Bitcoin Split

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7) “Where to Buy Bitcoin”
The most frequent question I get about Bitcoin is simply where to buy bitcoins. Some people don’t know how to start, and other people are familiar with the popular places to buy, but don’t know which ones are ideal.

There’s no one answer; it depends on your goals with it, and where you live in the world.

The first question to ask is whether you’re a trader or a saver. Do you want to establish a long-term Bitcoin position, or buy some with a plan to sell it in a few months? Or maybe some of both?

The second question to ask yourself is whether you want to self-custody it with private keys and a hardware wallet or multi-signature solution, which has an upfront learning curve but is ultimately more secure, or if you want to have someone else custody it for you, which is simpler but involves counterparty risk.

Bitcoin is accessible through some publicly traded funds, like the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), of which I am long. However, funds like these trade at a premium to NAV, and rely on counterparties. A fund like that can be useful as part of a diversified portfolio in an IRA, due to tax advantages, but outside of that isn’t the best way to establish a core position.

Bitcoin is also available on major exchanges, where it can then be sent to a private hardware wallet or elsewhere. I don’t have a strong view on which exchanges are the best. However, be careful about platforms that don’t let you withdraw your Bitcoin, like Robinhood. I personally bought my core position through an exchange in April when I turned bullish, and transferred a lot of it to personal custody.

From there, I began dollar-cost averaging through Swan Bitcoin, where it can be kept in their cold storage or transferred out to personal custody as well. Swan specializes in Bitcoin (rather than multiple types of digital assets), and has very low fees for folks who like to dollar-cost average. It’s a saver’s platform, in other words, rather than a trader’s platform. I’m an advisor to Swan Bitcoin and know several of their staff including their CEO, so it’s my preferred way to accumulate Bitcoin.

Overall, having access to a crypto exchange, and having access to a dollar-cost averaging platform like Swan, along with a personal custody solution like a hardware wallet or a multi-signature solution, is a good combo.

For folks who are early in the learning curve, keeping it on an exchange or in custody storage is also fine, and as you learn more, you can choose to self-custody if it’s right for your situation.