How to buy Ethereum in Australia safely (2021)
Summary: The cheapest exchange to start buying Ethereum in Australia is CoinSpot. Their platform boasts the largest user based with over 1 million customers in Australia, and have the lowest fees to buy ETH at 0.1% for a market order.
Is Ethereum Legal in Australia?
Yes, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has issued very clear guidelines around taxation of crypto assets like Ethereum. Ether, the native currency of Ethereum, is treated like an investment in stocks such as Tesla or Apple for tax purposed.
How do I buy Ethereum in Australia?
For new investors looking to buy ETH in Australia, you will need to firstly sign up to a trusted cryptocurrency exchange that allows you to buy the ETH asset.
With over 250 different crypto exchanges that enable you to invest in ETH, the guide below helps you breakdown which exchange best suits your needs.
The best ETH exchanges
The list below provides a high-level overview of all of the top ETH exchanges in the country. Quickly compare platforms to find which best suits your investing needs.
Australia's largest exchange for Ethereum and DeFi coins
CoinSpot is widely regarded as the most user friendly exchange for newbies in Australia to get started with Ethereum and cryptocurrency.
They offer over 120+ different cryptocurrencies and altcoins on an easy to use platform with an instant buy feature. Although it may not be the most cost effective option for savvy users to buy Etheruem in terms of fee's as their instant buy option for ETH is usually around 1%.
Pros
- Local Australian exchange
- Easiest way to buy Ethereum Australia
- Easy to use interface
Cons
- Fees for instant buys are 1%
- Market spreads can be high
Payment Methods
Australia's most trusted Ethereum exchange
Independent Reserve is Australia's longest running and most trusted cryptocurrency and Ethereum exchange.
Their easy to use platform enables users to instantly buy Ethereum with low fees using AUD, NZD or USD. Independent Reserve have the best fee structure in Australia starting at 0.05% up to 0.5%.
Pros
- Australia's most trusted Ethereum and crypto exchange
- Lowest fees to buy crypto in Australia
- Instant deposits for AUD, USD and NZD
Cons
- User interface can be confusing for new buyers
Payment Methods
Buy Ethereum in Australia with the lowest fees
SwyftX are a cryptocurrency exchange based in Brisbane, Australia who offer low fee investing and trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum and other DeFi coins. Their platform is extremely easy to use and is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Their exchange offers a suite of products including instant buy, market order, limit orders, automatic dollar cost averaging and much more.
Pros
- Low fee option to buy Ethereum
- Extremely easy to use platform with the best features
- Secure and trusted brand in Australia
Cons
- Platform only trades in USD, which requires an FX fee
Payment Methods
Trade Ethereum with Leverage and more on FTX
FTX is one of the best exchanges in Australia to buy Ethereum through spot (normal) investing, or with leverage of up to 100X. FTX is a trusted and globally recognised exchange that enables instant AUD deposits for Australians to buy ETH and over 100 different cryptocurrencies.
You can learn more about their platform through our comprehensive FTX Review, or our shorter breakdown of FTX Fees.
Pros
- Buy Ethereum and DeFi coins in Australia
- Clean and easy to use iOS and mobile application
- Low trading fees
Cons
- Leveraged trading Ethereum can be risk for newbies
Payment Methods
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A new and low fee option to purchase Ethereum
Digital Surge is a leading digital asset exchange in Australia that enables easy onboarding and low fee trading for Ethereum and over 100 other cryptocurrencies.
Their platform offers a uniquely user-friendly experience with one of the cleanest dashboards and trading user-interfaces around the world.
Pros
- Purchase Ethereum in Australia with the lowest fees
- Easy to use platform with clean portfolio dashboards
- Multi-layered security for secure custody of Ethereum
Cons
- Credit Card transactions not supported
Payment Methods
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Buy Ethereum and earn interest on your ETH with Gemini
Gemini is one of the most well-known exchanges in the world that was founded by the popular Winkelvoss twins. Based in New York, they are one of the safest and most well regulated exchanges around the world. Their platform offers customers in Australia an easy way to buy Ethereum and earn interest on their holdings through Gemini Earn.
One downside for Australian residents is that verification and deposit times can be slow. This is where we would recommend a local exchange like CoinSpot for fast onboarding and deposits.
Pros
- Earn interest on your Ethereum with Gemini
- A cheap way to buy ETH and other cryptos
- Secure and reputable brand
Cons
- Slow onboarding and deposits for Australian residents
Payment Methods
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The worlds largest and most trusted exchange
Coinbase is a world renown cryptocurrency exchange that allows you to buy Ethereum in Australia with a debit card or credit card. Their instant payment method with debit cards and credit cards make them one of the easiest and fastest ways to buy ETH in Australia.
It is important to note that their fees for instant purchases are extremely high, starting at 3.99% per transaction when you buy Bitcoin in Australia and other cryptocurrencies.
Pros
- Buy Ethereum with a debit or credit card
- Globally renown cryptocurrency exchange
- Easy to use interface for new users
Cons
- Very high fees at 3.99%
Payment Methods
Easy and fast onboarding for SMSF accounts
Cointree is an Australian run and regulated digital asset exchange that allows you to buy Ethereum and over 100 different cryptocurrencies.
Their platform boasts over 80,000 users since being founded in early 2013. They offer an easy to use platform, a wide variety of crypto's, great on-boarding for SMSFs and much more.
Pros
- Over 100 different cryptocurrencies to buy
- Very easy to use user interface
- Great to buy Ethereum with your SMSF
Cons
- Fees higher than competitors for a buy
Payment Methods
A new and easy to use Australian crypto exchange
Coinstash is a relatively new cryptocurrency exchange in Australia that allows users to buy Ethereum (ETH) on their platform.
Based in Brisbane, Australia - Coinstash is a rapidly growing exchange in the space that has a clean and easy to use UI for both new and seasoned investors in the space to get onboarded with the top cryptocurrencies.
Pros
- Low fees across al markets
- Clean UI and easy way to buy Ethereum
Cons
- Relatively new exchange in Australia
Payment Methods
Buy Ethereum in Australia through a friendly mobile app
Founded in 2014, Zebpay serves over 3 million customers worldwide and has enabled $3 billion dollars in Ethereum and cryptocurrency trading.
Their platform is open to users in Australia to buy ETH. They are one of the few exchanges to offer an easy to use web and iOS/Android application.
Pros
- Easy to use mobile application
- Buy Ethereum on mobile or web
- Fees are slightly below industry average
Cons
- Small range of cryptocurrencies
- Not a purely Australian exchange
Payment Methods
A secure option to buy large amounts of Ethereum
BTCmarkets is a leading order book exchange based in Melbourne, Australia that allows users to buy Ethereum as well as 20 other cryptocurrencies.
They are one of the longest running exchanges in the country and are well known for their deep liquidity for large Ethereum buys and low fees.
Pros
- Low fees and instant deposits
- Great liquidity to buy Ethereum
- Trusted brand in Australia
Cons
- User interface is confusing
Payment Methods
Purchase ETH in Australia with your SMSF
Coinjar is a cryptocurrency exchange based in Melbourne Australia that offers a simple way to buy Ethereum through both their web and mobile applications. Their easy to use platform provides generous daily limits for deposits and withdrawals, as well as no deposit fees for users who are looking to purchase Ethereum with BPAY or PayID.
They are one of the few cryptocurrency exchanges in Australia that have developed a native Android and iOS app - which is one of the simplest ways to buy ETH in the country.
Pros
- Easy to use iOS and Android App
- Good selection of cryptocurrencies
- Buy Ethereum with your SMSF on Cointree
Cons
- Instant trading fees higher than market average
Payment Methods
An easy to use, but expensive option in Australia
Easy Crypto Australia is a retail friendly shop front exchange that enables users to buy Ethereum, Bitcoin and over 40 other cryptocurrencies within minutes.
They offer an easy to use point and click interface, alongside managed wallets for you to hold your crypto all in one platform.
Pros
- Instantly buy over 45 cryptocurrencies
- Hold and manage your Ethereum on hosted wallets
Cons
- Fee of 1% which is high
- A new and lesser known exchange
Payment Methods
What is Ethereum?
Ethereum is a cryptocurrency that was the brainchild of Vitalik Buterin which serves as a decentralised computing platform to enable developers to build dApps or decentralised applications. They do this by leveraging smart contracts, which is a functionality native to Ethereum and their coding language solidity. The token of Ethereum is ETH and it serves as the currency for the platform and will soon be used to stake on the platform for people to accrue fees from transactions on the network.
Can I buy Ethereum Shares in Australia?
Yes you can buy Ethereum shares as an Australian resident. Read our complete guide on how to buy Ethereum with CommSec to learn more.
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