How to Buy Bitcoin and Use Coinbase

In my last blog, “Coinbase, Bitcoin, and Crypto are All Going Crazy“, I discussed Coinbase’s DPO that was released on Wednesday, 4/14, and all the hype around its launch and the cryptocurrency market in general. I mentioned that I’ve been keeping a close eye on the cryptocurrency market but I was still skeptical (mainly for not investing sooner). But I finally jumped on the bandwagon and downloaded Coinbase and bought some Bitcoin. I also bought a share of Coinbase (COIN) while I was caught up in the excitement of finally joining the crypto craze.

I’ve used a few different stock trading apps but this the first time I’ve used a cryptocurrency exchange and the process to get started was super simple. First, download Coinbase from your app store and enter your name, email address, and create a password. Then, you enter your bank information or debit card information, this is different than most brokerage apps that require your bank account and routing number. Although, you’re only allowed to buy cryptocurrency when you enter your debit card. You need to enter your bank account information in order to sell, that way the money can be transferred into your bank account if you choose to cash out.

Once you have a form of payment linked to your account, you’re all ready to join the crypto craze! Coinbase’s homepage shows you your portfolio balance, your watchlist, top movers, and some news articles related to cryptocurrency. The tab to the right of the homepage is the Portfolio page, which shows the number of coins, fractions up to eight decimal points over, of Bitcoin or whichever cryptocurrencies you own. This page also shows a line graph displaying the your portfolios performance. The middle blue button is like a quick buy/sell button. The tab to the right of the middle button is the Prices page and displays prices for a huge variety of different cryptocurrencies. This page has tabs towards the top where you can choose to see the top gainers and losers for the day. The last tab on the bottom right is the Settings page that contains your account information, settings, and a help/support section.

I’ve kept a close eye on Coinbase’s share price all day and it was hovering around $333 this morning but then dipped down to around $324 in the later afternoon. I jumped in and bought the dip, so hopefully the price doesn’t drop anymore. I been hearing analysts talk about this stock price possibly going up to $500 in the future. If people are literally buying into the crypto craze like I am, I’m hopeful Coinbase continues its strong growth which will fuel their stock price’s rise.

What are your thoughts on Bitcoin, Coinbase, and cryptocurrencies? Leave me a comment and let me know. Don’t forget to follow my Twitter where I’m constantly posting about investing, the stock market, and cryptocurrency.