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Buy Bitcoin & Crypto in China

Bryan Aulds
Bryan Aulds
Updated: 2nd March 2021

Disclaimer: This page includes affiliate links. When you make a purchase through one of our links, we may receive commissions.

China is, without a doubt, the Bitcoin mining capital of the world, widely believed to be responsible for 65% of all Bitcoin mining on earth. And with all those fresh Bitcoinns, come a lot of exchanges and OTC desks to offload that liquidity onto a hungry market of Chinese and foreign investors looking to bail out of the Chinese Yuan.

LocalBitcoins daily trading volume in China is .... The current price of Bitcoin is .... There are ... Bitcoin ATMs available to China residents. And ... businesses accept Bitcoin in China.

Most Popular Exchanges in China

Coinmama Logo

Coinmama

Founded 2013

Coinmama allows users to easily and quickly make bitcoin purchases from almost anywhere in the world using many different payment methods, including credit cards.


Kraken Logo

Kraken

Founded 2011

Started in 2011, Kraken was one of the first Bitcoin exchanges. Founder Jesse Powell started the exchange after helping with MTGOX's 2011 crisis/hack. It was during this experience that Jesse realized the importance of security for a bitcoin exchange. Determined to do better, Jesse started what would become Kraken later that year. As a testiment to the focus on security, Kraken has never been hacked and remains of the of top Bitcoin exchanges in the world.


CHAPTER 1

Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency Trading in China

The cryptocurrency exchange you use will depend on what your goals are. Some people buy only bitcoin, while some buy many cryptos. Some trade, while some buy and hold.

We'll outline some of the best options for each type of buyer and trader.

Bitcoin mobile transfer
Bitcoin mobile transfer

Best for Buying

If your only goal is to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum or another coin, the following exchanges have smooth and easy buying processes:

Bitcoin blockchain
Bitcoin blockchain

Best for Trading

If you plan on trading in and out of different coins, the following exchanges support many cryptocurrencies:

Now, let's give a bit deeper into some of the exchanges mentioned above with our detailed overviews.

CHAPTER 2

Top Cryptocurrency & Bitcoin Exchanges in China

Coinmama Logo

Founded 2013

Coinmama Logo

Coinmama Popular

Founded 2013

Coinmama Popular

Coinmama allows users to easily and quickly make bitcoin purchases from almost anywhere in the world using many different payment methods, including credit cards.

Visit Site More

PROS

  • Super Fast Withdrawal
  • Higher privacy that most exchanges
  • Super convienent and easy to use
  • One of the few places to buy bitcoin using credit cards

CONS

  • Higher fees than some other exchanges

Supported Fiat:Yes

Payment methods include:Credit Card Debit Card Wire Transfer

Headquarters: Israel

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Super easy

Privacy icon

Privacy

Low

Speed icon

Speed

Super fast

Fees icon

Fees

Medium

Reputation icon

Reputation

Excellent

Limits icon

Limits

-

Visit Site Read Review
Kraken Logo

Founded 2011

Kraken Logo

Kraken Popular

Founded 2011

Kraken Popular

Started in 2011, Kraken was one of the first Bitcoin exchanges. Founder Jesse Powell started the exchange after helping with MTGOX's 2011 crisis/hack. It was during this experience that Jesse realized the importance of security for a bitcoin exchange. Determined to do better, Jesse started what would become Kraken later that year. As a testiment to the focus on security, Kraken has never been hacked and remains of the of top Bitcoin exchanges in the world.

Visit Site More

PROS

  • Excellent Security record
  • Large Volume

CONS

  • Slow Customer Service response
  • Slow account verificaiton

Supported Fiat:Yes

Payment methods include:Debit Card Bank Transfer Cash BACs Chaps

Headquarters: San Francisco, USA

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Super easy

Privacy icon

Privacy

Low

Speed icon

Speed

Slow

Fees icon

Fees

Low

Reputation icon

Reputation

Excellent

Limits icon

Limits

Medium

Visit Site Read Review
CHAPTER 3

Best Bitcoin Wallet for China

Bitcoin wallets are just software or hardware, so the truth is that wallets can work in any country.

However, we've highlighted some Bitcoin wallets we think would be good for China users here.

Trezor Model T
Best for Security

Trezor Model T

Secure storage with high res color touch screen

Read Review

The Trezor Model T is perfect for long term holders of many coins. It's full color high resolution touch screen makes it easy to navigate and advanced features make it the most secure hardware wallet

Ledger Nano X
Best for Traders

Ledger Nano X

Secure Storage with Bluetooth Functionality

Read Review

The Ledger Nano X is great for traders who need to access their coins on the go. The on-board Bluetooth functionality allows you to access your coins on your mobile device.

Electrum Logo
Best for Desktop

Electrum

Multi-feature desktop wallet that works with hardware wallets.

Visit Website

Electrum is a Bitcoin-only desktop wallet that offers many advanced features for higher level users. It is best paired with a hardware wallet.

CHAPTER 4

More Bitcoin Exchanges in China

Most Popular Exchanges in China

Coinmama Logo

Coinmama

Founded 2013

Coinmama allows users to easily and quickly make bitcoin purchases from almost anywhere in the world using many different payment methods, including credit cards.


Kraken Logo

Kraken

Founded 2011

Started in 2011, Kraken was one of the first Bitcoin exchanges. Founder Jesse Powell started the exchange after helping with MTGOX's 2011 crisis/hack. It was during this experience that Jesse realized the importance of security for a bitcoin exchange. Determined to do better, Jesse started what would become Kraken later that year. As a testiment to the focus on security, Kraken has never been hacked and remains of the of top Bitcoin exchanges in the world.


Cex.io Logo

Founded 2013

Cex.io Logo

Cex.io

Founded 2013

Cex.io

Since its founding in 2013, CEX.io has never lost any user funds. As a pioneer in credit card payments for crypto, CEX has kept it easy to access and buy coins. Since it supports 99% of all counties,you can use CEX no matter where you are to buy and sell your favorite crypto assets

Visit Site More

PROS

  • Supports 99% of all countries
  • Multiple Fiat pairs
  • No customer funds lost
  • Easy account creation

CONS

  • Slow withdraw times

Supported Fiat:Yes

Payment methods include:Credit Card Debit Card Bank Transfer SEPA SWIFT

Headquarters: London, GBR

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Easy

Privacy icon

Privacy

Low

Speed icon

Speed

Slow

Fees icon

Fees

Medium

Reputation icon

Reputation

Good

Limits icon

Limits

High

Visit Site Read Review
BTCC Logo

Founded 2011

BTCC Logo

BTCC

Founded 2011

BTCC

As the oldest exchange in China, BTCC has a good reputation that only longevity can earn. Easy fiat on and off ramps and many cryptocurriencies to trade continue to make BTCC China's premere exchange

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PROS

  • Easy fiat on and off ramps

CONS

  • Trader Privacy is extremely low.

Supported Fiat:Yes

Payment methods include:Credit Card Debit Card Coin Payments Wire Transfer

Headquarters: Hong Kong, China

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Easy

Privacy icon

Privacy

Low

Speed icon

Speed

Slow

Fees icon

Fees

Low

Reputation icon

Reputation

Good

Limits icon

Limits

High

Visit Site Read Review
KuCoin Logo

Founded 2013

KuCoin Logo

KuCoin

Founded 2013

KuCoin

As one of the first exchanges anywhere, KuCoin has grown into a very large operation, supporting hundreds of trading pairs along with derivatives and futures.

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PROS

  • Many trading pairs, Low fees, Large trading Volume

CONS

  • Low Privacy, Can be overwhelming for new users

Supported Fiat:Yes

Payment methods include:Credit Card Debit Card Bank Transfer Paypal Interac e-Transfer

Headquarters: Singapore

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Easy

Privacy icon

Privacy

Low

Speed icon

Speed

Super fast

Fees icon

Fees

Low

Reputation icon

Reputation

Good

Limits icon

Limits

High

Visit Site Read Review
Bittrex Logo

Founded 2014

Bittrex Logo

Bittrex

Founded 2014

Bittrex

Founded in 2014, Bittrex was a mainstay of crypto trading during the 2017 bull market. It has many cryptocurrency paiirs and now even allows Fiat on boarding.

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PROS

  • Many Currency Pairs

CONS

  • Extensive KYC

Supported Fiat:Yes

Payment methods include:-

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Average

Privacy icon

Privacy

Low

Speed icon

Speed

-

Fees icon

Fees

Low

Reputation icon

Reputation

Good

Limits icon

Limits

Medium

Visit Site Read Review
Paymium Logo

Founded 2011

Paymium Logo

Paymium

Founded 2011

Paymium

Paymium is one of the oldest exchanges in Europe. It is compliant with all EU regulations and is extremily well trusted. Paymium is based in France and supports several payment methods, including SEPA transfers and credit card purchases.

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PROS

  • High limits for SEPA transfers
  • Makers get paid to trade with low taker fees
  • Great mobile support for trading on the go

CONS

  • Not the easiest exchange to use
  • Limited desposit methods that only supports euros

Supported Fiat:-

Payment methods include:Credit Card Bank Transfer SEPA SWIFT Apple Pay

Headquarters: Paris, FRA

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Easy

Privacy icon

Privacy

Low

Speed icon

Speed

Super fast

Fees icon

Fees

Low

Reputation icon

Reputation

Good

Limits icon

Limits

High

Visit Site Read Review
BestChange Logo

Founded 2007

BestChange Logo

BestChange

Founded 2007

BestChange

BestChange is a specialized online e-currency exchange service that monitors rates for dozens of popular conversion pairs in near real-time and offers one-click access to lists of reliable e-currency exchangers capable of helping you complete your transaction quickly and efficiently.

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PROS

  • Just about every kind of payment option you could think of
  • Very private if you pick the right options

CONS

  • Doesn't sell Bitcoin directly
  • just exhaustive directory for how to acquire it with different methods.

Supported Fiat:Yes

Payment methods include:-

Headquarters: RUS

Bitcoin mobile transfer icon

Ease of Use

Average

Privacy icon

Privacy

High

Speed icon

Speed

-

Fees icon

Fees

High

Reputation icon

Reputation

Excellent

Limits icon

Limits

-

Visit Site Read Review

The history of Bitcoin in China

Map of China

China has always maintained a fractured and unique relationship with Bitcoin over the years, despite it being the world’s leading Bitcoin mining hub (at least 65% of the network is generated within the most populated country). In fact, some of the biggest crypto companies on earth are based in China, and the centralized events tend to greatly affect demand on the global Bitcoin network––it goes without saying that China is the undisputed world champion when it comes to Bitcoin.

Despite this influence, over the years, China’s communist government has enacted some of the strictest regulations and limitations on cryptocurrency trading. It has basically banned various aspects of Bitcoin trading functionality multiple times over many periods throughout the crypto giant’s relatively short existence. In the past, Bitcoin has been denounced as a troubling, unstable pseudo currency––the Chinese government has even gone to the ultimate lengths of developing its own state-run cryptocurrency designed to replace Bitcoin.

Up until September 2017, China was at the forefront of the global Bitcoin market with countless citizens having established themselves as leading traders and miners. However, in late 2017, the communist government placed a strict ban on cryptocurrency trading and ICOs. Not long after, further crackdowns in Beijing saw fringe trading platforms such as P2P banned, too.

The current status of Bitcoin in China

Bitcoin network concept

In Mainland China, even before the ban, banks had been forbidden from trading Bitcoin since 2013. What’s more, all Bitcoin exchanges have been subject to the same internet censorship and licensing restrictions which are enforced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Currently, banks and financial institutions in mainland China (excluding Hong Kong) are forbidden to facilitate with Bitcoin and other virtual currency transactions.

However, the Chinese government has limited its intrusiveness regarding mining operations. Private individuals are technically allowed to trade, and miners are still permitted to operate––but for how long is anybody’s guess.

Some of the most popular exchanges for buying Bitcoin in China include Huobi, OKEx, and Gate.io.

Explore more exchanges

Data sources: LocalBitcoins.com (daily trading volumes and price), coinmap (ATMs and venues).