If you’re trying to buy Bitcoin in Belgium, things can quickly get confusing due to misinformation and a lack of regulatory clarity. However, it doesn’t have to be a difficult process
To help our readers buy Bitcoin in Belgium we’ve put together this handy beginner guide covering the best Bitcoin exchanges, the benefits of Bitcoin, different ways of buying the digital asset, and a step by step walkthrough detailing how to buy Bitcoin in Belgium. Let’s get started.
How to Buy Bitcoin Belgium – Quick Guide
For a quick overview covering how to buy Bitcoin in Belgium, the steps below summarise the process. If you’d prefer a more in-depth guide, you can find that toward the bottom of the page.
- ✅Step 1: Open an Account with Crypto.com – Prior to buying Bitcoin, you’ll need to create a free account with a regulated broker like Crypto.com. The whole process can be completed in just a few minutes.
- Step 2: Deposit – Once you’ve created and verified your Crypto.com account, you’re ready to deposit. Simply click ‘Deposit Funds’ and fill in the required fields.
- Step 3: Search for Bitcoin – Once your funds have arrived, type ’BTC’ into the search box and press ‘Trade’.
- Step 4: Buy – Enter an amount of Bitcoin to buy ($50 minimum) and click ‘Confirm’. Your portfolio balance will be updated instantly when the transaction is completed.
Where to Buy Bitcoin in Belgium
When you’re ready to invest, figuring out where to buy Bitcoin in Belgium is one of the first things investors need to do. However, filtering through all the subpar brokers can be rather tiresome. That’s why we’ve included mini-reviews for each of Belgium’s top brokers so you can easily compare and select the platform best suited for your needs.
Crypto.com – Buy and Margin Trade Bitcoin
Crypto.com has enjoyed a massive influx in users during recent months, thanks in part to its recent purchase of the Staples Arena (now the Crypto.com Arena). As a result of its excellent marketing strategies, Crypto.com is a global broker with more than 90 million users and over 250 cryptos available for investment, as well as futures on trading with leverage.
With so many users reliant on Crypto.com, it’s no surprise that this crypto exchange takes its security extremely seriously. Every cent of client funds is held in cold storage, with only necessary corporate funds being stored in hot wallets.
Crypto.com also runs a bug bounty program to incentivise white hat hackers to find security flaws so they can be patched rather than exploited.
The fee structure on Crypto.com is fairly reasonable, you pay up to 0.4% when buying any assets plus an additional 3.99% on credit/debit card purchases. While card fees are a little high, it allows you to buy Bitcoin instantly in case you need to take advantage of a quick dip.
Crypto.com Fees
| Fee Type | Fee Amount (Staking ≥ 0 CRO) | Fee Amount (Staking ≥ 5000 CRO) |
| Trading Fee | 0.4% | 0.36% |
| Credit/Debit | 2.99% | 2.99% |
| Bitcoin | Buy $100 & Receive $99.60 | Buy $100 & Receive $99.64 |
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. Your capital is at risk.
Bitstamp – Crypto Exchange with a 10 Year Track Record
Founded in 2011, Bitstamp is the longest-running crypto exchange in the world. It’s been operating since the inception of Bitcoin and apart from one hiccup in 2015 (a phishing attack on Bitstamp employees), it’s got a stellar track record.
Following the 2015 hack (which was a result of employee error rather than technological failure), Bitstamp has massively ramped up security. It keeps only the funds necessary for day-to-day operations in multi-sig secured hot wallets, everything else remains offline in air-gapped cold storage.
In terms of fees, Bitstamp is one of the best. It charges just a 0.5% trading fee for all crypto pairs. Bank deposits are free across the board but SEPA withdrawals will incur a €3 charge. Card fees are the one area that lets Bitstamp down, it charges a flat rate of 5% on top of any additional fees charged by your card issuer.
Bitstamp is a solid exchange with fairly low fees. It might not have the bells and whistles offered by some other exchanges but it’s not a bad choice for those looking to buy Bitcoin in Belgium with a broker that’ll still be around in the foreseeable future.
Bitstamp Fees
| Fee Type | Trading Fee | Debit/Credit Card | Deposit | Bitcoin |
| Fee Amount | 0.5% | 5% | 0.05% (7.5 EUR min) | Buy $100 & Receive $95 – $99.50 |
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. Your capital is at risk.
Coinbase – Easy to Use Crypto Exchange
Coinbase, launched in 2012, is one of the largest exchanges on the planet. It has more than 98 million customers and operates in almost every country around the world. While generally considered a beginner broker due to its simplicity, the Coinbase Pro platform does offer some much needed additional functionality.
As a predominantly beginner-focused platform, Coinbase takes great care when it comes to protecting its users. To ensure clients aren’t suckered into any illegitimate projects, every asset listed on Coinbase has to undergo a strict vetting process. Additionally, Coinbase has crime prevention insurance, meaning even if they’re hacked, clients won’t be left out of pocket.
Despite being aimed at those new to crypto, Coinbase has quite a confusing fee structure. On the regular Coinbase app, trading fees are 1.49% and debit/credit card fees are 3.99%. However, if you switch to the Coinbase Pro app, you can enjoy 0% card fees and maker/taker fees of no more than 0.5%.
If you’re looking to get into the crypto market and want a simple exchange, Coinbase is likely your best bet. However, in this case, simplicity does come at the cost of functionality and additional fees.
Coinbase Fees
| Fee | Coinbase | Coinbase Pro |
| Debit/Credit Card | 3.99% | 0% |
| Bank Deposit | 1.49% | 0% |
| Conversion | 0.5% to 2% | 0.5% to 2% |
| Coinbase fee | $0.99 to $2.99 Based on size of transaction | 0.04% to 0.50% taker fee and a 0% to 0.50% maker fee |
| Bitcoin | Buy $100 & Receive $96.02 – $97.49 | Buy $100 & Receive $99.96 – $99.50 |
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. Your capital is at risk.
Binance – Biggest Bitcoin Exchange
The world’s largest exchange by volume, Binance is a great choice for anyone looking for a feature-rich platform that’s deeply ingrained into the world of crypto. Since its 2017 launch, Binance has managed to accumulate more than 90 million customers thanks to its diverse range of assets and features.
Binance doesn’t offer a whole lot of details about its security, however, it does come with a ton of client-based safety features. Like most modern exchanges, you can use 2FA to secure your account but that’s not all. Binance also allows users to restrict account access, manage devices with access to the account, and set a whitelisted address for withdrawals.
Although trading fees on Binance are low at just 0.1%, debit/credit card fees can be rather high depending on the payment processor. Because of this, it’s advisable to double-check fees associated with your preferred method of payment before registering with Binance.
While Binance does have a steeper learning curve than most of the other exchanges we’ve reviewed it comes with a ton of useful features like TradingView integration and an NFT marketplace. Although not everyone will make use of everything Binance has to offer, it’s always nice to have too much rather than too little.
Binance Fees
| Fee Type | Trading Fee | Debit/Credit Card | Deposit Fee | Bitcoin |
| Fee Amount | 0.1% | 1.8% | $1 | Buy $100 & Receive $99.50 – $99.90 |
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. Your capital is at risk.
Bitpanda – Buy Bitcoin in Europe
If you want to invest in Bitcoin in Belgium, you’ll have likely heard about Bitpanda. It solely serves Europe and is one of the largest exchanges in the region. Launched in 2014, Bitpanda currently offers its services to around 3 million users making it one of the smaller platforms we’ve reviewed. Despite its size, Bitpanda is an incredibly powerful platform that goes above and beyond the status quo.
Bitpanda uses industry-standard security measures to protect clients, so there’s no need to worry about the safety of your funds. However, the main draw to Bitpanda is its huge range of stocks and commodities.
Trading fees on Bitpanda come in around 1.5% for regular accounts but with a Bitpanda Pro account, they can be reduced to just a 0.15% maker/taker fee.
Bitpanda Fees
| Fee Type | Trading Fee | Debit/Credit Card | Deposit Fee | Bitcoin |
| Fee Amount | 1.5% | 1%% | $0 | Buy $100 & Receive $100 (Varies based on seller) |
Paxful – Peer-to-Peer Cryptocurrency Exchange
Paxful works a bit differently from the other exchanges we’ve taken a look at. Instead of a traditional exchange, Paxful is a peer-to-peer platform, meaning you buy directly from a seller rather than the exchange.
You cannot store your assets on Paxful so there’s no need for it to use cold storage. Instead, Paxful provides an escrow service that allows you to safely trade with others. However, scams are still prevalent on Paxful so you should only ever trade with highly-rated users.
While there are no fees for buying Bitcoin in Belgium, sellers are charged between 0.5% and 1% based on the method of withdrawal. It’s important to be aware that while Paxful does not charge buyer fees, sellers often charge a slightly higher price than you’d find on an exchange. Therefore, you should always check that sell offers are close to the standard market rate to ensure you don’t overpay.
Paxful Fees
| Fee Type | Trading Fee | Debit/Credit Card | Deposit Fee | Bitcoin |
| Fee Amount | N/A (0.5% – 1% for sellers) | 0% | $0 | Buy $100 & Receive $100 (Varies based on seller) |
Should I Buy Bitcoin?
Now that you know where to buy Bitcoin in Belgium, you’ve got to carefully consider whether it aligns with your investment goals. Bitcoin is an extremely volatile asset so it’s important not to take this step lightly.
With that said, Bitcoin has historically outperformed almost every other asset or index over the past 10 years. Although past performance is not indicative of future results, it seems likely that Bitcoin will continue climbing once the market returns to normal.
While the potential gains are enormous, massive losses are also a possibility. Over the past 6 months, Bitcoin has dropped by around 50%, so a $10,000 investment in December would only be worth around $5000 today. Therefore, you should only ever buy Bitcoin using money you can afford to forget about. If you use money you need, you could be forced to sell at a large loss.
All in all, Bitcoin is a wildly promising investment but also a very risky one. If you choose to buy, it’s worth learning risk reduction strategies like buying at regular intervals rather than all at once (dollar-cost averaging).
Benefits of Buying Bitcoin
The benefits of Bitcoin are not always easy to identify, so we’ve included a few of the big ones.
Good Time to Buy
While you might be sold on the idea, it’s easy to get stuck wondering when to buy Bitcoin. Luckily, with the market seeming like it’s towards the bottom of a steep correction, it’s an excellent time to get involved. It’s easy to get sucked in by hype and buy at the top, but snagging some crypto while it’s down is the best way to make money.
Be a Part of the Web3.0 Revolution
You might have seen the term ‘Web3.0’ thrown around a fair bit over the past 12 months. It refers to the blending of blockchain technology and the internet. Prominent investors are already betting big on Web3.0 and while Bitcoin isn’t directly involved the technology it represents is. Therefore, once Web3.0 starts to take off, it’s sure to give Bitcoin a boost.
It’s Still Early
Thinking you’re late to the Bitcoin party is much more common than you might expect. You’ve likely seen people make a load of money and leave the market or perhaps you’ve read an article stating that the best is over. However, only around 10% of the world’s population is involved in crypto right now, meaning there’s heaps of demand (and therefore price action) still to hit the market.
Convenience
If you’re new to the crypto scene, you might think Bitcoin is useful only as an investment but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Using the Bitcoin network, you can send money anywhere in the world for a fraction of the cost that companies like Western Union charge. Additionally, it’s far easier to store than physical assets like silver, adding to its convenience.
Inflation Hedge
Right now, inflation is through the roof all over the globe. As a result, holding fiat currency has become an extremely inefficient way to store money. As there’s a fixed supply of Bitcoin that cannot be diluted in the same way as fiat, you can use Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation to protect your wealth
Ways of Buying Bitcoin
There are plenty of different ways to buy Bitcoin in Belgium, here are a few of the best:
Buying Bitcoin with PayPal
If you want to buy Bitcoin with PayPal, then you’ve got two options.
Firstly, you can directly buy Bitcoin with PayPal using the platform’s in-built exchange. While this is likely the most convenient option as it allows you to buy Bitcoin instantly, it’s also the most costly. Additionally, you cannot withdraw your Bitcoin from PayPal, making it nothing more than an investment vehicle.
However, as PayPal is a payment processor, it’s also an accepted deposit method at a lot of exchanges. Coinbase supports it but charges a massive 3.99% fee which could seriously eat into your profits, especially combined with trading fees.
Buy Bitcoin with Credit Card or Debit Card
If you want to invest in Bitcoin in Belgium, using a credit/debit card is probably the easiest way. Everyone has a card and almost every exchange supports them as a deposit method. However, oftentimes they tend to be the most costly way to deposit so it’s important to double-check the fee your exchange charges before investing.
Bitcoin Price
The price of Bitcoin changes constantly as supply and demand shift. This can make working out when to buy Bitcoin quite a challenge, especially considering different exchanges often charge different prices.
Looking at the above chart, we can see that Bitcoin has plummeted from Nov/Dec ‘21 highs. While this might seem scary on the surface, it presents a great opportunity to purchase Bitcoin for a comparatively lower cost.
Of course, there are no guarantees that Bitcoin will hit its previous highs but the chances are we’ll see some explosive growth once the stock market begins picking up once again.
Bitcoin Price Prediction
Since hitting highs of almost $70,000 during late 2021, Bitcoin has been struggling to recapture the magic. Although it has shown some strength in recent months, it’s currently being heavily influenced by a bearish stock market. Additionally, as Bitcoin is considered a speculative asset, stock market dips tend to be amplified in the crypto market.
While this might seem like bad news, it’s just a matter of time before the tables turn once again. Financial markets work in cycles, prices & hype increase, then correct once they hit unsustainable levels. It just happens that the current correction was worsened by a multitude of macroeconomic factors like inflation and war.
However, once the markets recover and begin showing bullish pressure, Bitcoin will likely explode. Although there are a lot of important levels for Bitcoin to breakout from, the $55-65k region is where the real test will begin. Therefore, it seems likely we’ll hit or exceed $50,000 when the market picks up steam. After $50k, there will have to be sizable buying pressure for Bitcoin to push higher, but it’s certainly possible.
How to Buy Bitcoin Safely
Before buying Bitcoin in Belgium, you should familiarise yourself with how to do so safely. There are a ton of scams out there so buying Bitcoin can be risky business.
Some of the most important things to watch out for are:
Phishing scams: A bad actor will clone a genuine exchange to try and steal your details.
Fake exchanges: Tons of fake exchanges have been cropping up that allow you to deposit and show massive gains. Then when you go to withdraw, they will charge you for ‘tax purposes’ and you’ll never receive your withdrawal. To avoid this, only trade on regulated exchanges like Crypto.com.
Recovery phrase theft: If you use a decentralised wallet like Exodus or a Ledger, your recovery code is akin to your house keys. You should never give them to anyone and you should always keep them safe, as without them you could be left locked out of your wallet.
How to Buy Bitcoin in Belgium – Tutorial
We’ve covered where and why, but now it’s time to discuss how to buy Bitcoin in Belgium.
Step 1: Open an Crypto.com Account
The first thing you need to do is create a free account with Crypto.com. This can be done by heading to the Crypto.com homepage, and completing the quick registration process.
Step 2: Upload ID
Once your account has been created, you’ll need to verify it. This is a completely normal process and happens because Crypto.com is a regulated exchange.
Step 3: Deposit Funds
After your account has been verified, you’re ready to deposit. Crypto.com supports deposits using credit/debit card, bank transfer, or e-wallet (Paypal, Skrill), so you’ve got plenty of options. When signed in, simply click ‘Deposit Funds’, select a payment method, decide how much to invest, and push ‘Deposit’. First-time deposits can take a little longer but don’t worry, this is normal.
Step 4: Buy Bitcoin
The final step is to buy Bitcoin! All you have to do is click on the Crypto.com search bar, enter ‘BTC’, press ‘Trade’, decide how much Bitcoin you want to buy, and then push ‘Open Trade’. You can view and manage your investment from the portfolio section of your account.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve covered the ins and outs of buying Bitcoin in Belgium, the whole process should be demystified. Despite what some might have you believe, buying Bitcoin is a quick and painless process that can be done by anyone, anywhere.
With that said, selecting a great broker is still arguably the most important aspect of the investment process. So, to ensure our readers get it right the first time, we recommend Crypto.com. It’s easy to use, regulated, and powerful, so regardless of your investment goals or experience, we’re sure it’ll be a great match for you.
Cryptoasset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.