How to Buy Bitcoin in Spain (2025 Guide)

Buying Bitcoin for the first time can seem complex, but today it’s easier and safer than ever — as long as you know where to buy and how to do it properly.

In this guide, you’ll learn step by step, in clear language, how to buy Bitcoin safely in Spain, which platforms to use, and which legal and financial precautions you should keep in mind. Let’s get started.

Before You Buy: Key Risks and Things to Consider

Before you jump into buying Bitcoin, there are a few important points you should keep in mind:

Volatility and risk: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are highly volatile assets; their price can rise or fall dramatically in a short period of time. For example, it’s not unusual to see 200% gains in one year and 60% drops the next. That makes them high-risk investments (you could even lose all your money). If you’re a beginner, it’s advisable to only invest money you can afford to lose and to start with small amounts while you learn.

No backing or guarantees: Unlike the euro or other official currencies, cryptocurrencies are not backed by a central bank or public authorities, nor are they covered by customer protection schemes such as the Deposit Guarantee Fund or the Investor Compensation Scheme. In Spain, Bitcoin is not legal tender, so nobody is obliged to accept it as a means of payment. There is also no government insurance that will protect you if the platform where you buy goes bankrupt. This means the responsibility and the risks fall entirely on you as an investor.

Security and custody: Buying Bitcoin also means deciding how you’re going to store it safely. If you keep it on the platform where you buy it (the exchange), you’re relying on their security measures; if you choose your own personal wallet, you are responsible for protecting your private keys. In the crypto world, losing or having your private keys stolen usually means losing your coins for good.

On top of that, centralized exchanges can be targets for hacks or fraud, so it’s crucial to enable two-factor authentication and any other security features available on your account.

Regulation (still catching up): Until a few years ago, the crypto sector was almost unregulated. Today, in Spain, providers must register with the Bank of Spain for anti-money laundering purposes, comply with the CNMV’s rules on crypto advertising and, since 2024, adapt to the new European MiCA licence. The legal framework is evolving quickly and is looking more and more like that of traditional financial services.

Important: registration with the Bank of Spain is mainly for anti-money laundering purposes. It does not mean the Bank of Spain supervises the platform’s solvency or technical security in the same way it does with a traditional bank.

How to Buy Bitcoin Step by Step

Buying Bitcoin in Spain is a fairly simple process if you follow a few basic steps. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make your first purchase safely:

1. Choose a reliable platform

The first step is deciding where you’re going to buy Bitcoin. The most common option is to use an exchange. There are several well-known platforms with a large user base whose goal is to make the process as simple as possible. On these platforms, you usually just log in, pay with your card the amount of Bitcoin you want, and that’s it. Later on we’ll go into more detail on the most popular options in Spain.

In Spain, reputable exchanges today are registered with the Bank of Spain for anti-money laundering purposes and, in addition, must obtain a MiCA licence as Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASP) from the CNMV. The MiCA regime applies from 30/12/2024, and Spain has given a 12-month transitional period to already registered providers: by the end of 2025, they should either be operating under a MiCA licence or leave the market.

Choosing a well-known exchange (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Bit2Me, etc.) will give you some extra peace of mind.

2. Sign up and verify your identity

Once you’ve chosen the platform, you’ll need to create a user account. Usually this means providing an email address and a password and following the instructions on the website. After that, most regulated platforms will ask you to verify your identity (KYC).

This means uploading a photo of your ID card/NIE or passport and sometimes taking a selfie, as well as adding a phone number for extra security.

For example, on Coinbase you click on “Verify your identity” to upload your document, and then on “Add a payment method” to link your card or bank account. This verification process is mandatory on legal platforms because anti-money laundering laws require them to identify their customers. Don’t worry, it’s like opening a bank account but much faster — in most cases your account will be verified within minutes or hours (sometimes it can take 1–2 days if demand is high).

3. Deposit euros into your account

With your account created and verified, you need to deposit money (euros) into the platform to buy Bitcoin. You mainly have two options:

• Bank transfer: Many platforms give you an IBAN so you can send euros via SEPA transfer. They usually don’t charge a deposit fee for bank transfers and allow you to move larger amounts. However, it can take 1–2 days for the transfer to show up in your balance.

• Credit or debit card: Others let you buy instantly with your card. It’s faster (the purchase goes through immediately), but card payments usually carry a higher fee (for example, Coinbase charges around 3.5% for card purchases). Use this for smaller amounts or if you’re in a hurry, knowing you’re paying a premium for the convenience.

Some platforms offer additional methods (PayPal, Apple Pay, Bizum, etc.), but the two above are the most common. Choose the method that feels most convenient and cost-effective to you. After depositing, your euro balance will appear in your exchange account ready to convert into Bitcoin. (With card purchases, depositing and buying are often done in a single step.)

4. Place your Bitcoin order

Now comes the interesting part. With funds available, you can place a buy order. The typical process on an exchange looks like this:

• Go to the “Buy/Sell” section (or similar).

• Select “Bitcoin (BTC)” as the cryptocurrency you want to buy (double-check it’s the right one, as platforms list many coins).

• Enter the amount you want to buy. You can specify how many euros you want to spend (e.g. €100 in BTC) and the platform will show you how much Bitcoin that equals, including the fee.

Remember you can buy fractions of a Bitcoin; you don’t need to buy a whole one. For example, with €100 you might buy 0.00X BTC depending on the price that day — Bitcoin is divisible into 100 million satoshis (its smallest unit), so even with €10 you can buy a small fraction.

• Review the order summary, where you’ll see the approximate BTC price, the fee you’re being charged, and the total amount of BTC you’ll receive.

• Confirm the order by clicking on the “Buy Bitcoin” button.

• The platform may ask for an extra confirmation, such as entering a code sent to your phone (this is for security, especially with card payments).

Once you confirm, you’ve bought your first satoshis 🎉

If you paid by card, the transaction is usually instant and your BTC is credited straight away. If you used a bank transfer, your order may remain pending until the payment is processed (in that case, the purchase will be executed once the funds are available).

Store your Bitcoin properly

After the purchase, your Bitcoin will be held in the digital wallet linked to your exchange account. From there, you can either keep it on the platform or withdraw it to an external wallet you control.

So, what’s best?

• For small amounts, many users leave their coins on the exchange for convenience.

• However, more cautious users prefer to move their crypto to a personal wallet (either a hot wallet on your phone/PC, or ideally a cold/hardware wallet offline) to have full control over their keys.

In any case, if you decide to leave your BTC on the platform, make sure you enable every security feature available (2FA, alerts, etc.). If you decide to withdraw to your own wallet, follow the instructions very carefully when entering your wallet address - a mistake in the address can mean an irreversible loss of funds.

Most exchanges make it easy to send Bitcoin to another wallet. For example, on Bitvavo there’s simply a “Send” button to transfer your BTC to the address you specify.

Note: when you withdraw to your own wallet, you take on full custody (and you must back up your keys!). When you leave your coins on the exchange, you are trusting them with custody. Take your time to choose the option that makes you feel safest.

Where to Buy Cryptocurrencies (Main Options)

The number of places and ways to buy cryptocurrencies has grown a lot. Below we go over the most common options to buy Bitcoin and other cryptos in Spain, along with their main pros and cons. (Remember that “cryptocurrencies” includes Bitcoin and many other digital assets, so these platforms usually let you buy several coins, not just BTC.)

Centralized exchanges (CEX)

This is the most popular option. Online platforms such as Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Bitstamp or the Spanish Bit2Me let you buy and sell cryptocurrencies easily. They usually offer simple interfaces for beginners (instant buy) and also more advanced tools (charts, trading orders) for experienced users.

Pros: high liquidity (you can almost always buy or sell), ease of use, customer support, and the possibility of storing your coins in their custodial wallets.

Cons: you have to trust the company with your funds and accept their rules (KYC, limits) and fees.

Bit2Me, for example, was in 2022 the first crypto platform officially recognised by the Bank of Spain as a provider of virtual currency exchange and custody services. This was a milestone, and today many of the largest international platforms have also registered or are authorised to provide services in the EU (some via other countries). A recent example: BBVA (a Spanish bank) obtained approval from the CNMV in 2025 to offer its clients Bitcoin and Ether trading and custody directly from its banking app, integrating crypto into the new MiCA regulatory framework.

Fintech platforms and brokers with crypto

On top of pure exchanges, there are neobanks, brokers and finance apps that give you exposure to cryptocurrencies. Examples include Revolut, Trade Republic, eToro, Bitpanda and even PayPal (in some countries), which allow you to buy Bitcoin easily. They tend to have very intuitive apps and sometimes integrate crypto together with stocks, ETFs and other traditional investment products.

Pros: simplicity (in many cases you can buy in 2–3 taps), ability to manage crypto and traditional money in the same app, and some of them have a banking licence or are supervised (Trade Republic, for instance, has an ECB licence and is registered with the Bank of Spain).

Cons: often you are not really the owner of the underlying crypto in the sense of being able to withdraw it to an external wallet (the coins remain “trapped” on the platform).

Some fintech apps, like Revolut, for years did not allow you to withdraw your crypto to your own wallet (you could only buy and sell inside the app). Today they do offer on-chain withdrawals for certain tokens, but they are still designed more for investing within the app than for “being your own bank” with an external wallet. They are more suitable if your goal is to seek returns in euros than to actually use the cryptocurrencies themselves. They may also charge spreads or slightly higher fees hidden in the exchange rate. Use them if you want simplicity and small investments, but if your aim is to “be your own bank” with crypto, a traditional exchange may be a better fit.

Bitcoin ATMs

Spain is one of the countries with the highest number of physical Bitcoin ATMs. These machines let you buy Bitcoin with cash (and sometimes sell). They work similarly to a regular ATM: you scan your wallet’s QR code (or they generate a paper wallet for you), insert banknotes and the ATM sends the corresponding amount of BTC to your address.

Pros: you don’t need to register or wait. It’s fast and semi-anonymous (many only require a phone number for an SMS confirmation). Useful if you don’t have a bank account or want to convert cash into crypto directly.

Cons: fees are usually HIGH (they can charge between 5% and 10% on top of the market price, sometimes more), and the exchange rate offered is not always the best. Not all ATMs are available 24/7 or have enough liquidity. Use them for small amounts or occasional convenience. To find ATMs, you can use websites like Coin ATM Radar, which show you the Bitcoin machines near you.

P2P purchases (between individuals)

Another option is to buy directly from someone who wants to sell, without intermediaries. You can do this via people you know, or by using online P2P platforms that connect buyers and sellers (LocalBitcoins used to be popular but has closed; alternatives include Bisq, HodlHodl, Binance P2P, etc.).

Pros: you may get better prices by negotiating and can use different payment methods (cash, PayPal, bank transfer, Revolut, etc., depending on your agreement with the seller). You can also preserve more privacy if you do it correctly (some P2P platforms don’t require strict KYC because they act more like a bulletin board).

Cons: there is a higher risk of fraud if you don’t know the other party. P2P platforms usually offer escrow systems (they hold the BTC in guarantee while the fiat payment is made) and user reputation scores to improve security, but there is always some risk of non-payment, scams or disputes. For beginners, direct P2P buying is not highly recommended unless it’s with someone you trust or via platforms with escrow and you are willing to deal with more complex procedures. If you decide to use P2P, start with small amounts and follow the platform’s rules to the letter so you don’t get scammed.

Other ways

There are more specialised ways to obtain Bitcoin, such as mining (using hardware to generate new BTC, which is now barely profitable for individual users), participating in ICOs/initial offerings (not applicable to Bitcoin, which launched many years ago), or buying financial products linked to Bitcoin instead of BTC itself (for example, Bitcoin ETFs or ETNs on regulated markets, or shares in companies that hold BTC on their balance sheet). These options go beyond the scope of this beginner’s guide, but it’s useful to know they exist.

For instance, in the US there are already Bitcoin futures ETFs and, since January 2024, spot ETFs that directly track the BTC price; in Europe, there are ETNs that replicate Bitcoin’s performance.

However, if what you want is to buy and own Bitcoin directly, the simplest way is to use one of the options above (exchange, fintech broker, ATM or P2P).

In short, for most users in Spain, a reliable, registered exchange will be the best way to get started. You have both large international platforms operating legally (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, etc.) and Spanish platforms such as Bit2Me, as well as traditional banks starting to offer crypto services.

Compare factors such as fees, ease of use, security and support — and choose the one that best fits how you want to use Bitcoin.

See you next time!