Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high‑risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

Buy Bitcoin in the UK

Bitcoin

BTC
Currency_BTC_c456efc11f.svg
£0.000GBP
Figures shown refer to the past. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Pricing data is provided by CoinJar.
BTC price calculator
GBP
BTC

Overview

#01Popularity
CurrencyAsset type
2009Active since

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the most famous , and probably always will be. It has the highest market capitalisation, which is another way of saying that more people own Bitcoin than any other cryptocurrency. It was also the to be created, and this happened in 2009.

So who created this “digital gold” that now is becoming a mainstream store of value?

Strangely, the , even to this day, remain anonymous.

The cryptocurrency was created by one person or perhaps a group of people who called themselves “Satoshi Nakamoto”. They have not been heard of since 2010, and it may be a mystery that is never solved.

Bitcoin culture

Bitcoin started its life just 13 years ago, but already there is an established culture and lore that keeps media outlets buzzing. Even in the early days, the idea of Bitcoin captivated people.

For example, the first Bitcoin purchase was for pizza. However, this has blown up into “Bitcoin Pizza Day” and is a really fun theme on the internet.

On May 22, 2010, a programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 Bitcoin for two pizzas, which was worth about US$41 at the time. Today, that Bitcoin would be worth over US$500 million. Keep in mind that the performance of bitcoin can be highly volatile, with the value dropping as quickly as it can rise. Past performance is not a guide to the future.

These days, you can buy a lot of stuff with Bitcoin. Besides pizza, you can use Bitcoin to buy things like travel, gift cards, games, art, and even space flights.

There are also many charities that accept Bitcoin donations.

When buying Bitcoin, be sure to check that you are buying coins on the original blockchain.

What are some interesting Bitcoin facts?

Bitcoin is legal tender in El Salvador. On September 7, 2021, El Salvador became the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, meaning that people can use it to pay taxes, debts, and goods and services. The government also gave every citizen US$30 worth of Bitcoin to encourage adoption.

In other interesting Bitcoin news, Bitcoin has a finite supply of 21 million coins, but not all of them are in circulation. Some of them are totally lost. Sometimes this is due to forgotten passwords, lost wallets, or the death of the owners. According to crypto data firm Chainalysis, around 20% of Bitcoin has been lost or is stuck in wallets that can’t be accessed.

Bitcoin is not only a currency, but also a network of computers that run the Bitcoin software and validate transactions. These computers are called nodes, and anyone can run one. There are tens of thousands of nodes distributed across the world, with the highest concentration in the United States, Germany, and France.

Faster_Payments_logo.svg
best crypto exchange, buy bitcoin,
best crypto exchange, buy bitcoin,
logo_payment-method_mastercard.svg
logo_payment-method_osko.svg
logo_payment-method_payid.svg
logo_payment-method_apple-pay.svg
logo_payment-method_google-pay.svg

Cash, credit or crypto?

Buy Bitcoin using Visa or Mastercard. Get cash in your account with Faster Payments Service (FPS). Convert crypto-to-crypto with a single click.

How to buy Bitcoin with CoinJar

Start your cryptocurrency portfolio with CoinJar by following these steps.
Step oneDownload the appGet the CoinJar app on iOS or Android.
Step twoCreate an accountCreate an account with CoinJar and verify your ID.
Step threeMake a purchaseBuy more than 60 cryptos using Faster Payments, SEPA, bank transfer, or a debit card.
Get the CoinJar app
App store
App Store Rating - Apple
App store
App Store Rating - Google (UPDATED).svg
AppReviews logo
Great
Trustpilot ratings 4 star
TrustScore 4.2 |Trustpilot

Finder Awards Winner 2023

CRYPTO TRADING - VALUE
CoinJar was named the Best Exchange for Value in the UK as part of Finder's Crypto Trading Platform Awards - second year running! Check out our blog to see why Finder chose us over the competition.
best crypto exchange, buy bitcoin, buy tether, buy xrp

Featured In

featured-in_compilation_desktop_uk@1920w.png

CoinJar App

All-in-one crypto wallet
Buy, sell and send your crypto with our cryptocurrency app.
best crypto exchange, buy bitcoin, buy tether, buy xrp
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Figures shown are for illustrative purposes only and are not actual market data.
best crypto exchange, buy bitcoin, buy tether, buy xrp

CoinJar Exchange

FOR PROFESSIONAL CRYPTO TRADERS
Purpose-built for institutions, market makers and professional traders, CoinJar Exchange offers 0%-0.1% fees, personalised trading layouts and ability to trade crypto with GBP, EUR, USD and AUD.

CoinJar Bundles & DCA

AUTOMATE & DIVERSIFY YOUR PORTFOLIO
Invest in themed baskets of crypto with CoinJar Bundles. Pick your Bundle in the CoinJar app and dollar buy, sell, rebalance, unbundle and dollar cost average your assets with ease. Use Recurring Buy to set up automated weekly, fortnightly, or monthly purchases at your chosen rate.
best crypto exchange, buy bitcoin, buy tether, buy xrp

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy Bitcoin with a credit or debit card?

With CoinJar you can buy BTC using UK-issued cards.

Standard Risk Warning The above article is not to be read as investment, legal or tax advice and it takes no account of particular personal or market circumstances;

Standard Credit Card warning  If you use a credit card to buy cryptocurrency, you would be putting borrowed money at a risk of loss. We recommend you obtain financial advice before making a decision to use your credit card to purchase cryptoassets or to i

UK residents are required to complete an assessment to show they understand the risks associated with what crypto/investment they are about to buy, in accordance with local legislation. Additionally, they must wait for a 24-hour “cooling off” period, befo

Important Note for UK Residents: If you come across this article, remember that cryptocurrency investment is high-risk. Be prepared to lose your entire investment. No protection is guaranteed if things go wrong.  Remember, this article does not constitute

There is a risk that any particular stablecoin may not hold their value as against any fiat currency; or may not hold their value as against any other asset. Stablecoins carry the following risks: Depegging events: Depegging events may occur with stableco

‘Meme coins’ (e.g. DOGE, SHIB, PEPE) are crypto-assets whose value is driven primarily by community interest and online trends. Meme coins carry the following risks: Volatility risk: Meme coins can have extreme price volatility, often experiencing rapid a

Specific risks associated with wrapped tokens  CoinJar offers certain Wrapped Tokens such as Wrapped BTC (WBTC) which stems from DeFi. Pegged to the same value as Bitcoin itself, WBTC is a way of representing Bitcoin ownership on the Ethereum network (i.e

Specific risks associated with DeFi tokens  Decentralised Finance (or ‘DeFi’) tokens (e.g. UNI, AAVE) are crypto-assets linked to financial applications and protocols built on decentralised blockchain technology.   DeFi tokens carry the following risks:

CoinJar does not endorse the content of, and cannot guarantee or verify the safety of any third party websites. Visit these websites at your own risk.

CoinJar
Company
Support
Legal
Crypto on CoinJar
App storeApp store

Your information is handled in accordance with CoinJar’s .

Cryptoassets traded on CoinJar UK Limited are largely unregulated in the UK, and you are unable to access the Financial Service Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. We use third party banking, safekeeping and payment providers, and the failure of any of these providers could also lead to a loss of your assets. We recommend you obtain financial advice before making a decision to use your credit card to purchase cryptoassets or to invest in cryptoassets. Capital Gains Tax may be payable on profits. CoinJar’s digital currency exchange services are operated in the UK by CoinJar UK Limited (company number 8905988), registered by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Cryptoasset Exchange Provider and Custodian Wallet Provider in the United Kingdom under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, as amended (Firm Reference No. 928767).

Apple Pay and Apple Watch are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Pay is a trademark of Google LLC.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the and apply.

CoinJar logo
CoinJarGet the app.
Install app