In 2017, XRP exploded in both popularity and price. While some believe this was a pump-and-dump situation, the cryptocurrency continues to gain momentum through the early months of 2018. I think this is a good start for the token, but it has a long way to go with a bright future. Although I believe XRP is a great investment opportunity, keep in mind that any investment is a risky affair. Do invest with caution and be sure to read this guide to get the best tips when purchasing XRP.
Easy Ways to Aquire Ripple Coins
There is a myriad of ways to purchase Ripple. The most used method is with the assistance of Bitcoin. As investors of the original cryptocurrency are always looking for financial opportunity, exchanging one token for another is common practice. However, there are more traditional options such as bank transfers and credit/debit card. Below, we’ll examine each method in greater detail.
Buy Ripple with Bitcoin
The most convenient method to acquiring Ripple is through the use of Bitcoin. Typically, most exchanges will offer a BTC:XRP trading pair if they offer XRP. If you don’t have any Bitcoin, you are able to purchase some from any exchange with traditional currency.
Purchase XRP with EUR and USD
If you don’t want to go through the added step of obtaining Bitcoin, most marketplaces will allow users to spend common fiat currencies to directly purchase XRP. Having a credit/debit card for easy access is a great way to get Ripple at willing. The available currencies are typically restricted to EUR and USD, but others are accepted at particular exchanges.
Credit or Debit Cards
Using your standard bank card is one of the safest ways to purchase XRP due to the data security standard of these cards with modern PCI DSS technology. While bank transfers in bulk charge low fees and using Bitcoin will charge you only a small network fee, using your card is one of the more expensive options. In the case of CEX.IO, check the table below for listed fees.
| Card Type |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
  |
Commission: 3.5% + $ 0.25 | Commission: 3.5% + € 0.24 |
Wire Transfer
The greatest aspect of wire transfers is that they are easy to understand and have high limits associated with them. This method is very secure due to AML and KYC policies. These ideas are the foundation for protecting bank customers. Know Your Customer (KYC) involves financial industries being required to verify your identity before processing transactions. The only downside is that wire transfers can take several days to complete.
How to Buy Ripple on an Exchange?
Buying Ripple on an exchange is a simple process, and the cryptocurrency’s website provides a list of marketplaces that offer it. You can trade fiat money directly for XRP or use a token trading pair such as ETH:XRP or BTC:XRP to receive it. Using CEX.IO as an example, we will learn how to get started one step at a time.
Create an Account
Creating an account, while easy, involves several verification steps. This is common on secure sites such as CEX.IO. The first task you’ll need to complete is to create your account using a personal e-mail account, phone number for SMS text verification and a password that meets complexity requirements. An alternative option is to link your account to social media sites such as Facebook. Once this is done, you’ll need to receive and enter the designated confirmation code. After this, you’ll be required to finish a final 4-step verification process.
Buy/Sell
By now, you’ll definitely be eager to exchange XRP. With CEX.IO, select the buy/sell tab and navigate to Ripple. Choose your preferred native currency and then you’ll be required to write in your credit/debit card information to continue. Another form of verification at this stage is required with pictures, but this is just a security precaution. Alternatively, you can always link your bank account and use a transfer over the course of a few days. The exchange menu will explain all of these options. One of these options is Bitcoin if you have a cryptocurrency wallet.
Trading
Terminology is everything when getting into trading. Placing a purchase order sounds simple enough; select an amount of XRP at a certain price and the money will be deducted from your account. However, there are two types of buy orders. The first is a “market” order which instantly buys the token at the median market price. A “limit” order specifies a price and waits until a matching offer is initiated. Different marketplaces charge varying fees for these transaction types. Pairs for XRP include XRP:BTC, XRP:EUR, XRP:USD, and so forth.
Withdrawal
To get your Ripple off an exchange and safely inside your wallet, use the withdraw feature. You can move your XRP to a wallet such as a software or a hardware one such as Ledger. It’s important to remember that you must check twice your input information. Otherwise, your currency could be lost. If you want to constantly trade your XRP, keep it on the marketplace for easy liquidity.
FAQ
Is It Possible to Mine Ripple?
What Happens if the Ripple Network Gets Flooded?
What to Do When Sent XRP didn’t Arrive?
How Many Financial Institutions Started to Work with Ripple?
A Few Words About Ripple
XRP is one of the most traded coins, being beaten only by the biggest tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Ripple was designed for the specific purpose of being a payment method for banking. Basically, its goal is to minimize the time and effort needed in banking and financial institution transactions. It combines the best in security and speedy payment times with a wide spread of initial and potential investors coming into the market every day.
Wallets
Oddly enough, Ripple wallets have a small booking fee associated with them. This is to combat users who would spam addresses. 20XRP is taken to create the account, which means you’ll likely not want to make more than one wallet. Before you decide on a wallet, do your research on the most popular ones so you don’t waste 20 tokens for no reason.
Security should be your top priority, with simplicity being a close second. If the latter is what you’re after, then Toast Wallet is a good option as an open-source wallet. You are constantly in the driver’s seat with this wallet as your private keys are always in your grasp.
An alternative to that wallet is Exarpy. While there is no external party involved with this wallet, there is a very small charge of 0.025XRP on each transaction. This is a reasonable amount to pay for convenience. The absolute best way to store your coins is with a hardware wallet such as the Ledger Nano S. Your coins are stored offline and your private keys are totally safe from hackers. You can take your XRP with you anywhere in a secure environment with the Ledger — what’s not to love? 🙂