Compare your Top 3 Bitcoin Exchanges
Choose Provider 1:
Choose Provider 2:
Choose Provider 3:
Provider
Pro and Contra
Has been hacked?
Fees
Security
Trading
US Friendly!
88 88
Pro
  • Low fees
  • Excellent liquidity in both USD and EUR markets
  • Margin and futures trading supported
  • Only exchange platform selected to support investigation into Mt. Gox's stolen Bitcoins
Contra
  • Sometimes has uptime problems when market gets hot.
  • Verifications take time.
  • Unlike many other Bitcoin exchange platforms, it does not work as crypto wallet.
  • Although it is not solely a Bitcoin exchange for US, Kraken has a lot of restrictions for a wide range of countries, specially for credit card purchases.
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
10 USD for FedWire (Silvergate) 5 USD for FedWire (Synapse) 10 USD for SWIFT (Silvergate Bank) 3 USD for SWIFT (Bank Frick) 3 EUR for SWIFT (Bank Frick) 1.25 CAD + 0.25% of the transaction for In-person cash or debit (Canada Post) 1.5% of the transaction for Interac e-Transfer 3 CAD for SWIFT (Bank Frick) 21 GBP for CHAPS (ClearJunction) 3 GBP for SWIFT (Bank Frick) 0.75 CHF for SIC (Bank Frick) 0.75 CHF for SWIFT (Bank Frick)
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.00%-0.26%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 5x
Visit Website
All in One
80 80
Pro
  • Very low fees
  • A myriad of coins to exchange with
  • No lags experienced with website
Contra
  • Customer support lacks phone
  • Has been hacked one time (but compensated their users)
  • Different domains for US and the rest of the world
Has been hacked? Yes (on 7. May 19) Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.012% - 0.10%
Security Ok Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 20x
Visit Website
80 80
Pro
  • “Real” Decentralized Exchange
  • Anonymous
  • Account creation is fast and very easy (not required to complete KYC/AML)
  • Accepts Fiat payments
Contra
  • In Business only since 2016
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
Yes
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? None
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? None
Visit Website
90 90
Pro
  • Fast account creation
  • Real-time auditing
  • High leverage
Contra
  • Only Bitcoin and Ethereum trading
  • Not user-friendly
  • Website design is confusing
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
Depends
Trading Fees:
-0.01%-0.05%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 100x
Visit Website
High Volume
76 76
Pro
  • High liquidity
  • Low fees
  • Full package of order types, margin trading and lending market
  • Hack has been solved professionally and innovative, paid back all the losses from the hack (!)
Contra
  • Not a transparent company
  • Has been hacked multiple times
  • Controversial connection to Tether
Has been hacked? Yes Fees
Deposit Fees:
No (only for FIAT)
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.10%-0.20%
Security Ok Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 10x
Visit Website
84 84
Pro
  • Safe and decentralized trading
  • Arbitrators
  • 2-out-of-3 multisig security in trades
  • Wide selection of FIAT and Crypto Currencies
Contra
  • They need more aggressive advertising
  • More active development
  • They need to team up with other companies
  • High fees
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.001% - 0.009%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
80 80
Pro
  • using Meta Trader 5
  • lot of different coins are supported
  • leverage up to 20x
Contra
  • very new exchange with no real track record
  • only crypto deposits are available
  • can be confusing for newbies
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
Free
Withdrawal Fees:
Miner fee
Trading Fees:
0,2%
Security High Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 20x
Visit Website
86 86
Pro
  • No fees
  • No KYC or registration
  • Quick execution
  • Advance Cash is supported to cash out crypto
Contra
  • Higher cryptocurrency prices
  • Too less information in the FAQ section
  • No fiat payment option
  • Limited number of supported coins
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
0%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
Great for Credit Card
82 82
Pro
  • A lot of different payment method
  • Strict security standards
  • Trustpilot reviews
Contra
  • Verification needeed for full access
  • Some US states are not supported
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
Yes (for Credit Card Payments)
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
N/A
Security Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
Anonymous P2P
90 90
Pro
  • Many coins and payment methods supported
  • Multi-blockchain P2P exchange
  • Transparency about company background
Contra
  • Reliability of service is depending on the sellers on the platform
  • Too many options to choose from can paralyze users
  • High crypto prices
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
1.00%
Security Medium Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
88 88
Pro
  • Low fees
  • Futures trading options
  • Leverage up to 100x
Contra
  • Lack of real user experience online
  • No social media activity (Twitter suspended)
  • Users from the US are excluded
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
0.005%-0.060%
Security Good Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 100x
Visit Website
Great for EUR/USD
82 82
Pro
  • Has not been hacked
  • Great to buy Bitcoin / Ethereum with FIAT
  • Easy to use exchange interface
Contra
  • No trading platform
  • KYC needed
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No (for min. deposits)
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.05%-0.15%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
Lots of Altcoins
80 80
Pro
  • User-friendly Interface
  • Security -Yobi codes (deposit codes)
  • Free Coins
Contra
  • Many Negative reviews
  • Very high withdrawal fees ( > 0.001 BTC)
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
Yes
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.2%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures?
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
80 80
Pro
  • Good reputation
  • High volume and liquidity
  • Connections in the industry grant it additional legitimacy
  • Easy to use and quick
Contra
  • High Trading Fees if you are trading lower volumes
  • More negative comments in the recent past
Has been hacked? Yes, in January 2015 Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
0.5%-0.10%
Security Very Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
Pro
  • N/A
Contra
  • N/A
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
TBD
Withdrawal Fees:
TBD
Trading Fees:
N/A
Security N/A Trading
Futures? None
Derivatives? N/A
Margin Trading? None
Visit Website
86 86
Pro
  • no trading commissions
  • rewards system after open trades
  • offers to trade forex and gold too beyond crypto
Contra
  • no real online presence of the company
  • US users are not accepted
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
0.00%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 50x
Visit Website
80 80
Pro
  • Verified merchants offer platform users services
  • Fast turnaround of deposits and withdrawals
  • High flexibility
  • Fully escrowed delivery
Contra
  • No mobile app
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
0.1% USD, 5 USDT, 0.0005 BTC
Trading Fees:
0.008%-0.150%
Security Good Trading
Futures? N/A
Derivatives? N/A
Margin Trading? up to 100x
Visit Website
72 72
Pro
  • 140+ currencies available
  • Accepts Credit Cards
  • 2FA Security
  • No verification for crypto to crypto
Contra
  • High transaction fee of 0.5%
  • Negative comments from the community
  • Still a lot to prove (a fairly new company)
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
None
Withdrawal Fees:
None
Trading Fees:
0.50%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
80 80
Pro
  • Easy to use website
  • Great features
Contra
  • Verification process is long
  • Focused on Argentinean market
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
Yes
Withdrawal Fees:
$20
Trading Fees:
0.50%-1.00%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
82 82
Pro
  • low commissions
  • No KYC needed for crypto only deposits / withdrawals
  • good resources on trading and cryptocurrency
  • UK phone hotline
Contra
  • no information on the company background
  • US users are restricted
  • only cryptocurrency deposits are accepted
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
0.00%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? up-to 50x
Visit Website
Best Support
60 60
Pro
  • Superb liquidity, often the best in the world
  • Many advanced trading options
  • Low fees
Contra
  • Sometimes foreign traders have problems with verification
  • Chinese Exchange (PBoC)
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
In most cases no
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.00%-0.10%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? up to 3x
Visit Website
82 82
Pro
  • margin trading available in less-known altcoins too
  • option to reduce trading fees
  • native token
Contra
  • not available for US users
  • site is not completely localized for English
  • KYC is needed for withdrawal
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
0,04%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 10x
Visit Website
90 90
Pro
  • Almost all countries are accepted (including some parts of the US)
  • Highest buying limit
  • Good Support
Contra
  • 3% fee
  • Some scam claims
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
5% credit card fee
Withdrawal Fees:
5% credit card fee
Trading Fees:
5.90%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
80 80
Pro
  • 2FA
  • Low Fees
  • A wide range of coins
Contra
  • No Fiat Payments
  • Leverage not available yet
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
0.025%-0.075%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? up-to 50x
Visit Website
Fast Support!
78 78
Pro
  • Competitive fees
  • Good security
  • Accepts many different FIAT currencies
Contra
  • Website could use some improvements
  • Doesn't keep the pace with competition
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes, 1% + 5 USD
Trading Fees:
0.00%-0.20%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
82 82
Pro
  • Trade gift cards for BTC instantly
  • A wide variety of payment methods and currencies accepted, at least in theory
  • Easy to join and get going
Contra
  • Mixed reviews
  • Slow customer support
  • High commissions charged (by the seller) for buying Bitcoin with uncommon methods or in non-mainstream currencies
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.00%-1.00% (with gift cards up to 5%)
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
66 66
Pro
  • Federally regulated
  • Available in all 50 states of USA
  • Good liquidity and competitive fees
  • Keeps BTC in cold storage, backed by audited reserve minimum
Contra
  • No mobile apps
  • No margin trading and short selling
  • No ACH transfers
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
Yes
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.20%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
60 60
Pro
  • Easy account creation
  • Futures and Options available
  • Phone support
Contra
  • Beta phase
  • Platform design needs to be “optimized”
  • Does not support any Fiat deposit/withdrawals
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
None
Withdrawal Fees:
None
Trading Fees:
-0.02%-0.03%
Security Excellent Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? up-to 10x
Visit Website
52 52
Pro
  • Support for numerous altcoins
  • Fast deposits and withdrawals
  • Competitive fees
Contra
  • Weak liquidity for some of the coins
  • No mobile apps
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
Yes
Withdrawal Fees:
Yes
Trading Fees:
0.02%-0.18%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? No
Visit Website
Has Legal Problems
30 30
Pro
  • Available futures and derivates trading
  • High leverage
  • Many advanced features
  • Good liquidity
Contra
  • Has legal problems
  • Not for beginners
  • Trading Engine Problems often
  • High Withdrawal Fees
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
No
Withdrawal Fees:
No
Trading Fees:
-0.05%-0.25%
Security Good Trading
Futures? Yes
Derivatives? Yes
Margin Trading? up to 100x
Visit Website
40 40
Pro
  • Demo Mode
  • Lot of small cap altcoins
  • API
Contra
  • Hard Verification
  • Many user complaints
  • Fees are high
Has been hacked? No Fees
Deposit Fees:
Yes
Withdrawal Fees:
Trading Fees:
0.10%-0.20%
Security Good Trading
Futures? No
Derivatives? No
Margin Trading? up-to 5x
Visit Website
Show more Bitcoin Exchanges

Best Bitcoin Exchange for Ethiopia

Ethiopia is known to the German television consumer as a country with great famine and political explosiveness. Very few of us know that behind this not exactly inviting façade of Ethiopia lies a tourist destination with a unique and unspoilt natural diversity.

Not only the unique flora and fauna can be explored in the national parks, but also bizarre and grotesque natural wonders. In the Danakil Desert you will find colourful brine springs, active volcanoes with their black lava rocks, massive sulphur springs and bizarrely shaped salt lakes. Endlessly appearing camel caravans round off this grotesque picture and leave an impression that you will never forget.

Far away from the national parks, the highest lake in Africa – Lake Tanasee, the volcano Fanatale, or the Tisissat waterfalls, Ethiopia also has towns worth seeing. The capital Addis Ababa offers the largest open-air market place in Africa. On the Mercato one can stroll comfortably, be seduced by strange smells and enjoy country-specific delicacies.

But also in Ethiopia – as everywhere on journeys – nothing is free. This article tells you about the options available for withdrawing money and the alternatives available. The following sections also summarize the most important information on the topic of local currency, credit cards, foreign deployment fees, free means of payment and some safety-related tips for your stay in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Birr (ETB) – the national currency

Overview Banknotes Ethiopian BirrCurrency and official tender in Ethiopia is the Ethiopian Birr, divided into 100 Santim. The national currency is available in coins and notes as shown in the table below:

  • Coins: 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 Santim as well as 1 Ethiopian Birr
  • Notes: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 Ethiopian Birr

The import and export limit of the national currency per person is 200 Ethiopian Birr. In the case of foreign currency, the amount of the foreign currency depends on the reason for entry. More detailed information can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office, whose link is provided below.

Exchange money in Ethiopia

When travelling to Ethiopia, it is particularly important to have sufficient cash at your disposal. Euro or US dollars are recommended as a suitable currency to take with you, but only in the capital is the euro reliably exchanged for the local currency. Outside of these, there are only a few cities in Ethiopia where the euro is accepted for exchange into the local currency.

When taking US dollars with you, you should make sure that you only keep intact recent notes ready for exchange, otherwise you may refuse to exchange them in local currency or accept them. Money exchange should only take place at banks or licensed exchange offices, money exchange on the black market of the street involves risks.

Banks can be visited from Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 11 and from 13:30 to 15:30. The banks in Ethiopia are also open from 08:30 to 11:00 on Saturdays. With each exchange a fee, the so-called “Exchange commission” is due. It is recommended to exchange smaller amounts or the currently required amount. A return exchange is only possible up to an amount of 50 US dollars. The exchange receipts must be kept for possible later presentation on departure.

Redeeming traveller’s cheques in Ethiopia

Traveler’s cheques are declining worldwide. Due to the high counterfeiting rate of American Traveller Cheques, they are no longer accepted in Ethiopia. It is therefore advisable to take sufficient cash with you as a means of payment. It makes sense to have at least one credit card or EC card in your luggage. This means that both cashless payment and withdrawing money from suitable ATMs are possible. This ensures a higher degree of financial flexibility during your holiday.

Cashless payment in Ethiopia

Cashless payment is hardly widespread in Ethiopia. Except in big hotels of the capital or with airlines it is almost impossible to find an acceptance place for any kind of money cards. In the few places where cashless payment is possible, only credit cards are accepted.

Most credit card institutions charge a foreign assignment fee of 1 to 4 %. This fee is charged for each transaction and can add up to an unpleasant sum during the holiday. Since cashless payment is hardly possible in most places in Ethiopia, it is advisable to carry sufficient cash with you to pay any bills in cash. The credit card can be used in Ethiopia to withdraw the money needed for the cash payment.

Withdrawing money in Ethiopia by EC card

If you want to withdraw money with the EC card in Ethiopia, you should contact your house bank before starting your journey. There you will be informed whether the EC card with the Maestro symbol is suitable for this and whether it needs to be activated. Although the EC card is basically suitable for withdrawing money in Ethiopia, the required ATMs are only available in the capital. These ATMs can be found in hotels or in banks.

Therefore, it is all the more important to have enough cash in your travel fund when travelling in the surrounding area. In the rural areas, a cashless payment is neither possible, nor is the option of withdrawing money by card at an ATM given. The only payment method safely accepted on a trip to the interior of the country is cash in local currency.

For withdrawals, an additional cost factor must be taken into account: for each cash withdrawal by the bank, a foreign exchange fee is charged. The amount of this fee for the foreign operation is often 5 euros, but a maximum of 10 euros. This sum is calculated for each withdrawal and must therefore always be added to the amount withdrawn. The exact amount of the fee depends on the bank and the contract concluded.

Owners of a V-Pay card must either buy a complete V-Pay card with sufficient cash or buy another means of payment, because this card does not work at all in Ethiopia. An alternative means of payment is a credit card. There are various options here, including a free variant that can save you the fee for the assignment abroad. More about this in the following sections.

Withdrawing money in Ethiopia by credit card

ATMs in Ethiopia can only be found in the capital, but in rural areas it is not possible to withdraw money from an ATM using a card. ATMs are also available in some larger hotels and banks. However, banks charge high fees for withdrawing money from ATMs.

Information about the amount of these charges is advantageous to avoid unpleasant surprises later on. The signs at ATMs show which credit card is accepted for cash withdrawals. Visa enjoys the highest level of acceptance. Most credit card institutions charge a foreign assignment fee for each individual withdrawal in Ethiopia. Depending on the credit card contract concluded, this usually lies between 1 and 4% and is calculated as a percentage of the withdrawal amount.

Completely without charge for the foreign assignment the money can be withdrawn but also in Ethiopia with little effort realizable. A good option is a so-called travel credit card. Some online providers and direct banks offer such a credit card. With one of these cards it is possible to withdraw money free of charge, not only at Ethiopian ATMs, but also in Germany at foreign banks and worldwide.

Due to the mentioned series of advantages the cards are not only a meaningful addition as means of payment in the travel cash, but are also in the everyday life at each place of the world, whether to the money withdrawal at home and abroad or for the problem-free cashless payment.

Security in withdrawing money in Ethiopia

Although there are few withdrawals in Ethiopia, as in all places where ATMs are installed, a certain degree of caution should be exercised. The concealed entry of the PIN and the separate storage of PIN and card are effective and easy to implement preventive measures.

If the card is lost, misused or even stolen, it can be blocked directly via the blocking emergency call. This was specially set up for such cases and is available around the clock. The following link will take you to the number. However, a fast call to the blocking emergency call can only be realised if the corresponding number is always within easy reach. The affected card is blocked immediately and you are protected from a higher financial loss.

If one adheres to these few safety precautions and equips the travel fund with adequate means of payment, then a relaxed stay is also possible in a rather unusual holiday country like Ethiopia – at least in financial regard.