. Local AED withdrawals are also free. When using BitOasis Pro, you can trade BTC against AED for fees of up to 0.48% or against other cryptocurrencies for fees of up to 0.15%.

Pros

  • Buy and trade with AED

  • Easy-to-use platform

  • Pro platform with more advanced tools

  • Regulated in UAE

  • Strong security

  • Free wire transfers

  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Significant fees for card deposits

  • Lack of educational resources

How to Buy Bitcoin in the UAE - Step-by-Step tutorial

You can use the steps below to buy Bitcoin on eToro in no time at all.

  1. Sign up with eToro

Head to the eToro website and click the button that says “Join Now”. Fill in your username, email address, and password on the registration form and accept the terms and conditions. Then you can click on “Create Account”.

  1. Verify your account

To verify your email address, just click on the link emailed to you. Then you’ll need to complete your profile by providing details such as your full name, date of birth, and address, as well as answering questions about your investment experience. Upload images of your ID and proof of address according to the onscreen instructions.

  1. Make a deposit

Click on “Deposit Funds” and then select AED from the dropdown list of currencies. Enter the amount you want to deposit and choose your preferred payment method from the list. Complete your deposit by filling in any payment information required for your chosen payment method.

  1. Buy Bitcoin

Look for Bitcoin using the search box and click the “Trade” button. You can switch to “Order” if you want to make a limit order to BTC in the future. To make a purchase now, just fill in the amount and click the “Open Trade” button.

What Is Bitcoin & How Does It Work?

Bitcoin was launched in 2009 as a way to make peer-to-peer payments without intermediaries. Its anonymous creator is known only by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, and Bitcoin introduced the world to the concept of cryptocurrency.

The Bitcoin blockchain is secured by miners who provide computational power to validate transactions in a system known as Proof of Work. Anyone can become a miner or make transactions on the blockchain as it is completely decentralised, so no one controls it.

Bitcoin has the largest market cap of any cryptocurrency and is by far the most popular crypto coin. It is an entry point to crypto for many investors, and even institutional investors like Tesla are getting in on the action.

Is Bitcoin a Good Investment?

It is ultimately a decision for each individual investor whether to buy BTC, but here are some things you may want to consider first.

Bitcoin has already established its longevity, making it one of the safer cryptocurrencies to invest in. It is still only held by a small minority of people, however, meaning investors can still get in relatively early. It is particularly attractive as an investment after its price has dropped. Bitcoin is also favoured by investors as it has a history of outperforming stocks, and many platforms provide access to leveraged trading and Bitcoin derivatives.

Bitcoin’s strength as an investment comes from its technology and economics. It won’t be devalued through inflation like fiat currencies as Bitcoin has a finite supply. It also can’t be stifled by banks and governments as the Bitcoin network is decentralised. The blockchain provides some level of anonymity, while its mining algorithm makes Bitcoin very secure.

Bitcoin is an accessible investment as you don’t need to be a professional with a lot of money to invest—anyone can join a crypto platform and purchase a tiny fraction of a Bitcoin. There is an ever-growing number of businesses that accept BTC as payment, and you can even put your coins into savings accounts provided by platforms like Nexo in order to earn interest.

The returns investors have made throughout Bitcoin’s price history have been huge, and the cryptocurrency is starting to see investment from more and more institutions. These factors could all point to strong price potential for Bitcoin in the future.

Risks of buying Bitcoin

There are a few risks inherent to purchasing Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency. As the regulatory landscape develops, it’s possible that UAE regulators could restrict crypto trading in the future. You also need to watch out for scams and be wary of hackers. 

To mitigate these risks, you should only buy Bitcoin on reputable and regulated platforms and store it somewhere secure like a hardware wallet. Additionally, never share your private keys or passwords, and watch out for phishing scams.

Concerning Bitcoin specifically, you should be aware that when the network gets congested, the network fees can be high. This could make it uneconomical to move your Bitcoin around if you don’t hold very much.

What Payment Methods Can I Use to Buy Bitcoin in the UAE?

As the most popular cryptocurrency, there are many different ways of buying Bitcoin. We’ll discuss a few in more detail below.

Credit card

Buying Bitcoin with a credit card is seen as the most convenient method by many—it’s fast, widely accepted, and gives you the flexibility to pay later. The main downside is that it can be more expensive—Binance charges 1.8% for card deposits, KuCoin 3.8%, and BitOasis 3.99%. To avoid these charges, you can use eToro, where deposits are free.

Bank account

Although bank transfers can take longer, they are preferred by a number of investors as they are usually the cheapest deposit option. Not all crypto platforms accept wire transfers from the UAE, but you can make bank deposits to eToro, Rain, and BitOasis for free.

PayPal

PayPal is a convenient way to pay online as it is fast, easy to use, and secure—PayPal won’t share your payment details with third parties. You can use PayPal to buy Bitcoin on P2P platforms, such as those provided by Binance or OKX, or make free PayPal deposits on eToro.

Neteller

Neteller is a digital wallet provider that makes it quick and easy to manage your money online. There aren’t many places where you can buy Bitcoin with Neteller in the UAE, but eToro is one of the few platforms that offer free Neteller deposits.

Skrill

Similar to Neteller, Skrill is another digital wallet service for fast and simple online payments. 

You can buy Bitcoin with Skrill on eToro, where deposits are free.

Ways to Invest in Bitcoin UAE

There are a few choices of how to invest in Bitcoin. We’ll discuss each in more detail below to help you decide which is best for you.

Buy and Hold Bitcoin

As you would expect, this strategy involves buying some Bitcoin and holding onto it for the long term. It’s the easiest strategy as you don’t need any particular skills to profit from it. It also doesn’t take up much of your time and enables you to increase your returns by putting your BTC into a savings account, like the one provided by Nexo .

Trade Bitcoin

You could instead take a more hands-on approach by buying and selling BTC more often to generate profits on a more regular basis. Trading Bitcoin will take up more of your time, and technical analysis skills will be useful in helping you decide when to buy and sell.

You can also trade Bitcoin derivatives like futures on platforms such as Binance and OKX. If you trade Bitcoin with leverage, you can increase any profits you make, but any losses will also be increased, so this should not be attempted by inexperienced traders.

Mine Bitcoin

Bitcoin mining provides another way to make a profit. You can earn some BTC in the form of block rewards by providing the computational power necessary to secure the blockchain and validate transactions. Electricity is cheaper in the UAE than in many other countries, making Bitcoin mining more affordable, as it requires a lot of power.

However, the power, equipment, and mining pool fees still represent a significant cost, which is why many prefer the simpler and cheaper option of buying a cloud mining contract from a company such as CCG Mining .

Choosing a Bitcoin Wallet? - Storing Bitcoin Safely

There are many Bitcoin wallets available. The information below should help you decide which is best for your needs.

Bitcoin Software Wallets

  • Web wallet: Traders and investors who only hold a small amount of BTC will likely find web wallets to be the most convenient option. They are, however, the least secure type of wallet, which is why it is important only to use the web wallets provided by reliable platforms. Those reviewed in this guide provide free web wallets.

  • Mobile wallet: You can download this type of wallet onto your mobile device for a convenient way to manage your Bitcoin. Mobile wallets are also free, and Bitcoin.org recommends Unstoppable for iOS devices or Bitcoin Wallet for Android devices.

  • Desktop wallet: Another free and convenient wallet, desktop wallets are downloaded onto a computer and store your private keys locally on your device. You can store Bitcoin in most desktop wallets, but Bitcoin Core is the most popular full node wallet. 

Physical and Hardware Wallets

  • Hardware wallet: Hardware wallets are the most secure way of storing Bitcoin, which is why they are the most expensive option. They’re great for investors who are holding a large amount of BTC for a long time, and the most popular options are Trezor, BitBox, and Ledger.

  • Paper wallet: You can use an online key generator to create a public and private key. To create a paper wallet, you simply write down or print the resultant character strings or QR codes, but this isn’t a secure way to store Bitcoin.

Wallet Combinations

Depending on your activities, you might want to use more than one type of wallet in combination. If you intend to trade some of your Bitcoin while also holding some for the long term, it could be useful to use both a web wallet and a hardware wallet. If you use the Ledger hardware wallet, you could also download the Ledger Live app to manage your Bitcoin on the move.

Should I Buy Bitcoin Now? - Things to Consider Before Buying Bitcoin in the UAE

Some of the points covered in the section on whether Bitcoin is a good investment will be pertinent to this question. Other things you might want to consider are detailed below.

Bitcoin Fees

When making a transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain, there are network fees involved, which can get pretty high when the network is busy. You likely won’t need to concern yourself with these fees when buying and selling on a platform, though, as many platforms just charge a flat fee on each transaction.

Platforms may charge you fees for other actions, such as deposits and withdrawals. Whether these incur a fee and how much will depend on the platform and payment method you choose. Other things that may carry a cost on some platforms include account management, inactivity, and overnight fees.

Bitcoin Regulations in the UAE

The UAE is one of the more progressive countries when it comes to cryptocurrency. The Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021 was launched in 2018 with the aim of moving half of government transactions onto the blockchain by 2021.

Bitcoin is one of three cryptocurrencies accepted as payment by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) for various trade licences and visas.

In 2022, Dubai approved its first cryptocurrency law and set up the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), which will regulate the sale of cryptocurrencies, authorise virtual asset service providers (VASPs), and promote transparency and security for crypto investors.

The regulatory landscape is still evolving as the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) develops its own crypto regulatory framework, and the DFSA works on its own rules for crypto regulation in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

There is no personal income tax in the UAE, and this exemption also applies to cryptocurrencies, so residents of the UAE don’t need to report their crypto activities to any regulatory authority or pay tax on any profits they make.

When to Buy Bitcoin?

The best time to buy Bitcoin will likely be influenced by your strategy and investment goals. Investors who opt for a buy and hold strategy believe that the price of Bitcoin will rise in the long term, so the exact time at which they buy isn’t that important.

When it comes to trading, you might want to use a signal from the news or a technical indicator, like the relative strength index, to decide when to buy. You can even buy whenever a more experienced trader makes a purchase if you use eToro’s CopyTrader feature.

Some traders and investors aim to buy the dip, which requires some skills in price prediction, as we shall see below.

Bitcoin Price and Price Prediction

Bitcoin price is affected by a variety of different factors, such as project news and upgrades, crypto laws and regulation, and the global economic situation. 

Bitcoin halving events can also have an impact on the coin’s price. This is an event that happens roughly every four years and involves the block reward paid to miners being halved. The four-year cycles that have so far defined Bitcoin’s price history appear to correlate with these events. 

You can spot price trends and reversals by developing skills in technical analysis. These skills and an understanding of the factors that affect Bitcoin will help you predict its future price action.

Buying Bitcoin Safely in the UAE

The safest way to buy Bitcoin is on a regulated and reputable platform, where you can enjoy the best security, as well as better support and features. A platform like Binance or BitOasis that is regulated in UAE should provide a safe trading environment for UAE residents, while platforms that are compliant with other regulators around the world also use top-level security practices, like cold storage, insurance, and two-factor authentication.

You should always invest responsibly by never risking more than you can afford to lose. Secure storage is another important consideration, and hardware wallets are the safest option. Make sure to keep your seed phrase somewhere safe so you won’t lose access to your wallet. 

Attempts to scam or hack investors are common in the crypto world, so be cautious of emails that claim to be from your platform or wallet provider. Authentic emails will never ask you to reveal your passwords or private keys, and you should never share this information with anyone.

Buying Bitcoin anonymously in the UAE 

You cannot buy Bitcoin anonymously on regulated platforms, as they require users to provide accurate contact information and undergo identity verification by submitting an image of an ID, like a passport.

The only way to buy Bitcoin anonymously is, therefore, to use an unregulated platform. You could use a peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace such as Paxful, where you can create an account with just an email address and buy BTC from some sellers without completing verification. 

Decentralised exchanges (DEXs) can also be used anonymously as all a user needs is a wallet. However, as none of the popular DEXs support the Bitcoin blockchain, you would only be able to buy Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC). What’s more, DEXs tend to only support crypto-to-crypto swaps, so you would still need to acquire another cryptocurrency from somewhere else.

It is more complicated to use an unregulated platform, and you could be at greater risk of being scammed. This is why anyone simply purchasing BTC, which is perfectly legal in the UAE, is better off using a regulated platform and spending a few minutes verifying their identity.

Best ways to buy – a comparison between centralised exchanges & decentralised exchanges & P2P exchanges

Centralised exchanges

A centralised exchange (CEX) is run by a company that makes a profit by charging users fees. When you make a buy order on a CEX, it will go into the exchange’s order book, where it will be matched with a sell order to facilitate the purchase. CEXs tend to provide free web wallets where users’ Bitcoin is stored.

CEXs provide the best user experience as they are often easy to navigate and provide a range of features, educational materials, and customer support, making them a popular choice for inexperienced users. Advanced traders are also catered for on many CEXs, as they have technical trading tools and a variety of order types.

Decentralised exchanges

A decentralised exchange (DEX) runs on the blockchain and is operated by smart contracts instead of any central company. There is no-one to act as an intermediary when trades are made on a DEX. Instead, trades are facilitated through pools of each cryptocurrency, known as liquidity pools.

As DEXs don’t require any personal information or take custody of users’ coins, they are popular with people who value anonymity and control of their own assets. They tend to be harder to use, however, and don’t provide as many features or order types as CEXs. The fees can also be significantly higher when the underlying blockchain is congested.

P2P exchanges

P2P exchanges are web platforms operated by a company, like CEXs, but they are often unregulated, don’t necessarily require identity verification, and facilitate trades directly between users, like DEXs. Buyers can choose from a variety of crypto sellers and then send a payment directly to the seller to receive their Bitcoin. The payment and crypto are usually held in escrow to provide more security.

People who don’t want to go through identity verification may opt to use a P2P platform. Other benefits of P2P platforms are that they often don’t charge fees and accept a wider range of payment methods. However, P2P platforms aren’t as safe as CEXs and don’t provide as many useful features. Some CEXs, like Binance and OKX, also have built-in P2P platforms to provide users with more choice.

Bitcoin ATMs in Dubai and UAE

Bitcoin ATMs tend to look similar to regular ATMs, and there are a small number of them in Dubai. Before you can use one to purchase Bitcoin, you will need to create an account with the ATM provider, which you can do at the machine by providing your phone number and entering a verification code.

You will need to have a wallet before you buy BTC from an ATM, and you can use a mobile wallet, an exchange wallet, or a paper wallet. You will have to scan your wallet’s QR code at the machine, and then your coins will be sent to that address once you pay by cash or card.

There aren’t very many Bitcoin ATMs in the UAE, so they’re not very convenient. They can also take up to an hour to transfer your BTC to your wallet, and some ATMs charge very high fees. It is, therefore, a lot faster and cheaper to use an online crypto platform.

Selling Bitcoin in UAE

When you should sell your Bitcoin may be affected by the strategy you choose to employ. If you’re using a long-term buy and hold strategy, for example, it’s less important to time your exit precisely. On the other hand, when engaging in short-term trading strategies, you might get a sell signal from the news or a technical indicator.

The process of selling Bitcoin isn’t much different from that of buying it. On eToro, for example, you just go to your portfolio, choose Bitcoin, and click “Close”. On other platforms, you may need to create a sell order, which is very similar to creating a buy order.

Unlike most other countries, in the UAE you don’t need to report any profit you make when you sell Bitcoin, as there is no tax to pay on these profits.

Final Thoughts

There are a number of reliable crypto platforms that are available in the UAE, and all of them support Bitcoin purchases. The features, fees, and other coins offered differ from platform to platform, but the reviews in this guide should help you pick the one that best suits your needs.

In our opinion, eToro is the best platform for buying Bitcoin in the UAE, because it is user-friendly, has strong security, and provides innovative social investing features that you can’t get anywhere else. The process of buying Bitcoin on eToro is simple, as you can see from the step-by-step instructions earlier in this guide.

Methodology - How we picked the best platform to buy Bitcoin

We have strict quality control processes and do a great amount of research in order to provide our readers with information you can trust. We always test all the platforms we review thoroughly to help you make well-informed decisions about investing.

Some of the things we research when testing a platform include how to set up an account, the deposit options available, which types of trading are supported, number of cryptocurrencies available, features, fees, ease of use, educational resources, regulatory status, and customer service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than one wallet for Bitcoin?
Yes. Anyone can create as many Bitcoin wallets as they like. If you set up accounts on more than one platform, you will have access to a web wallet on each one. You can also download mobile or desktop wallets and buy hardware wallets.
Is it legal to buy Bitcoin in the UAE?
Yes. Bitcoin is not recognised as legal tender and has not been licensed by the Central Bank of UAE, but is perfectly legal for UAE citizens to buy, sell, own, and trade any cryptocurrencies.
Where can I buy Bitcoin in Dubai?
You can buy Bitcoin in Dubai by creating an account and making a purchase on any of the platforms reviewed on this page. There are also a few Bitcoin ATMs in Dubai.
How much does it cost to trade Bitcoin in the UAE?
The costs of trading Bitcoin in the UAE will depend on the platform and payment method you use. You may need to pay fees for deposits, withdrawals, and commission. However, you won’t need to pay tax on any profit you make from Bitcoin trading in the UAE.
What is the best app to buy Bitcoin in Dubai?
We believe eToro is the best app to buy Bitcoin in Dubai due to its security, features, and user-friendliness. All the other platforms reviewed in this guide also provide mobile apps.
Can I use Bitcoin to buy property in the UAE?
Yes. It is legal to use Bitcoin to buy property in the UAE, and a number of real estate sellers have said that they accept Bitcoin, but not all of them do.
Can I buy less than 1 Bitcoin?
Yes. Bitcoin differs from shares in that it is fractional. This means you don’t need to buy a whole number of BTC and can purchase a tiny fraction of a Bitcoin if you wish.
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