Where To Buy Cardano in USA – Learn How To Buy Cardano Today in 2023

Fact Checked by Gary McFarlane

Please note that we are not authorised to provide any investment advice. The content on this page is for information purposes only.

Cardano (ADA) is a digital currency that has enjoyed a rapid price increase since the turn of 2021. If you are wondering how to buy Cardano in the US in the safest and cheapest way possible – this guide is for you.

Within it, we walk you through the investment process step-by-step and review the best brokers that allow you to buy Cardano from the comfort of your home.

#1 Broker to Buy Cardano – XTB

Where To Buy Cardano in USA – Overview of the 5 Best Brokers

In order to buy Cardano in the US in a safe and cost-effective manner, you will need to choose a suitable broker. Below you will find an overview of the best brokers that allow you to buy Cardano online.

  1. XTB – Overall Best Place to Buy Cardano
  2. Coinbase – Great Way to Buy Cardano for Beginners
  3. Binance – Best Place to Buy Cardano for Asset Diversity
  4. Coinmama – Buy Cardano With a Debit or Credit Card
  5. Webull – Buy Cardano From Just $1

Looking to skip the jargon and buy Cardano in the US right now? If so, follow the simple 4-step walkthrough below to buy Cardano in under five minutes!

How to Buy Cardano in USA – A Quick Guide For 2023

  • Step 1: Open an Account with XTB – We found that XTB is the best broker to buy Cardano in the US – as the platform offers low fees and is regulated by the SEC for your safety. To get the ball rolling with XTB, you will need to open an account by entering some personal information.
  • Step 2: Upload Your ID – The SEC does not permit anonymous cryptocurrency investments, so XTB will ask you to upload a copy of your government-issued ID. Your document will be verified in under two minutes.
  • Step 3: Deposit Funds – You can now deposit some money into your XTB account. The minimum first-time deposit for US customers is $50. You can choose from a debit/credit card, ACH, or online banking – all of which are fee-free.
  • Step 4: Buy Cardano – The final step is to search for Cardano and click the ‘Trade’ button. In the ‘Amount’ box, enter the size of your Cardano purchase and confirm by clicking ‘Open Trade’.

By following the above quickfire guide, you’ve just learned how to buy Cardano with an SEC-regulated broker that offers super-low fees!

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. Proceed at your own risk.

Where to Buy Cardano in USA – Full Broker Reviews

The first thing you need to do when learning how to buy Cardano in the US is to find a suitable brokerage firm that lists ADA tokens. Some of the key metrics to look for when selecting a broker include regulation, supported payment methods, ease of use, and customer service. And of course, you also need to look at what fees and commissions the Cardano broker charges.    

To fast-track the research process for you, below you will find a selection of the best online brokers that allow you to buy Cardano safely and in a low-cost manner.

1. Coinbase – Best Way to Buy Cardano in the US for Beginners

Buy MANA at Coinbase

Next up we have Coinbase – a US-based cryptocurrency broker with over 68 million customers on its books. The investment process at Coinbase is very straightforward, as it’s just a case of opening an account and going through a quick KYC process. Then, you can choose to deposit funds via a debit/credit card or ACH. If opting for the former, this will allow you to buy Cardano instantly. Although this option is arguably the most convenient, you will be required to pay 3.99% in transaction fees.

This once again highlights why XTB is so popular in the US, as debit/credit card deposits are executed without any charges. Coinbase does, however, allow you to deposit funds via ACH on a fee-free basis. But, your deposit can take several days to process. When the funds do eventually land in your Coinbase account, you can then place a buy order on Cardano. This will attract a standard commission of 1.49% per slide. This means that you will again pay 1.49% when you decide to sell your ADA tokens back to US dollars.

coinbase review

If the aforementioned fees fit into your investment budget, you will be pleased to know that Coinbase offers lots in the way of security. For example, if you decide to keep your ADA tokens in your Coinbase account, 98% of your digital funds will be kept in cold storage. This simply means that the funds are kept offline at all times – subsequently ensuring that hackers have no way of accessing your tokens. Two-factor authentication is also required to access your Coinbase account – which is also a major safeguard in keeping your funds safe.

Pros

  • One of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges
  • More than 68 million users
  • Supports instant debit card purchases
  • Dozens of digital currencies to choose from
  • Institutional-grade security practices

Cons

  • Debit card deposits are expensive at 3.99%
  • You will pay a standard trading commission of 1.49%

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. Proceed at your own risk.

2. Binance – Best Place to Buy Cardano in the US for Asset Diversity

Binance is often the go-to cryptocurrency exchange for traders – not least because it offers some of the lowest commissions in this industry. The exchange is also home to the largest daily trading volumes and now serves in excess of 100 million customers. If you’re based in the US, Binance has a dedicated platform that is offered exclusively to Americans. This will give you access to 50 cryptocurrencies that you can buy with your debit or credit card – which is inclusive of Cardano.

The fee charged by Coinbase on Visa and MasterCard purchases stands at a reasonable 0.50%. To benefit from this simple and low-cost way of buying Cardano, Binance will ask you to complete a quick KYC process. Once again, this is industry standard when investing in digital assets with US dollars. In addition to the 50 cryptocurrencies supported by the Instant Buy feature, Binance offers lots of other markets on its main exchange.

binance review

This will allow you to buy, sell, and trade crypto assets at a commission rate of just 0.10% per slide. This means that for every $100 traded, you will only pay $0.10 in fees. If you want to keep your ADA tokens stored in your Binance account for added convenience, the exchange offers two-factor authentication, IP and device whitelisting, and a Safe Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). The latter is in place to protect user account balances in the event the exchange is compromised by a remote hacking attack.

Pros

  • Facilitates billions of dollars in daily trading volume
  • Supports hundreds of digital asset pairs
  • Near-instant deposits via debit/credit card
  • Trading commission starts at just 0.1% per slide
  • Offers crypto savings accounts
  • Ideal for both beginners and experienced traders alike

Cons

  • Not all supported cryptocurrencies can be purchased with a debit/credit card
  • No e-wallet deposits or withdrawals

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. Proceed at your own risk.

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. No EU investor protection. 67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

3. Coinmama – Easily Buy Cardano in the US With a Debit or Credit Card

Coinmama is an established cryptocurrency broker that was first launched in 2013. Since then, the platform has facilitated buy and sell positions for almost 3 million customers from over 188 countries. Coinmama is particularly popular with those looking to buy cryptocurrencies in a simple and burden-free way. This is because once you have registered an account and uploaded a copy of your ID – you can instantly invest in digital assets with your debit or credit card.

In addition to Cardano, you can also buy, XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Dogecoin, and several other tokens. Unlike the other brokers and exchanges discussed so far, Coinmama does not offer an online wallet. On the contrary, when you set up your Cardano purchase, you will be required to paste in your ADA wallet address. Put simply, this means that if you are uncomfortable with how private keys or digital wallets work – Coinmama might not be the right platform for you.

coinmama review

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, we found that Coinmama is one of the most expensive Cardano brokers in the online space. First and foremost, you will pay a transaction fee of 5% when using your debit or credit card. Next, there is a mark-up of around 2% when you buy Cardano. Additionally, you will also need to pay a buy commission – which averages 3-5% depending on the volume of your order. And, if you want to use Coinmama to sell your ADA tokens when you are ready to cash out – you’ll pay a further commission of 3.90%!

Pros

  • Easy to use platform
  • Buy crypto directly with a debit or credit card
  • KYC process is fairly simple
  • Plenty of supported digital tokens
  • Good reputation

Cons

  • Super expensive fees
  • Forced to withdraw crypto to a private wallet

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. Proceed at your own risk.

4. Webull – Buy Cardano in the US From Just $1

webull review

If you are looking for a US-centric brokerage that allows you to buy Cardano with a small amount of money – Webull is a good option to consider. This is because Webull – as it does with all of its supported asset classes, allows you to buy Cardano at a minimum of just $1. This means that you can find your feet in the digital currency arena without needing to risk too much capital. Such a small minimum requirement is also great for diversification purposes.

For example, in addition to Cardano, Webull offers over a dozen other crypto assets. This means that you can allocate a few dollars to a number of different projects and thus – build your exposure to the cryptocurrency arena slowly. When it comes to fees, Webull is a 0% commission brokerage firm. You will, however, need to assess the spread on each purchase that you make. Webull notes that cryptocurrency spreads start at 1%, but we found this to be higher on certain tokens – including ADA.

webull review

The other thing to note about Webull is that it does not allow you to buy Cardano with a debit or credit card. Instead, you will need to add funds to your account via a bank wire or ACH. While the latter is free of charge, the former will cost you $8 per deposit and $25 on each withdrawal. On top of crypto assets, Webull also offers thousands of stocks and ETFs – which is also handy should you wish to create a diversified portfolio.

Pros

  • User-friendly trading app for both iOS and Android devices
  • 0% commission policy across all assets
  • No minimum deposit
  • ACH deposits and withdrawals are fee-free
  • Regulated in the US
  • Invest from just $1

Cons

  • Crypto spreads start at 1%
  • Too basic for experienced traders
  • No support for e-wallets or debit/credit cards

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. Proceed at your own risk.

How to Buy Cardano in the USA – Detailed & Explained in Full

Earlier in this guide, we provided a quickfire overview of how to buy Cardano in the US with XTB. However, for those of you that have never invested in crypto assets previously – this mini-walkthrough might not have been sufficient for your skillset. 

If you need a little bit of guidance on how to buy Cardano online – follow the detailed tutorial outlined in the sections below.   

Step 1: Open a Crypto Broker Account

We noted earlier that XTB is the best Cardano broker in the crypto industry – not least because it is regulated by the SEC, offers super-low fees, and is really easy to use. To get the ball rolling with XTB, you will need to head over to the broker’s homepage and elect to open an account.

This will require you to enter some personal information – such as your name, address, and date of birth. You’ll also need to provide your email address and cell phone number alongside a username and password.

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. Proceed at your own risk.

Step 2: Upload ID

By using XTB to buy Cardano – you know that you are using a regulated and credible broker. This is because the platform requires all new customers to upload a copy of their government-issued ID. Once you upload your passport or driver’s license, XTB will verify the document near-instantly.

Step 3: Deposit Funds

Now you can add some capital to your XTB brokerage account. First and foremost, all supported deposit methods can be used on a fee-free basis. This includes debit/credit cards, ACH, and online baking. Secondly, the minimum deposit for US clients stands at just $50.

If you want your deposit processed instantly so that you can proceed to buy Cardano without delay – opt for a debit/credit card.

Step 4: Find Cardano

To save you from having to browse the full asset library at XTB, it’s easier to enter ‘Cardano’ into the search box.

When you see ADA pop up (like in the image above), click on the ‘Trade’ button.

Step 5: Buy Cardano

To complete your investment, you will need to set up a buy order. After you clicked on the ‘Trade’ button in the previous step, an order box would have appeared – like in the example below.

All you need to do here is enter the amount of capital that you want to invest in Cardano. The minimum is just $25 at XTB. Finally, click on the ‘Open Trade’ button to confirm your Cardano purchase – and XTB will instantly add the ADA tokens to your portfolio!

Buy Cardano – Best Place to Buy Cardano

When learning about the ADA investment process, you also need to think about the best place to buy Cardano. This will ultimately be a choice between a cryptocurrency broker and an exchange – which we briefly explain below.   

Online Cryptocurrency Broker

When you buy Cardano in the US from a cryptocurrency broker – you will be purchasing the ADA tokens directly from the provider. This makes it super-easy to invest in Cardano – especially if you are a beginner.

An additional advantage of buying Cardano from a broker is that you will likely be using a regulated entity. For instance, XTB is authorized and regulated by the SEC and approved by FINRA.

You can also use US dollars to pay for your Cardano purchase when using a broker that is regulated by the SEC. At XTB, the platform supports USD deposits via ACH, online banking, and even debit/credit cards.

Cryptocurrency Broker

There are over 100+ cryptocurrency exchanges that list ADA. The key problem is that most of these exchanges are not regulated by a reputable body like the SEC. For example, the likes of BitZ, Bitkub, Flybit, and CEX.io all attract huge Cardano trading volumes, but whether these platforms can be trusted remains to be seen.

cardano trading sites

Furthermore, if the cryptocurrency exchange in question does not have the legal remit to accept USD deposits, you will likely need to fund your account with an alternative digital asset. Ultimately, when thinking about the best place to buy Cardano – it’s best to stick with a regulated brokerage that supports US dollar payments.

Ways to Buy Cardano

Whether you decide to pay with a debit/credit card, e-wallet, or online banking – there are many ways to buy Cardano in the US. each deposit/withdrawal method comes with its pros and cons – which we briefly discuss below. 

Buy Cardano With Debit Card

You can buy Cardano with a debit card at XTB. You will not be charged any deposit fees when using this payment method – which we save you lots of money. For instance, Coinmama charges 5% to use a debit card and Coinbase requires 3.99%! 

Buy Cardano With Debit Card Now

Buy Cardano With Credit Card

The same fees apply at XTB when using a credit card – meaning that you can make a deposit with no transaction charges. However, take note, your credit card issuer might charge an additional fee when using this payment method to buy crypto – so be sure to check this before proceeding.

Furthermore, some credit card companies do not permit cryptocurrency purchases, albeit, this is usually a policy implemented by smaller financial institutions.

Buy Cardano With Credit Card Now

Buy Cardano With Paypal

Looking to buy Cardano with Paypal? If so, this popular e-wallet is supported by XTB. You can also use XTBto buy Cardano with Neteller and Skrill.  

Buy Cardano With Paypal

Buy Cardano With Bitcoin

If you currently have some BTC tokens stored in a private wallet, why not use them to pay for your Cardano investment? In doing so you can complete the process in minutes with a cryptocurrency exchange that requires no KYC process.  

Buy Cardano Now

Why Buy Cardano?

Cardano is without a doubt one of the best performing cryptocurrencies of 2021. But, this doesn’t mean that you should go ahead and buy Cardano without first doing your own research and crucially – ensuring that you have a firm grasp of the underlying risks.

Below we explain some of the reasons why you might decide to add ADA tokens to your portfolio – to help point you in the right direction.

Price Action

Starting with the historical price action of Cardano, ADA tokens were first launched on public exchanges in 2017. Cardano was initially priced at just over $0.025, meaning that for every $100 invested you would have received 4,000 tokens.

cardano price

At the start of 2021, Cardano price was just over $0.18. In comparison Then, in May of the same, Cardano breached that all-important $3 level. This means that over the course of just five months, ADA tokens increased in value by over 1,500%.

As of October 6th, 2021, ADA price has receded to $2.14 alongside a general crypto selloff. As Bitcoin price begins to reach higher above $50,000, ADA is expected to recover incrementally towards the end of 2021.

Proof-of-Stake

Cardano uses the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism to verify transactions on its network. This is a much more efficient process in comparison to Bitcoin – which uses the Proof-of-Work system. For instance, it is believed that by the end of 2021, the entire Bitcoin network will consume more energy than the entire nation of Pakistan.

This is because Proof-of-Work is super energy-inefficient – as it requires a significant amount of energy to validate transactions. The Proof-of-Stake mechanism, on the other hand, allows the Cardano network to confirm transactions with little energy consumption.

Staking

An additional benefit of the Proof-of-Stake system utilized by Cardano is that investors can ‘stake’ their ADA tokens.

  • In a nutshell, staking refers to the process of locking up your ADA tokens for a certain period of time – with the view of contributing to the verification and confirmation of network transactions.
  • If you’re wondering why you might be motivated to do this – the answer is simple. By staking your ADA tokens, you will receive interest.
  • This is payable from the fees collected by the network for as long as you decide to engage in staking.

Depending on your chosen Cardano staking platform – you might find that the APY on offer stands at over 10%. 

The Cost of Buying Cardano

One of the most important things to consider when learning how to buy Cardano is the fees that you will be required to pay. Some fees, such as commissions, are easy to understand and assess. Others, such as the spread, are not so simple.

To ensure you know exactly what your chosen Cardano broker is charging you – check out the sections below.

Deposit Fees

The first fee that you will likely come across when buying Cardano is linked to your chosen payment method. For example, Coinmama charges 5% to buy Cardano with a debit or credit card – which is huge. Coinbase isn’t much better – with the popular US-based exchange charging 3.99% on Visa and MasterCard payments.

etoro crypto

You then have platforms like Binance, which charges just 0.5%. With that said, XTB is by far the cheapest option in the market when it comes to deposits – as the broker allows you to fund your account on a fee-free basis. This is the case not only with ACH and online banking but debit and credit cards too.

Commissions

Once you’ve checked what deposit fee will apply for your chosen payment method, you then need to assess the Cardano broker’s commission structure. This is usually displayed as a percentage – which is then multiplied by your total investment stake.

For example, Coinmama can charge a buy commission of up to 5%. This means that for every $1,000 of ADA tokens you purchase – you will pay a commission of $50.

The Spread

While deposit fees and commissions are pretty easy to grasp – the spread is a bit more challenging to comprehend. This is because the spread is essentially a hidden fee that inexperienced cryptocurrency traders might not be aware of. For those unaware of how the spread works, it’s the mark-up between the bid and ask price.

For example, if the difference between the two prices when buying Cardano amounts to 2%, then you are paying a mark-up of 2% to enter the market. In other words, you need the value of your Cardano investment to rise by 2% just to break even.

cardano price today

Most of the Cardano brokers that we came across do not advertise the spread – so you often need to calculate this yourself. What we can say is that cryptocurrency spreads at XTB start from just 0.75% – which is especially competitive when you consider that the broker does not charge additional commissions.

How to Sell Cardano

Once you have purchased Cardano from XTB (or your chosen regulated brokerage), the best option in terms of storage is to keep your ADA tokens in your portfolio. This means that when it comes to selling your Cardano investment back to US dollars, you can do this at the click of a button. Once you do, you will be able to withdraw the proceeds back to your preferred payment method.

The other option that some investors take is to store their ADA tokens in a private wallet. This might come in the form of a mobile, hardware, or desktop wallet – where the investor will be 100% responsible for safekeeping their private keys. If you decide to take this option, you will need to transfer the ADA tokens to an exchange before you can sell. This adds an unnecessary step to the end-to-end investment process.

How & Where to Buy Cardano in USA – Conclusion

By reading this guide on how to buy Cardano in the US – you should have everything that you need to proceed with a safe investment. We concluded that XTB is the best brokerage site for the job – not least because it is regulated by the SEC and approved by FINRA.

By completing your ADA token purchase with XTB, you only need to meet a minimum deposit of $50. Regardless of whether you decide to fund your investment with a debit/credit card, ACH, or online banking – XTB charges nothing in the way of deposit fees.   

XTB – Best Broker Buy Cardano

XTB logo

Cryptoassets are highly volatile unregulated investment products. Proceed at your own risk.

FAQ

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About Kane Pepi PRO INVESTOR

Kane Pepi writes for several high profile publications such as InsideBitcoins, the Motely Fool, and Learnbonds. Based in Malta, Kane is extremely skilled at complex subjects related to financial matters - including a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, a Master’s Degree in Financial Crime, and actively engaged in Doctorate Degree research, for the money laundering threats of the blockchain economy.