How to Buy Ethereum | HeraldScotland

Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency in the world by market capitalization. Second-only to Bitcoin, Ethereum has been making waves now since 2015 – when the project officially went live.

However, Ethereum founder, Vitalik Buterin, actually wrote the Ethereum white paper back in 2013. As for Ethereum’s capabilities, since Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain, it allows for many projects to be created from its infrastructure. This includes smart contracts, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and many de-fi applications. 

Without question, it’s one of the major players of the crypto world, hence the reason so many people want to or have already invested. Specifically, that’s what we will be addressing throughout the information provided here. We will discuss Ethereum’s potential, how you can become an Ethereum investor, and even the methods you can use to make your purchase. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Where To Buy Ethereum?

With Ethereum being such a prestigious crypto coin, it’s usually available on any website that allows crypto investing. Of course,, this means that there are a boatload of options out there. However, we prefer to stick with platforms that boast serious benefits to investors, and there is one that steals the show:

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eToro is a trading platform that operates as a brokerage firm. This means that the platform itself gives investors exposure to all kinds of assets, including cryptocurrency and ultimately, Ethereum. Cryptocurrency is actually one of the newer arrivals to the site, but it has surged in popularity, as you’d expect. The reason eToro itself has become so prestigious is due to the model, allowing fee-free trading, copying of veteran traders, and multiple products to actually invest in things like Ethereum. 

Pros

  • Easy to use interface – suitable for newbies
  • Quick sign up process
  • Safe trading structure
  • Fee-free trades
  • FCA regulated

Cons

  • Not as many trading pairs as other platforms
  • Inactivity fees do apply

 

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Cryptoasset investing is unregulated in most EU countries and the UK. No consumer protection. Your capital is at risk. CFD crypto trading is unavailable for clients residing in the UK and US. 67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

 

What Is The Difference Between Buying And Trading Ethereum?

Ethereum, like all major crypto assets, can be bought or traded. Many people think that these terms mean the same thing, but take it from us, they don’t. Buying Ethereum is very much an activity undertaken by beginner-intermediate investors, whereas trading, especially at the higher levels is done by experts. This is discussed in greater detail here:

Buying

  • Limited products available
  • Little to no short-term analysis required due to investment intentions
  • Buy orders usually executed at a pre-determined market price

When speaking strictly about ‘buying’ Ethereum, it means you are buying a fixed amount of the coin and that’s it. This is done through basic platforms, on the whole, often through wallets or simplified exchanges/brokerages. Since buying Ethereum is typically done with the intention of HODLing, short-term market swings aren’t all that important. Of course, if you can buy while the price is down that is better, but it’s tough to know when these dips will occur.

 

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Trading


 

  • Short-term volatility and fluctuations are highly impactful
  • More purchase variations are available – trading pairs, products, etc.
  • Understanding of market analysis critical for long term success

Trading, by definition, means that you’ll be looking to perform multiple transactions to try and make a profit. This is done through buying and selling, setting automatic trade orders at predetermined prices, and trading platforms themselves are usually more complex. That’s because traders need a certain level of information to make the most informed decisions. This isn’t an activity for novices – just to clear that up.

 

How To Buy Ethereum Online?

Choosing to buy Ethereum is an exciting time for any investor, regardless of their previous experience. A few years ago, options to buy Ethereum online were extremely limited. But today, there is enough competition out there that investors now have the luxury of multiple options. With that said, here’s a snapshot of how you can get the ball rolling:

  1. Pick an appropriate platform (eToro recommended)
  2. Sign up for a new account (must provide personal info, set security questions, etc.)
  3. Sign in and process your first deposit
  4. Head to the cryptocurrency section and look for Ethereum
  5. Choose how much you’d like to invest and execute the order

This entire process could be completed within 5-10 minutes, including the deposit and purchase sections. All it takes is signing up with eToro, verifying your details, and then grabbing your share of this mammoth crypto coin. From then on, you are an Ethereum investor!

 

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How To Trade Ethereum?

As a reminder, trading Ethereum isn’t something to be taken lightly. Price swings can occur without warning, and on the whole, trading is more complex and difficult than simply buying and holding the coin. But if you’re feeling confident, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Jump to the eToro website
  2. Open your new account by providing necessary info
  3. Verify the details as soon as possible
  4. Fund your account with a preferred payment method
  5. Choose the right product and make your move

 

After registering with eToro, you’ll immediately notice that eToro has all kinds of products available. The one you choose should be based on your understanding of it, what your investment intentions are, and whether you are comfortable with the conditions of the product itself. eToro generally offers a favourable environment for all traders, however, so we are sure you’ll be just fine. 

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What Are The Different Ways To Pay For Ethereum?

Ethereum itself might be a complex coin/project managed by some very intelligent people, but from a buyers perspective, things couldn’t be simpler. There’s no need to understand coding or complex math to grab your share, as Ethereum can be bought just like any other product online. If you’ve got access to the following methods, you are good to go:

Fiat Currency

Generally, people use fiat currency to pay for everyday goods and services, and this will be a popular choice for when making a simple buy order. Of course, purchasing via platforms using fiat currency means that you’ll be able to see what the value of Ethereum is prior to hitting the buy button. Before this can be done, however, you must fund your account, as can be done through any of the following:

These merchants are commonly referred to as e-wallets or digital wallets. They operate pretty much exactly as described to be perfectly honest. Working as a separate account to your mainstream bank account, you can trade funds in and out, and then buy Ethereum via such methods. 

You’ve likely got these bits of plastic already, which avoids the need to sign up with a separate payment merchant (as is the case with e-wallets). Of course, debit/credit cards are connected to your bank, which means you must share card details when making a purchase. The positives include rapid transactions, broad adoption by almost all crypto platforms, and ease of access.

Not everyone feels comfortable with sharing any kind of card or bank details online. If you are one of them, there is always the chance to pay for Ethereum with a prepaid card. These can be obtained through local sellers where you grab a card, load it up with funds, and then use the card like a regular debit card. This is safer to some extent as the card isn’t connected to your bank, but many prepaid cards cannot be reloaded. 
 

Online bank transfers are incredibly easy to make these days, largely thanks to online/mobile banking. Once you’ve got the account details for your chosen platform, you can manually perform the transaction. The beauty of this is that you have total control, and through a nice service known as ‘rapid transfers’, your bank transfers can often be completed immediately. 

Bitcoin

It’s not just fiat currency that you can use to buy Ethereum – cryptocurrency itself can also be used. As you likely already know, Bitcoin is the largest and most prestigious crypto coin out there. And through most brokerage or exchange sites, you can purchase Ethereum through Bitcoin holdings. This does involve acquiring Bitcoin first, and it does involve a quick math calculation to understand how much Bitcoin you are trading for Ethereum.

Other Altcoins

One of the great things about Ethereum being its very own blockchain is that many other coins have come into existence thanks to this technology. Since so many other Altcoins are running on the same blockchain, you can easily trade them for Ethereum. Key examples here include the likes of Cardano, MANA, Ripple (XRP), and countless others. But much like the Bitcoin pairing discussed above, you must have holdings in these coins prior to making the trade.

 

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What To Consider When Buying Ethereum?

Choosing to invest in Ethereum is something that requires some serious thought. It’s easy to get caught up in the price increases alone, and then ignore all other relative factors before purchasing. However, that’s how people get burned, which is why we’d like to inform you of other considerations before continuing:

Ethereum is a well-established cryptocurrency, and it has performed amazingly well compared with the market average over the course of its life. However, it’s important to understand that the price can suffer significant corrections in the short term. Investment values can go down just as quickly as they can go up, and you have to be prepared for this.

Ethereum is by no means the only coin capable of smart contracts, de-fi apps, and NFTs. Sure, many other coins use the established Ethereum blockchain to complete projects relating to this, but there are direct competitors. Solana would be a prime example, and it’s important to understand the threats of other projects coming forward and surpassing Ethereum. 

Most investors have a vague idea of what they plan to do with their Ethereum holdings. The buyers usually want to buy and hold for a long time, assuming that the price will appreciate significantly over the years. Traders, however, want to explore short term trends and fluctuations to gain an edge. You must decide what path to go down before jumping in.

Regulations in the broadest sense relate to the legal status of buying Ethereum in a specific jurisdiction, and keeping track of how Ethereum is treated in other markets is very important. Should the USA suddenly change their regulations towards Ethereum trading, for example, this could have a massive impact on the coin’s value.

Fees – nobody likes them, and oftentimes, they seem to be a bit ridiculous. In the digital world we live in, where things like trades and deposits are processed automatically, it seems somewhat dated to still be charged fees for such activity. However, since platforms like eToro have now come to fruition, the great thing is that you don’t have to suck it up and deal with sites that charge unnecessary fees.

 

Is It Safe To Buy Ethereum Online?

Let’s face facts, cryptocurrency has received a fair bit of negative press over the years. Certain coins have been labelled as pump and dump schemes, exchanges have been hacked, and worse – some platforms have just taken members’ cash altogether. However, we’ve come a long way since those early days, and now, it’s very safe to buy Ethereum online. Follow the tips below to ensure you stay on the right side of the tracks:

  • Only sign up with reputable platforms (should be FCA regulated)
  • Use tried and tested payment methods to manage your transactions
  • Protect your accounts through 2FA, security questions, and unique PIN numbers
  • Ensure that your private keys stay private – don’t share!
  • Don’t keep all Ethereum holdings in one place – recommended for large investments

Just about every reputable trading site lets you implement many of these tips without too much trouble. We would encourage you to act on the tips as soon as you set up your account too. This way, your investment will be shielded right from the start.

 

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How To Store Ethereum?

Unless you want to constantly be on the watch for market swings, increased trading activity, or even media hype about what’s about to happen – it’s best to just store your Ethereum. Of course, that’s assuming you plan to hold for the long term. Storing effectively means that your investment will sit there, idle, while still responding to price changes! 

Here are your options for doing this:

Online storage relates specifically to wallets. This is a term that describes a virtual wallet in which you can keep your crypto secure. Wallets come in the form of mobile apps and desktop sites mainly, and software is used to keep all holdings secure. Your holdings are usually encrypted here, and it’s easy to set up stringent security measures.

Fancy removing your Ethereum holdings from the web altogether? That’s what offline storage can do for you. Devices are available to purchase these days where you can transfer holdings onto them, from a range of platforms, and then keep them secure in a non-digital manner. Disconnecting your Ethereum from the web means that it’s basically impossible for someone to steal them. 

 

How To Sell Ethereum?

Ethereum gets sold every day, by millions around the globe. Of course, people also buy Ethereum every day too. But strictly for selling, there are many options that holders tend to go for. Here they are:

Exchanges are effectively online platforms designed purely for trading. Selling Ethereum via such platforms is quite straightforward, and you don’t always have to sell on the spot. You can sell in the future for a predetermined price, although whether your order is executed or not depends on the coin’s price activity.

This is probably the best way to go for beginners. Wallets support very simple interfaces with straightforward systems for buying and selling. You don’t need another human being on the other side of the equation to take your order either, as you can sell Ethereum directly to the operator of the wallet.

Brokerage sites have adapted greatly to the wide range of investors out there these days. Especially sites like eToro, members can now sell Ethereum without incurring fees, and they can even copy when to sell via experienced traders. 

Peer to peer products are out there to allow holders to buy and sell Ethereum to one another. There is no third-party involvement here, besides the hosting platform, so members can easily sell Ethereum without needing the middle man. 

 

Is It Worth Buying Ethereum Right Now?

At the time of writing, the price of Ethereum has increased by more than 400%, year to date. Needless to say, that’s a pretty handsome return on your investment when you consider the 9-10% (average) for major stock market indexes. But traditionally in cryptocurrency, such surges are followed by fairly gut-wrenching corrections. The catch is that it’s tough to guess when these corrections will come. So is it worth throwing some money into Ethereum right now? 

 

It’s always risky when a coin has been floating near or even breaking all-time highs. However, 2021 has seen mass adoption of cryptocurrency like never before. It’s also fairly promising that Ethereum has been the number two crypto in the world for quite some time now, showing consistency. We believe in the Ethereum project and its long term utility, which is why we would say that an Ethereum purchase is a smart investment move.

 

But with that said, the final decision is yours, and we cannot guarantee how your investment will perform.

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Final Thoughts

Ethereum is a superstar in the cryptocurrency industry, there’s no denying that. At more than £350 billion by market cap, it’s clear that investors have ploughed some serious money into Ethereum over the years. The fact that Ethereum has posted consistent gains over the last few years is also extremely promising, as is the scope of the project as a whole, in our opinion. It’s definitely one of the more stable investments out there too – well, as stable as you can realistically expect with cryptocurrency!

 

The future is certainly looking bright for Ethereum with the highly anticipated ETH 2.0 upgrade in the works too. This upgrade will speed up the sluggish transaction rate on the current blockchain, and who knows what this could bring in terms of price increases, worldwide influence, and interest from institutional investors. It’s all very exciting, and we shall be keeping a close eye on how Ethereum develops over the coming months. 

 

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FAQs

Is there a limit to how many Ethereums I can buy?

No – not a limit that you need to be concerned about anyway. Most reputable platforms will allow people to execute orders that extend into the six-figure range. So unless you’re planning on going that deep into Ethereum, you can effectively trade without limits.

Can I buy Ethereum without ID?

No. All platforms that support Ethereum exchanges require that new customers complete a process known as ‘KYC’ – know your customer. This requires that ID is verified prior to having unrestricted account access.

Can I buy Ethereum instantly?

When you actually enter how much you wish to purchase and then hit that buy button, yes, your trade will be completed instantly.

What is Ethereum?

Ethereum is a second-generation cryptocurrency that is both a blockchain and a digital coin. It works as an open-source blockchain and is completely decentralized, meaning that it isn’t under the control of any individual.

How does Ethereum work?

Ethereum, as a blockchain, is managed by more than 2 million computers around the globe. The network has multiple nodes where users must validate a ‘proof of work’ in order to validate any and all transactions. This is what makes Ethereum decentralized and highly secure.