By Vytautas Zabulis

The most common way to enter the cryptocurrency world is through an exchange. That’s how most people made their first steps. Since cryptocurrency is taking the world by storm, thinking about investing in digital money, as some people call it, seems like a very good idea. In fact, it has been recommended by numerous experts, specialists, and professionals because cryptocurrencies are viewed as the currencies of the future.

So far, there are two common types of cryptocurrencies exchange: fiat to crypto and crypto to crypto exchange. Fiat exchange means transferring well-known government-backed currencies directly to cryptocurrencies while the latter one means exactly what the name says – trading one cryptocurrency for another. Usually, those who already have Ethereum or Bitcoins use the crypto to crypto exchange to make trades.

Due to strict regulations and laws, there are a lot of things to take into consideration when thinking about making an exchange. Since fiat cryptocurrency exchange is the most popular way of trading, here are a few examples of the best cryptocurrency exchanges in 2018.

Coinbase for Beginners

If you’re completely new to the digital world of cryptocurrencies, Coinbase might just be the best way to enter. Since it has a very simple and user-friendly user interface, those with little or no knowledge will be able to use it with ease. The best thing about Coinbase is that it allows direct buying.

You contact them to buy their cryptocurrency rather than running around exchange platforms looking for other users and their cryptocurrencies. Coinbase acts like a broker and they rebranded the Global Digital Asset Exchange offering more modified and better features along with an updated and customized user interface.

Coinbase charges a 3.99% fee for debit and credit purchases while it charges 1.49% fees on all purchases coming from banks. Compared to their competition, it’s absolutely safe to say that their fees are more than acceptable.

If you are planning on making larger purchases, the most recommended way to purchase would be through banks. In case you’re considering making an investment in more than one cryptocurrency, Coinbase also supports recurring purchases.

Coinmama for Different Cryptocurrencies

While Coinbase focuses on only a few cryptocurrencies, Coinmama goes one step further. This is also a beginner-friendly exchange platform that supports debit and credit card purchases. Apart from selling Ethereum Classic, Qtum, Cardano, BCash, Litecoin, Ripple, Ethereum and Bitcoin, they also allow instant delivery. Their fees are a bit higher though, 5.5% for both debit and credit cards.

Instead of providing the users with the wallet features for storing their purchased cryptocurrency, Coinmama asks for a wallet address in return to send the cryptocurrency to. Still, their only downside is that they allow selling purchased cryptocurrency back to government-backed currencies.

Bitpanda for More Experienced Crypto Traders

Based in Europe, Bitpanda exchange sells Ripple, Komodo, IOTA, Litecoin, Ethereum, Dash, BCash, and Bitcoin for Swiss Francs, British Pounds, Euros, and US Dollars. It includes several methods of payment such as Neteller, Skrill, debit and credit cards and, of course, bank transfers. If online users choose debit and credit cards as their method of payment, the fee Bitpanda charges is 3.98%.

Recently, they decided to add a nice convenience for all those who prefer to send smaller cryptocurrency amounts between their accounts on the exchange. For such transactions, Bitpanda doesn’t charge any fees at all.

Even though this exchange platform is aimed towards people who already have some crypto experience, its user-friendly interface is pretty simple and allows the beginners to participate as well.

Luno for Crypto-to-Fiat Exchanges

If you’re looking for the best exchange, Luno has to be in the top five choices. Supported in Europe, Nigeria, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Africa, Luno allows you not only to buy but also store and trade cryptocurrency.

Additionally, it has an app for iOS and Android App Store, which makes using this exchange even simpler. When it comes to preferred payment methods, card deposits and bank transfers such as EFT, GT, GIRO or SEPA are the best options.

The best thing about Luno is their incredibly low trading fees which start at an incredible 0.25%. Of course, the fees vary, depending on what you trade with, but they support a monthly trade of over 100,000 EUR or US Dollars. On top of all this, Luno also allows users to trade Ethereum and Bitcoin against different fiat currencies.

These four exchanges seem like the best options to get the most out of your crypto trading and investments. All four exchanges guarantee safe trading conditions and ultimate discretion of each online user. With them, your personal data is safe and secure. We know because we are particularly interested in it here at HODL Finance. Be safe and use your money wisely.

HODL Finance is the European digital lending company. HODL Finance issues loans backed by cryptocurrency and other digital assets. Founded by the shareholders of the peer-to-peer lending platform, Savy, HODL Finance now serves clients around the world.