Invest in Bitcoin Philippines – Investing in Bitcoin Beginner’s Guide 2021
Please note that we are not authorised to provide any investment advice. The content on this page is for information purposes only.
Want to invest in Bitcoin (BTC) from the Philippines? Don’t know whether to invest with a broker or an exchange? Should you invest in Bitcoin itself or trade it against another currency in a crypto pair?
Below we answer your questions. Further, we look at the pros and cons of Bitcoin (BTC) as an investment and identify the best way to invest as a beginner from the Philippines. We review three reputable and regulated brokers which offer Bitcoin (BTC) investing options and point out the pros and cons.
Table of Contents
Best Broker to Invest in Bitcoin Philippines – eToro
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How to Invest in Bitcoin Philippines – Step-by-Step Guide 2021
To invest in Bitcoin (BTC), you will need to use an online broker or exchange. As a beginner, it is not recommended to use an exchange. Even though you may achieve better exchange rates than with a broker, the buying process with an exchange can be baffling and there is a lot to learn and get right. Crypto exchanges are not for beginners! Use eToro instead for a beginner-friendly experience:
- Step 1: Open an eToro account: Head to eToro. Click the ‘Join Now’ button. Fill out the form with a username, your email and a password. Click the ‘Create Account’ button, and join 20 million other eToro investors.
- Step 2: Verify your identity: As well as proof of ID, you will need to supply a scan of proof of address. Once verified, eToro will email you.
- Step 3: Fund your account: Sign in to your eToro account. Press the blue ‘Deposit Funds’ button at the bottom left of your interface. eToro runs all accounts with US Dollars (USD) as a base currency, so expect a currency conversion fee.
- Step 4: Invest in Bitcoin (BTC): With eToro, you can invest directly in Bitcoin (BTC) or trade it as part of a currency pair. For out-and-out beginners, we recommend trading Bitcoin direct. eToro will store your purchased Bitcoin for free. Or you can use eToro’s crypto wallet to transfer it out of your account and use it somewhere else. Search for ‘Bitcoin’ in eToro’s top toolbar to find its homepage and press the blue ‘Trade’ button to review your options.
Where to Invest in Bitcoin Philippines – Top Bitcoin Brokers Philippines
Your first issue is to choose whether to invest with a broker or an exchange.
As an investor from the Philippines, two popular crypto exchanges available to you are Kraken and Binance. Both offer their services to Phillipino clients. Both offer low commissions on Bitcoin (BTC) transactions.
Investing with a crypto exchange is not recommended for beginners. It can get very complicated and you have to invest a lot of time in learning the ropes. Exchanges are catching up with brokers when it comes to regulation and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, but brokers offer a far more reassuring experience. What’s more, to be safe from crypto theft, you really need to set up your own crypto wallet to store any Bitcoin (BTC) you buy from an exchange.
If you decide (sensibly!) to invest with a broker, your second issue is finding a broker that trades in Bitcoin (BTC) and offers services to Phillipino clients. All three brokers we review – eToro, AvaTrade and Capital.com – do.
1. eToro – Best Overall Invest in Bitcoin Philippines
eToro has forged a reputation as a great place for newbies to get investing in crypto. Since its creation in 2006, eToro has attracted over 20 million investors from 120+ countries. Regulation is provided by 4 sovereign regulators.
No commissions are charged on most trades, although spread fees do apply to crypto transactions.
Bitcoin (BTC) Investment with eToro
With eToro, you can invest in Bitcoin (BTC) in three ways:
- You can trade in Bitcoin (BTC) direct.
- You can trade Bitcoin (BTC) as part of a currency pair.
- You can copy one of the eToro CopyPortfolios which trade in Bitcoin (BTC).
1. Buy Bitcoin direct with eToro
With eToro you can buy Bitcoin (BTC) and own the stock. eToro will hold your Bitcoin. Or you can open an eToro Money crypto wallet and store it there (transfer fees apply).
Search ‘Bitcoin’ in the top eToro toolbar:
Click on the BTC name or icon to head to Bitcoin’s homepage:
Here you can review investor chat on Bitcoin’s eToro feed, as well as look at stats and research. Access charting options by pressing the double-arrow symbol at the top-right of the chart.
And then pressing this button on the top toolbar:
Charting options are … well … optional! You can experiment.
eToro does not charge commission fees on crypto trades. The only fee trading fee that Etoro charges on cryptos (except CFD trades) is a spread. The spread is the difference between the buying price and the selling price you are offered. The buying price will be slightly more than list price, and the selling price will be slightly less. This is how brokers cover their costs.
For Bitcoin wallet, eToro offers its best crypto spread fee of 0.75%.
How does this spread fee percentage work? What it means is that you can expect the difference between the buying and selling price offered to be 0.75% of the buying price.
You can review buying (B) and selling (S) prices for all crypto:
2. Trade Bitcoin with eToro as part of a currency pair
With eToro, you can trade Bitcoin (BTC) against fiat currencies and other crypto.
When you trade Bitcoin (BTC) against a fiat currency (like the Euro), that is called a currency pair. When you trade Bitcoin (BTC) against another crypto, that is called a crypto cross.
Trading one currency against another is the primary means of trade in the forex sector. The most popular currency pair is the EUR/USD pair. This allows traders to bet on the strength of the Euro vs. the American Dollar.
The key thing to remember is that the first currency mentioned (in this case BTC) is the one that you are hoping to rise in value. This is called the base currency. The other currency is called the counter currency. Trading with a CFD, you will benefit from the difference in price between the two currencies.
Crypto exchanges offer multitudes of currency pairs and crypto crosses. But usually you have to own one of the currencies to trade. With crypto crosses, this means having a crypto wallet.
Using CFDs, eToro allows you to benefit from the difference in value between Bitcoin (BTC) and another currency without actually owning any Bitcoin.
With eToro, you can trade Bitcoin as a crypto cross vs cryptos EOS and Stellar.
You can also bet on the price of gold vs Bitcoin:
3. Invest in an eToro CopyPortfolio that invests in Bitcoin
With eToro’s CopyPortfolios, you can copy an expert investment strategy that invests in Bitcoin as well as spread your risk by investing in many crypto at once. eToro offers five CopyPortfolios which focus on crypto.
One example is the CryptoPortfolio (Cryptos by market cap). With it, you can invest in a multitude of crypto, with the proportion of each one mirroring its respective market capitalisation. Here are the top ten holdings of the CryptoPortfolio:
Another eToro CopyPortfolio containing Bitcoin (BTC) is called Napoleon-X. 
This CopyPortfolio uses AI to actively manage investment in crypto pairs: BTC/USD, ETH/USD, LTC/USD, ADA/USD and BNB/USD.
A minimum of $1000 is needed to invest in an eToro CopyPortfolio. Note that a service charge does not apply with CopyPortfolios. But you will be charged spread fees for all transactions carried out on your behalf.
Features
Just as with CopyPortfolios, eToro’s CopyTrader allows you to put aside some funds and have them invested on your behalf. The idea with CopyTrader is that you get to pick expert investors. You can review the performance and risk ratings of their portfolio and decide how much you want to entrust to their decisions. Their real-time transactions will then be carried out using your funds. For beginners, copy trading is a great way to pick up strategies as well as reduce the risk of making mistakes yourself. You can copy many traders at the same time, as well as pull out copying them at any time.
Regulation
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
- Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
- Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission (CySEC).
eToro Fees
| Fee Type | Fee Amount |
| Commission Fee | 0% (for UK and European investors) |
| Spread Fee | Variable dependent on asset |
| Deposit Fee | $0 |
| Withdrawal Fee | $5 |
| Inactivity Fee | $10 monthly fee applies after 1 year of inactivity |
Pros
- 3 ways to invest in Bitcoin (BTC).
- 20 million existing investors.
- Regulated by FCA, FinCEN, CySEC and ASIC.
- Good choice of other cryptos.
- CopyTrader and CopyPortfolios.
- No surprises with fees – really well-explained.
Cons
- No support for MT4 or MT5 platforms.
67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
2. AvaTrade — Best MT4 & MT5 CFD Broker to Invest in Bitcoin Philippines
AvaTrade is a reputable CFD broker with regulation across 7 global jurisdictions. AvaTrade has attracted a discerning client-base of 200,000 investors interested in CFD trading across crypto, stocks, indices, ETFs and commodities.
A dedicated Phillipino website is offered, and AvaTrade accepts deposits via bank transfer or credit card.
Bitcoin Investment
With AvaTrade, you can invest in Bitcoin using CFD currency and commodity pairs. You can invest in Bitcoin vs. the US Dollar, the Euro, the Japanese Yen and Gold. Trades are automatically leveraged at 2:1. Spread fees vary depending on the pair. As you can see from the screenshots below, all information is clearly displayed prior to making a trade.
As a CFD broker, AvaTrader does not burden you with actually owning the crypto. This is only a disadvantage if you want to use Bitcoin as a live currency elsewhere. Using CFDs also means that your account will be run on a margin basis and leverage levels are automatically set, which is not ideal for beginners.
The advantage of CFDs, though, is that you can go short on trades. Newbie investors should check out eToro’s far simpler investing options and gain some experience before considering a margin account.
Features
AvaTrade is particularly well-known for the number of extra trading platforms it offers:
- MT4/MT5: for traders wanting advanced options.
- ZuluTrade: copy trading.
- DupliTrade: copy trading.
- AvaSocial: AvaTrade’s own mobile-only social trading app – great for beginners.
- AvaOptions: AvaTrade’s own platform for trading in financial options – for advanced traders only.
Security
AvaTrade is regulated by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority in South Africa, the Israeli Securities Authority, the Financial Services Agency of Japan, and the Central Bank of Ireland.
AvaTrade Fees
| Fee Type | Fee Amount |
| Commission Fee | NA |
| Spread Fee | Variable dependent on asset |
| Deposit Fee | $0 |
| Withdrawal Fee | $0 |
| Inactivity Fee | $50 per quarter after 3 months inactivity |
Pros
- You can trade Bitcoin (BTC) in currency pairs with CFDs.
- Clear interface.
- Many trading platform options: check out AvaSocial for newbies.
Cons
- Non-activity fees.
- CFDs and margin account only.
- Fixed leverage rates.
71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
3. Capital.com — Established CFD Broker to Invest in Bitcoin Philippines
Like AvaTrade, Capital.com is a specialist in CFDs. The broker welcomes investors from the Philippines.
Capital.com boasts almost 800,000 registered clients and offers access to 3,800 markets in all, spread across shares, crypto, forex, commodities and indices.
Bitcoin Investment
With Capital.com, you can trade the most popular crypto pair in the world: BTC/USD. As with AvaTrade and eToro, spread fees apply.
As with AvaTrade, leverage is set (at 2:1) and an overnight fee applies – because the trade is done with a CFD.
With Capital.com, you can also get your hands (via a CFD trade) on the first Bitcoin Futures ETF to come to the European and US market – the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO). 3 other Bitcoin-related ETFs are currently available, but only if you happen to have access to the Ontario Stock Exchange, Canada, which few retail brokers do.
BITO does not trade off the spot price of Bitcoin. Spot price Bitcoin ETFs are due to hit the market in 2022. In the meantime, crypto enthusiasts have to make do with ETFs that trade in Bitcoin futures contracts. This ETF attracted a trading volume of $1 billion USD on its first day of trading, making it the second-most popular ETF in history.
Features
Check out Capital.com’s own e-learning platform: Investmate. This is an excellent educational facility for new investors.
Regulation
Capital.com offers global regulation:
- Belarus: the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB).
- Cyprus: the Cyprus Security and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
- UK: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Capital.com fees
| Fee Type | Fee Amount |
| Commission Fee | 0% |
| Spread Fee | Variable dependent on asset |
| Deposit Fee | $0 |
| Withdrawal Fee | $0 |
| Inactivity Fee | $0 |
Pros
- Offers major Bitcoin (BTC) crypto pairs.
- Offers the first Bitcoin Futures ETF (BITO).
- Good charting tools.
- Investmate learning platform.
Cons
- User interface takes a while to get used to.
- Margin account and CFD trading only – cannot buy Bitcoin (BTC) underlying stock.
76.7% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Invest in Bitcoin (BTC) from Philippines – Broker Price Comparison
| Broker | Commission | Deposit Fee | Withdrawal Fee | Inactivity Fee |
| eToro | 0% | $0 | $5 | $10 monthly (after a year of inactivity) |
| AvaTrade | 0% | $0 | $0 | $50 per quarter (after 3 months inactivity) |
| Capital.com | 0% | $0 | $0 | NA |
Different Ways of Investing in Bitcoin Philippines
- You can invest in Bitcoin (BTC) direct and hold it with an exchange, broker or in your own crypto wallet.
- You can trade off a currency pair or crypto cross which features Bitcoin.
- You can invest in an eToro CopyPortfolio that invests in crypto.
- Hot off the press in October 2021, you can invest in a Bitcoin futures ETF: Capital.com offers the first to come to the US and European market in the form of the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO).
Investing in Bitcoin Philippines – What are the Risks?
Bitcoin is by far the biggest crypto in the crypto sector, claiming a 44% share. Currently, its market capitalisation is $1.12 trillion USD! Bitcoin has over 19 million followers on eToro, and over 30% of eToro investors have a Bitcoin trading position.
Size is not everything. But, of all crypto, Bitcoin is least likely to run out of steam. This is particularly the case because people actually use it as a currency. El Salvador of Central America has instituted Bitcoin as legal tender, for example. This was met with a mixed response by citizens, but the technology used to implement everyday usage means that businesses accepting Bitcoin do not risk losing out to volatility; a clever move, and one that might successfully inform future implementations of Bitcoin as accepted everyday currency.
Generally, Bitcoin is considered to be the benchmark for the whole crypto sector. This means it is the first to be hit by negative crypto sentiment in the wider financial markets. Volatility is always going to be a risk with Bitcoin until all crypto, and the transactional technologies which underpin them, are accepted as a normal way of doing business.
Bitcoin reached an All-Time-High (ATH) of almost $67,000 on October 20th, 2021. For technical charting enthusiasts, this ATH was significant because it breached the previous highs around the $63,000 mark achieved in mid-April, 2021. Once a previous top has been exceeded, the thinking goes, there is nothing stopping the stock from rising further. Some analysts predict that Bitcoin (BTC) will reach $100,000 by the beginning of 2022.
How to Invest in Bitcoin with eToro
Here’s your four-step strategy to invest in Bitcoin (BTC) with eToro:
Step 1: Open an account with eToro
- Go to eToro.com. Fill out the form: you need only supply a username, your email and a password. Make sure you read the Terms & Conditions and other legal information. Tick the acknowledgement boxes when satisfied. Then click the blue ‘Create Account’ button.
67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Step 2: Verify your account
eToro makes verification as simple as possible. You need to prepare 2 scans: proof of identity and proof of address. For proof of identity, you can use any photo ID. But, for quickest verification, use a scan of your passport.
To verify your address, use any of:
- Credit card/bank statement.
- Phone/utility bill.
- Tax bill/letter.
- Letter from your local council/municipality.
Step 3: Fund your account
You will be notified via email when your account has been verified. This gives you the green light to deposit some funds and get investing. Press the prominent blue ‘Deposit Funds’ button at the lower-left of your screen. This brings up this box.
Top tip: when you withdraw funds, eToro will transfer them using the payment method you used to deposit them. So, if you deposit with credit card, you will get funds back onto your credit card. You can give eToro further options to try if this is not going to work for some reason. But it would be sensible to plan ahead. Withdrawal from any broker is never instantaneous, so weight things in your favour by setting yourself up right.
Step 4: Invest in Bitcoin (BTC)
To review your Bitcoin (BTC) trading options, search for Bitcoin (BTC) in the top search toolbar.
From here, you can access buying Bitcoin (BTC) direct or trading as part of a currency pair.
Review eToro CopyPortfolios that invest in Bitcoin (BTC) by pressing the ‘CopyPortfolios’ button on your left toolbar:
Conclusion
In conclusion, eToro receives our seal of commendation as the best broker to invest in Bitcoin Philippines. With its range of Bitcoin investment options, easy interface and regulated setup, there is plenty to attract the beginner.
Both AvaTrade and Capital.com offer advanced CFD trading options for Bitcoin. Try these out when you have learnt the investing ropes with beginner-friendly eToro.
#1 Broker to Invest in Bitcoin – eToro
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ALSO CHECK:
– Altcoins to Invest in Philippines
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