Beginners’ Guide: The Safest Avenues to Buy Bitcoin (BTC) in 2020

Today, at the time of writing, we are experiencing history as the 3rd bitcoin halving event unfolds. Unprecedented hype has followed this news sparking an unfathomable interest in the coin around the globe. For that matter, more and more individuals are expressing interest in learning where to purchase it safely.

Unfortunately, crypto scams have been rife in recent years, as has been shown by a recent report by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on marketplace trust.

The report found that crypto users aged 22 to 44 lost an average of $3,000 from crypto-focused fraud in 2019. This relatively high figure was mainly the result of nefarious scammers taking advantage of those who lacked foundational knowledge of digital assets, BBB said.

The report also highlighted that 32% of scams involved the exchange of crypto for goods, services, or fiat currency, while 23.4% involved the purchase of digital assets as alleged investment opportunities.

Although these stats can be disheartening for investors looking to get into bitcoin and crypto for the first time, the figures shouldn’t discourage you from embracing digital currencies.

The crux of the matter is that procuring and trading BTC can be safer than using fiat if you are familiar with all the ropes of transacting in digital currencies. Read on and find out the five secure avenues for purchasing bitcoin, which will have you stacking and spending satoshis in no time, along with tips on storing and exchanging your coins safely.

1. Fiat to Bitcoin Exchanges

An established and reputable cryptocurrency exchange can be a relatively simple and convenient way to buy bitcoin for fiat via your bank account. The term ‘Fiat’ is used in the cryptocurrency sector to denote government-backed and issued currency, such as USD, GBP or JPY.

There are multiple exchanges where you can purchase Bitcoin, and most reputable ones are easy and secure to use. It is however, essential to note that if your coins are stored custodial (this means you don’t hold the private keys) and the exchange is hacked or crashes, you may lose your crypto holdings.

This is why it is advisable to move funds to a private, non-custodial wallet as soon as possible after purchasing bitcoin, and only to keep the bare minimum of what’s needed to transact on a centrally managed exchange.

Some websites set up fake exchanges to make gullible people think that they have invested in cryptocurrency. However, these transactions never get written in the blockchain. Thus people lose their money to the scammers.

One common instance of a rogue exchange conning innocent investors is BitKRX, which was exposed in 2017. The exchange rendered itself as a subsidiary of South Korean exchange KRX, the largest financial trading platform in the country.

Crypto investors should be keen to only deal with a regulated exchange which wholly displays its permits on their website, so…