A Guide: How To Buy Ripple Across The World

Its Blockchain
ItsBlockchain
Published in
14 min readDec 24, 2018

In the cryptocurrency market, one coin has quietly been creeping up the rankings in coinmarketcap’s lists. Since the very beginning, Ripple has been one of the most bought altcoins in the market. This is because the coin is not exactly or just a cryptocurrency, it is rather a token of a payment protocol.

WHAT IS RIPPLE?

Ripple Labs is the owner of the token XRP and with the token, the company is revolutionising the cross-border payments space. Ripple Labs is basically making cross-border payments instantaneous, low cost and very secure for banks and other financial institutions.

Since the cryptocurrency has a main focus on traditional and institutional setups, Ripple labs and by extension XRP has some big partnerships. The payment protocol and platform has partnerships with the Western Union, the SAMA, UBS, Santander, etc.

WHAT IS XRP?

XRP is the native coin of the Ripple Lab’s payment protocol. It is the second largest cryptocurrency in the cryptocurrency market as of now with a market capitalisation of$15,500,926,106 USD.

While there is always an ongoing discussion whether or not Ripple is considered a cryptocurrency, it is listed on all major exchanges and everyone with a portfolio has some amount of XRP tokens as a part of it.

XRP as a token is not minable. It is rather owned by Ripple Labs and the company releases and issues XRP tokens periodically. The XRP token is one of the hardest tokens to buy because the tokens are only available in crypto:crypto pairs. A small handful of exchanges in the world, currently support Fiat:XRP pairs.

In this article, we will look at and discuss the available options in the following countries for buying XRP: India, USA, Singapore, China, Japan, Germany, UAE, North Korea, Indonesia and Russia.

BUYING XRP IN INDIA

India is one of the few countries that still remain undecided about the cryptocurrency market. The country has been very hot and cold about the entire industry and market as a whole. However, over the last year, the country saw banks withdrawing support for the cryptocurrency market because of a central bank circular. While INR:Crypto pairs are now becoming increasingly difficult to make, there are quite a few peer-to-peer platforms that are still functioning.

In India, for specifically buying XRP, these are the top four exchanges:

BuyUCoin

BuyUCoin is a popular exchange in India. It is one of the few cryptocurrency exchanges that continue to support INR:Crypto pairs post the blanket ban on the cryptocurrency market in the country.

The exchange has listed about 30 cryptocurrencies that they offer. To use their service, users first have to create an account, start a wallet, connect bank account, deposit money and then buy cryptocurrencies. The exchange is also very popular because it has no transaction fees whatsoever.

Koinex

Koinex is another cryptocurrency exchange in the country that still provides INR:Crypto pairs. Because of the blanket ban, the cryptocurrency exchange also started its own peer-to-peer platform called Loop.

The exchange charges a fixed transaction fee of 0.15% on all transactions on the platform. The one downside about Koinex is that the cryptocurrencies bought from the exchange are sold at a premium rate.

Changelly

Changelly is a cryptocurrency exchange that is based out of Prague. Changelly, as an exchange, is famous across the world for its fast, secure and easy cryptocurrency trades, buys and sales.

The cryptocurrency exchange accepts a whole load of currencies in exchange for the 50 cryptocurrencies it lists. Changelly charges a fixed 0.5% transaction fee on all trades.

Coindelta

Coindelta is an Indian cryptocurrency exchange that facilitates the buying, selling and trading of most cryptocurrencies against the national currency of the country; INR. The exchange also facilitates crypto:cryptopairs and is quite popular in the country.

Coindelta is a fairly advanced trading platform and is recommended for only veterans of the cryptocurrency market. The cryptocurrency exchange also has one of the lowest transaction rates in the market. Coindelta levies about 0.2% transaction fee.

BUYING XRP IN THE USA

The United States of America became one of the first countries to openly regulate the cryptocurrency market. They have a law now that deals with the cryptocurrency market and virtual currency. Under the law, all cryptocurrencies are now regulated and all new altcoins that come out in the market which are securities and fit into the definition have to be registered with the SEC. With that being said, the USA is one of the easiest countries to buy cryptocurrencies from.

The top exchanges, specifically for buying XRP in USD:XRP pairs are;

BITSTAMP

BITSTAMP is a exchange that is based in Luxembourg. The cryptocurrency actually supports an array of Fiat:XRPpairs. One of them happens to be USD:XRP.

To use BITSTAMP users have to first verify their accounts and get a KYC done. Following that, the exchange is just like any other exchange in terms of deposit, wallet service and buy/sell orders. When buying with a credit card, BITSTAMP levies 5%.

BITTREX

Bittrex is a cryptocurrency exchange that only offers crypto:crypto pairs. So to be able to buy Ripple users will have to hold another cryptocurrency, particularly and preferably BTC. Bittrex is a global exchange and lists almost all the cryptocurrencies in the market on their trade list.

Bittrex levies a transaction fee of 0.25% per transactions. The exchange,, however, does not charge for deposits and withdrawals of USD.

Coinbase

Coinbase is another global exchange that is quite popular. It facilitates a whole suite of payment options including bank transfers, SEPA transfer and Interac Online.

It requires an extensive KYC process to be undertaken by all its users and following that it allows users to make fiat:crypto trades. It levies a transaction fee of 1% to 4% depending on where the user is paying from and what type of transaction they are carrying out.

BUYING XRP IN SINGAPORE

Singapore is one of those countries that has taken a friendlier approach to the cryptocurrency market and the industry surrounding it. They have, as far as possible, tried to extend existing laws to the cryptocurrency market. While cryptocurrencies are not legal tender in the country, the trading, storing and buying of them are completely legal. In fact, there are quite a few exchanges in the country that are specifically dedicated to serving customers there.

Poloniex

Poloniex is a pure crypto:crypto trading platform that is based out of the USA. It is one of the most used exchanges in Singapore to buy Ripple. The only thing is that the user will have to have some expendable cryptocurrencies in their wallet to buy XRP.

The exchange has a proper KYC process and takes a flat 0.25% transaction fee on all transactions.

Changelly

Changelly is a cryptocurrency exchange that is based out of Prague. Changelly, as an exchange, is famous across the world for its fast, secure and easy cryptocurrency trades, buys and sales.

The cryptocurrency exchange accepts a whole load of currencies in exchange for the 50 cryptocurrencies it lists. Changelly charges a fixed 0.5% transaction fee on all trades.

Coinbase

Coinbase is another global exchange that is quite popular. It facilitates a whole suite of payment options including bank transfers, SEPA transfer and Interac Online.

It requires an extensive KYC process to be undertaken by all its users and following that it allows users to make fiat:crypto trades. It levies a transaction fee of 1% to 4% depending on where the user is paying from and what type of transaction they are carrying out.

HOW TO BUY XRP IN CHINA

China has been the least tolerant to the cryptocurrency market. They issued several bans and warnings to people who are involved with the cryptocurrency and the exchanges that had setup in China. After this ban, many exchanges moved headquarters away from China in search of more favourable regulations.

LocalBitcoins

LocalBitcoins is a P2P platform that allows the exchange of Bitcoin, Ripple and other altcoins in exchange for local currencies. LocalBitcoins is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. LocalBitcoins is a very commonly used platform by both sellers and buyers of cryptocurrency in China.

LocalBitcoin’s transaction fees depends on the size of the deposit, withdrawal and trade. With that being said, most of the time the transaction is 0.5%.

Paxful

Paxful is a P2P platform that allows users to sell and buy cryptocurrencies for money. An interesting feature that Paxful has is that it offers over 300 ways to pay for cryptocurrencies. Some of them include Amazon Giftcards, cash deposits, etc. All Paxful trades are charged with a 1% transaction fees.

Coinmama

Coinmama is a P2P platform-exchange hybrid. It facilitates OTC trade of Bitcoins, Ethereum, XRP and other altcoins very simple and efficient. The P2P platform is a very popular solution to people’s cryptocurrency trading needs across the world.

Coinmama accepts payment through credit cards, debit cards and also offline cash handovers. But every transaction using a card, the platform levies a 6% fee. But the advantage of using Coinmama, as is the case with most P2P platforms, is that the transfer of control is almost immediate.

BITTREX

Bittrex is a cryptocurrency exchange that only offers crypto:crypto pairs. So to be able to buy Ripple users will have to hold another cryptocurrency, particularly and preferably BTC. Bittrex is a global exchange and lists almost all the cryptocurrencies in the market on their trade list.

Bittrex levies a transaction fee of 0.25% per transactions. The exchange,, however, does not charge for deposits and withdrawals of USD.

HOW TO BUY XRP IN RUSSIA

Russia remains undecided about the cryptocurrency market. The Russian government does a lot of back and forth about the cryptocurrency market and the discussion is ongoing about regulation. However, there are a lot of peer-to-peer platforms that allow people to buy BTC, XRP and others.

YoBit.net

YoBit.net, the cryptocurrency exchange, is quite user-friendly. The interface is very intuitive and is extremely easy to use. This exchange is quite popular in Russia. The only problem with YoBit.net is that the deposits take a little time.

YoBit allows many pairs with XRP. The most popular of those are the BTC:XRP, USD:XRP, etc. The transaction fees of YoBit is about 5% per transaction.

BITQUICK

BITQUICK is another very popular cryptocurrency exchange in Russia. This exchange is possibly one of the fastest ways for users to get their hands on cryptocurrencies. The cryptocurrency exchange mostly deals with cash payments only and accepts most fiat currencies globally.

The transaction fees of BITQUICK is 2% per transaction and per trade.

Paxful

Paxful is another P2P platform that allows users to buy, sell and trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP for money. It allows fiat:crypto, cash deposits and physical payment handovers, depedning on what the user prefers. An interesting feature that Paxful has is that it offers over 300 ways to pay for Bitcoins. Some of them include Amazon Giftcards, cash deposits, etc.

Changelly

Changelly is a cryptocurrency exchange that is based out of Prague. Changelly, as an exchange, is famous across the world for its fast, secure and easy cryptocurrency trades, buys and sales.

The cryptocurrency exchange accepts a whole load of currencies in exchange for the 50 cryptocurrencies it lists. Changelly charges a fixed 0.5% transaction fee on all trades.

HOW TO BUY XRP IN JAPAN

Japan is a country that is very progressive in terms of the cryptocurrency market. In Japan, trading and storing is legal. Many shops and restaurants also accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. Japan is home to many of the large exchanges in the world and cryptocurrency regulation is a very important part of their financial system.

Indacoin

Indacoin is a cryptocurrency exchange that is based out of London. The cryptocurrency exchange is a very popular option for Japanese traders who want to buy XRP tokens. The exchange also limits first time users by setting a transaction limit.

Indacoin does not have a fixed fee chart for its users. It, however, does levy a small amount of fee in transactions based on their sizes.

EXMO

EXMO is a two sided cryptocurrency exchange. While it allows people to buy, store and sell, it also has a trading part of it where users can trade cryptocurrencies. The exchange platform allows fait:crypto pairs and there is a fixed KYC process for the same.

In terms of transaction fees, depending on the type of transaction the fees is usually a 0.2% of the entire amount. EXMO is a popular exchange platform that is used in Japan.

Coincheck

Coincheck is probably Japan’s most used exchange. Users on the exchange can buy Bitcoins using credit and debit cards and also pay using bank transfers. The exchange does not have a fixed transaction fee. The transaction fee is decided based on the market and the number of bitcoin a user is buying.

Another interesting feature of the Coincheck is that if the user is a Japanese citizen, they do not need to do verification for transactions under $500 USD.

Bitflyer

Bitflyer is Japans largest cryptocurrency brokerage and exchange. Apart from having the highest trade traffic volume, the exchange also has the largest investment capital. The exchange is slightly harder to use and understand, but what it lacks in user interface it makes up for in low transaction costs.

Fisco Virtual Currency

Fisco Virtual Currency is an interesting exchange that is run in Japan. The exchange is exclusively Japanese. In order to transact on their web platforms it is mandatory for the user to hold a Japanese citizenship or visa.

The exchange has very, very low transaction fees and only charges withdrawal fees from its users. The only drawback of this exchange is that it only deals with three cryptocurrencies; Bitcoin, Manacoin, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash.

SBI Virtual Currencies

SBI Virtual Currencies is a cryptocurrency trading desk that is run by the Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings. For a short while the trading desk only sold and traded Bitcoins.

But it is said that after the launch is over and the trading desk picks up, they will start dealing in Ethereum, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash too. Incidentally, SBI Virtual Currencies Exchange is based on Ripple’s protocol.

HOW TO BUY XRP IN GERMANY

In Germany, the cryptocurrency regulation by the government states that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender, however are units of account. The trade, sale and acquisition of cryptocurrencies are perfectly legal in the country. Many shops, restaurants and service providers accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment in the country.

HitBTC

HitBTC is a cryptocurrency exchange that is based out of the UK. The cryptocurrency exchange started off in 2013 and is one of the most preferred cryptocurrencies in the country. Among other services, HitBTC also provides advanced trading solutions to its users. The exchange allows fiat:crypto pairs.

In terms of transaction fees, HitBTC charges its users a transaction fees 0.01% or 0.1%. 0.01% is for when the order cannot be processed immediately and 0.1% is for when the order will and can be executed immediately.

Huobi

Houbi is an exchange that is based out of Singapore and is a proper exchange that allows people to buy, sell and store cryptocurrencies. The exchange allows users to make fiat:crypto pairs and is actually quite popular across the world.

In terms of transaction fees, the cryptocurrency exchange charges its users 0.2%. When the trading volumes are low, the transaction fees drop to 0.1%.

CEX.io

CEX.io is cryptocurrency exchange that is popular globally. Users can get and sell Bitcoins, Ethereum, XRP and other altcoins on the platform. And the platform accepts transfers, card payments, etc. The only difference being that when a credit card payment is made, the access to the cryptocurrency bought is handed over immediately.

With that being the case CEX.io levies a transaction fee between 0.5% to 7% based on the speed at which the user wants the transaction to be processed. 7% fees is for users that want to take over their cryptocurrency immediately.

Binance

Binance is the world’s number one cryptocurrency exchange. It allows users to make both crypto:crypto and fiat:crypto pairs in order to buy cryptocurrencies. Binance has a standard KYC process that every user has to adhere to.

Binance boasts of one of the lowest transaction fees in the entire community and is an exchange that is preferred by people across the world.

HOW TO BUY XRP IN UAE

In order to get in front of the blockchain revolution, UAE has made its bid to regulated the cryptocurrency market and industry. With that being said, there are many blockchain startups in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But further regulation is expected for the cryptocurrency market over the next year.

Binance

Binance is the world’s number one cryptocurrency exchange. It allows users to make both crypto:crypto and fiat:crypto pairs in order to buy cryptocurrencies. Binance has a standard KYC process that every user has to adhere to.

Binance boasts of one of the lowest transaction fees in the entire community and is an exchange that is preferred by people across the world.

Bittrex

Bittrex is a cryptocurrency exchange that only offers crypto:crypto pairs. So to be able to buy Ripple users will have to hold another cryptocurrency, particularly and preferably BTC. Bittrex is a global exchange and lists almost all the cryptocurrencies in the market on their trade list.

Bittrex levies a transaction fee of 0.25% per transactions. The exchange,, however, does not charge for deposits and withdrawals of USD.

Coinbase

Coinbase is another global exchange that is quite popular. It facilitates a whole suite of payment options including bank transfers, SEPA transfer and Interac Online.

It requires an extensive KYC process to be undertaken by all its users and following that it allows users to make fiat:crypto trades. It levies a transaction fee of 1% to 4% depending on where the user is paying from and what type of transaction they are carrying out.

Changelly

Changelly is a cryptocurrency exchange that is based out of Prague. Changelly, as an exchange, is famous across the world for its fast, secure and easy cryptocurrency trades, buys and sales.

The cryptocurrency exchange accepts a whole load of currencies in exchange for the 50 cryptocurrencies it lists. Changelly charges a fixed 0.5% transaction fee on all trades

HOW TO BUY XRP IN INDONESIA

Indonesia is another example of a country that has been very cryptocurrency friendly. Indonesia is the home to many blockchain companies and startups that are defining the cryptocurrency market across the world. In 2018, the country announced that they would be regulating the cryptocurrency market by considering each cryptocurrency as a commodity.

CEX.io

CEX.io is cryptocurrency exchange that is popular globally. Users can get and sell Bitcoins, Ethereum, XRP and other altcoins on the platform. And the platform accepts transfers, card payments, etc. The only difference being that when a credit card payment is made, the access to the cryptocurrency bought is handed over immediately.

With that being the case CEX.io levies a transaction fee between 0.5% to 7% based on the speed at which the user wants the transaction to be processed. 7% fees is for users that want to take over their cryptocurrency immediately.

Coinmama

Coinmama is a P2P platform-exchange hybrid. It facilitates OTC trade of Bitcoins, Ethereum, XRP and other altcoins very simple and efficient. The P2P platform is a very popular solution to people’s cryptocurrency trading needs across the world.

Coinmama accepts payment through credit cards, debit cards and also offline cash handovers. But every transaction using a card, the platform levies a 6% fee. But the advantage of using Coinmama, as is the case with most P2P platforms, is that the transfer of control is almost immediate.

Changelly

Changelly is a cryptocurrency exchange that is based out of Prague. Changelly, as an exchange, is famous across the world for its fast, secure and easy cryptocurrency trades, buys and sales.

The cryptocurrency exchange accepts a whole load of currencies in exchange for the 50 cryptocurrencies it lists. Changelly charges a fixed 0.5% transaction fee on all trades.

Coinbase

Coinbase is another global exchange that is quite popular. It facilitates a whole suite of payment options including bank transfers, SEPA transfer and Interac Online.

It requires an extensive KYC process to be undertaken by all its users and following that it allows users to make fiat:crypto trades. It levies a transaction fee of 1% to 4% depending on where the user is paying from and what type of transaction they are carrying out.

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