There is absolutely nothing like age restriction in buying and selling cryptocurrency. The digital currencies are designed to bring everyone on board, unfortunately, some of the crypto trading platforms enforce government policies by barring those who are not 18 and above to own crypto.
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But before you start buying crypto, make dedicate a portion of your time to learning about cryptocurrency. And if you already know the fundamentals, what stops you from owning it? In this post, I’ll tell you 23 ways to buy bitcoin underage without having to break the law of your country.
At the early stage of cryptocurrency, there was nothing like age restrictions. The wide acceptance of the crypto brought about Know Your Customer (KYC) measures on crypto trading platforms, which is limiting the access of those who are under 18 in owning bitcoin and other coins.
For instance, coinbase doesn’t allow underage or minors to buy or sell cryptocurrencies on its platform. A lot of exchanges are like that in a different country.
You’ve tried no to avail, right? Or do you want to know how old you have to be to buy bitcoin? If you’re a teenager who is eager to own crypto, we’ve got you covered in these easiest ways to buy and sell cryptocurrencies online as a 16-year-old without violating the law of your country (other first-timers can check our guide on the process even if you just heard about crypto).
I believe that anyone who understands the risk involved in bitcoin and its volatility should be allowed to buy bitcoin on the guidance of a financial advisor.
In fact, the earlier the better. Because some of the earliest bitcoiners were underage, some of them were below 18, today, they say it was one of the best decisions they took in their lifetime.
Some of them bought and kept some bitcoins when the price was as low as $5, so why can’t you own a wallet and fund it with some bitcoin and save for the future?
Ways To Buy Bitcoin When You’re Under 18 Without Breaking The Law
- Talk to your parent
- Use Bitcoin ATMs
- Swap Gift Cards for Bitcoin
- Buy on the P2P market
- Buy with just phone number (US only)
- Pay a trusted senior to buy for you
- Use craigslist.com
- Buy on crypto platforms without Identification
Talk to your parent
Your first option is to discuss with your parent your plan to buy bitcoin if you are under 18.
I’m very sure your parent will be glad to help you invest in your future, most especially when you are able to convince them that you need to save for college or future business.
If your parent knows nothing about cryptocurrency, talk to a mentor to convince him, he’d be happy to know.
Bitcoin ATMs
Buying the most digital asset using Bitcoin ATMs is one of the most perfect ways to own BTC without identification by an underage. Certain ATMs require only SMS verification or none at all
The challenge associated with this is that there are few Bitcoin ATMs out there. In Nigeria for instance, there is only one bitcoin ATM which is located in Lagos.
Swap Gift Cards for Bitcoin
In one of our posts, I discussed some of the ways to trade gift cards with bitcoin. Be smart, buy gift cards and head straight to platforms that allow you to purchase bitcoin with gift vouchers.
Buy on the P2P market
If you are16 or younger, there are some P2P sites whose terms and conditions advise that you must first contact the support unit. This way, underage buyers are granted low purchase limits.
CAUTION: There are lots of fraudulent sellers on some P2P crypto platforms.
Reading ratings and the number of transactions that have been executed by the merchant is very important.
Buy with just phone number (U.S. only)
In the United States, there are some platforms that allow you to make purchases even if you are under 18.
For instance, in the US you can buy through LibertyX with your phone number. In Canada, there are some ATMs that only require a phone number as well.
Pay a trusted senior to buy for you
Don’t let your age limit your access to cryptocurrency. Talk to a financial adviser for your family to help you buy ethereum or bitcoin if you are underage.
Use Craigslist
Buying bitcoin on Craiglist is one of the things you can do on the platform. Go to craigslist.com, it will take you to the nearest city
Search for bitcoin to see the list of people selling crypto.
Meet them at McDonald’s or one of the public places to have your wallet set up, the seller transfers money to you in bitcoins while you pay fiat currency.
First, try them with a lower amount before doing a higher amount.
Make sure to have your wallet ready and internet access to you check your balance before making payment.
CAUTION: Hey, you are under 18, be careful, don’t go alone, avoid a secluded place, we’re talking about money here, don’t risk this alone.
Buy bitcoin without Identification
Some platforms allow purchasing bitcoin without the hassle of KYC or any form of identification.
Some of the platforms where you can buy and sell Bitcoin without ID are:
- Coinatmradar
- Whalesheaven
- Bisq
- Solidi.co
- Purse
- Mycelium local trader
- Bitzlato
- Wall of Coins
- cryptogem
- AgoraDesk
- Swapngo
- Bitcoinprijzen.nl
- LocalCoinSwap Optional KYC
- totalcoin mobile verification
- coincola
- HodlHodl Outside US only
- BitHalo
Whalesheaven
Buyers’ identification is peculiar to custodial exchange. Non-custodial doesn’t ask for your identity. As such, we would recommend whalesheaven.com as one of the platforms to buy crypto as an underage. But you will be responsible for the security of your private keys.
Precaution: Learn the ropes before you venture into buying on whalesheaven, a peer-to-peer custody-free platform.
You should safely keep your keys somewhere. If you lose your keys you will lose your crypto since the platform doesn’t have access to them and will not take responsibility for it.
To use this platform on a laptop, you must first install what it calls signer to create an account. Read FAQs very well before you make a buying decision. Be sure you know how the platform works because it may be difficult for a newbie
Bisq
Bisq is a peer-to-peer network and open-source desktop software which allows you to buy and sell bitcoin securely with no registration. So, if you are under 18 and want to buy Ethereum or bitcoin, Bisq should be one of your best options.
Solidi.co
This is a UK-based platform where you can buy your first Bitcoin for as little as £2. The good part: You don’t need to upload documents to verify your Identity. This allows you to get involved in Ethereum and bitcoin whether you’re 16, 17 or 120 years, with no age limit.
Purse
With Purse, you name your discount when shopping for any product on Amazon with bitcoin and BitcoinCash. It also allows everyone to exchange their Amazon gift cards for Bitcoin.
Mycelium local trader
Mycelium Local Trader is another decentralized in-person exchange that allows teenagers and everyone to participate in cryptocurrency trading.
The beauty of it is that the platform helps you through its servers to arrange the trade between buyers and sellers, manage the transaction, and calculate reputation ratings based on the trades. So, Mycelium Local Trader is another option for those who are yet to reach legal age.
Bitzlato
Butzlato crypto platform allows you to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, DASH, Dogecoin, and Tether USD without identification verification or age.
AgoraDesk
You can use your favourite online payment method ranging from PayPal, credit/debit card or bank transfer, and gift cards, giving the complete anonymity you need to trade crypto.
On AgoraDesk platform you can even buy bitcoins using cash by mail with no KYC/AML or verification.
Some guys said, they were able to buy bitcoin without KYC on locabitcoins.com in the past, but the last time of used LBC, they added the Know Your Customer identity feature.
Disclaimer: InfomediaNG does not approve some of the third party sites listed on this post. We urge readers to embark on their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned crypto platforms
InfomediaNG will not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of service or products listed here.
Final thought:
There shouldn’t be anything like underage in cryptocurrency, but in a situation whereby you want to buy bitcoin as an underage (below 18), you can refer to this list to make your first purchase to jump right into the crypto ship.
And if I may ask you: At what age did you buy your first bitcoin? Share your thoughts with us.
Community is solid and trustworthy dyor but if your going to invest invest in droplit.
It seems to me, or the best that could be used in their situation is no kyc exchange like Crypton exchange from UtopiaP2P. Then no one would have known. There are many other options.
Are there any of these sites that are exchanges (not peer to peer) that don’t need ID? I’m 14 and trying to buy a small amount of BTC (£20) but do not have any experience with P-T-P exchanges.
Hi! I’m 17 and looking to invest in crypto, just thought I’d let you know that Solidi.co now requires you to upload identification documents and you have to be 18 or over as I’ve just tried to make an account 🙂
Hey Ellie,
You can use whalesheaven.com, a custodian-free peer-to-peer crypto platform where you can safely buy crypto without identity verification. Kindly, check our post for updates.