Currently, most popular and reputable cryptocurrency exchanges outside of East Asia do not accept Fiat currency to purchase Ripple XRP. That’s most likely because they are cryptocurrency exchanges, and the license required to deal with legal tender in most states is heavily regulated and difficult to obtain. Asa result, only select exchanges such as Coinbase allow you to ‘buy’ (not trade) crypto coins with hard cash.
At the end of the day, if you are looking to purchase Ripple XRP through an exchange you will need a cryptocurrency that exchange supports. There may be some exchanges out there that allow you to trade fiat currency for Ripple XRP but their coverage is beyond the scope of this article.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to purchase Ripple XRP with fiat currency.
Cryptomate is a platform aimed at UK users which allows you you exchange Pound Sterling (GBP) for crypto coins. You’ll need a wallet somewhere (perhaps even on the exchange you plan to purchase Ripple XRP from) as a deposit address. Cryptomate takes payment via Bank Transfer only so you’ll need a UK account with Faster Payments. You’ll be provided with a unique transaction code which you must enter in the notes for your transfer, and the currency will then be deposited to your provided address within two hours.
This is a great way for users to get hold of cryptocurrency and start their Ripple XRP journey without having to use Coinbase. However, beware that since your bank may take up to two hours to process your transaction your loss/gains due to slippage may be very significant.
To get started, transfer yourself some ETH and then follow this guide.
Changelly allows you to purchase cryptocurrency using a credit card. Again, you’ll need a wallet somewhere (perhaps even on the exchange you plan to purchase Ripple XRP from) as a deposit address. I recommend creating a Binance account (one of the largest Ripple XRP exchanges) and using your ETH wallet there as the deposit address. You can then use Changelly to purchase ETH, and then use Binance to exchange your ETH for Ripple XRP following this guide.
Gemini is a digital asset exchange which allows you to purchase Bitcoin and Ethereum using USD. You’ll need to get your account verified before you can start trading which can take up to 48 hours – but the platform makes it easy to verify your account through an internet browser by uploading images of your identification documents. US buyers may need to enter additional information for tax purposes.
If you use Gemini to exchange your fiat currency for crypto I would suggest staying away from Bitcoin if you plan to then exchange for Ripple XRP.
Why? Because Bitcoin transactions are incredibly expensive and can take a while to process. That means you lose out on network fees, and value if Bitcoin BTC is volatile when you proceed to exchange. Instead, I would recommend exchanging your fiat currency on Gemini for Ethereum ETH since it is supported just as widely as Bitcoin BTC but the transaction costs are less than a dollar and usually less than a minute. However, you should first check to make sure the exchange you purchase Ripple XRP from does support ETH to XRP transactions. I recommend Binance or Bittrex.
