UK-Based Crypto Exchanges

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Cryptocurrency is a truly global asset with exchanges across the globe serving allcomers, including investors from the UK.

Buying Bitcoin from a UK-based cryptocurrency may be appealing for many in terms of security and knowing that the company you’re transacting with complies with local regulations, albeit to the limited extent that crypto is regulated!

This is understandable, although it’s not essential and you may find the options limited, especially if you’re looking for the cheapest place to buy Bitcoin.

Related link: How to buy Bitcoin in the UK – a simple guide

There’s a big difference between an exchange being available to UK-based customers and one that’s actually based in one of the four constituent countries of the British Isles.

In fact, there are only a handful for companies that can be considered to be UK cryptocurrency exchanges, although many have satellite offices here.

As a result, this list includes several global companies that happen to have an office in the UK.

UK cryptocurrency platforms:

CoinCorner

This is one of the only truly UK-based exchanges that exist and has proved extremely popular with the nation as a result.

The company was founded in 2014 and has its registered offices on the Isle of Man. It’s regulated as an authorised electronic money institution by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Over the years, CoinCorner has secured a loyal user base of 200,000 plus users and expanded its operation after acquiring Coinfloor in 2021.

CoinCorner remains one of the few crypto exchanges that can be considered British.

CoinBurp

UK-based CoinBurp is not technically a cryptocurrency exchange. It is in fact a brokerage that connects people wanting to buy crypto or NFTs with external liquidity providers.

This means you’re buying crypto from other providers or even individuals, with the transaction being facilitated by CoinBurp.

CoinBurp makes it easy to delve into the world of crypto using GBP and Euros and begin your trading adventure.

The company has temporary FCA regulation to operate under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financial and Transfer of Funds Regulations of 2017.

Coinmama

We’ve included Coinmama in this list as it’s based in Ireland, part of which is in the UK (although not the part they’re based in!).

The exchange offers a very simple route to crypto investing and has deliberately kept the number of cryptos is sells to a minimum as a result.

At the time of writing you can buy (and sell) seven different coins through the site, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin using either a credit or debit card, or a bank transfer.

The Dublin-based company boasts of serving more than 3.1 million clients since 2013.

Global crypto exchanges with offices in the UK

Here’s a small selection of large-scale cryptocurrency exchanges that operate in the UK and have satellite offices here.

eToro

eToro has a registered office in the UK, although it’s originally an Israeli company.

It offers a multi-asset exchange, but started out as a share dealing service before diversifying into crypto, such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).

eToro, which has its UK office in London, offers access to markets around the world and is known for its popular copy-trading feature which allows investors to buy into portfolios managed by expert members.

Coinbase

Although not a UK company, Coinbase has a London office and is perhaps one of the most widely known exchanges.

It offers simply access to a wide range of cryptocurrencies for beginners, while catering for experienced traders with its ‘pro’ version.

Related link: Coinbase review

While not the most competitive exchange in terms of fees, a lot of people choose Coinbase because of its ease of use and commitment to security.

It prides itself as being one of the safest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, and also guarantees your investment up to £150,000.

CoinJar

CoinJar began life in Australia and has since become a prominent cryptocurrency exchange around the globe, including the UK with an office in London.

It’s easy to use and is designed for complete beginners which has added to its popularity. CoinJar also offers a debit card and easy-to-use mobile apps.

Fees are competitive and experienced traders can take advantage of its low latency exchange.

Binance

Binance is a well-known global exchange with a London office. It’s one of the largest exchanges in the world but has faced certain regulatory problems in the UK.

In 2021 most of the banks operating in the UK stopped customers from transacting with the exchange due to various concerns about the company’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures.

But these were lifted in 2022 after Binance made changes to its platform. It offers a huge array of cryptocurrencies and other assets in the space and fees are competitive. But there’s a steeper learning curve with Binance than some of the other exchanges on this list.

The best of the rest – global Bitcoin exchanges serving the UK

There are literally dozens of exchanges which UK crypto investors can use to buy Bitcoin and other tokens.

Bitpanda, Gemini and Kraken are three popular global exchanges which you can use to trade crypto (and traditional stocks and shares in the case of Bitpanda) if you live in the UK.

Always do your research before signing up to ensure that the platform is right for you and that you’re confident in the company you’ll be using.

Related link: Which are the biggest crypto exchanges in the world?

Conclusion

You might be wondering if it matters whether or not the cryptocurrency exchange you choose is based in the UK.

The answer is probably not much at the moment. The crypto world is largely unregulated wherever you are, and the protections offered by mainstream financial institutions, such as the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK, do not apply to crypto exchanges.

All the mainstream exchanges now abide by strict AML rules and have rigorous security measures in place to stop hackers stealing your coins, so they are as safe as any of the exchanges based on UK shores.

Crypto is global and most of the exchanges and other services you’ll encounter in the ecosphere are spread across the planet. If you do your due diligence and always keep in mind that crypto is a high risk asset class you shouldn’t go too far wrong.