Note: This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only. Please note that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset class; only invest what you can afford to lose.
“How to buy XRP in the USA” is trending on Google as investors consider buying the Ripple network’s cryptocurrency coin. However, XRP isn’t as widely available as it used to be.
In light of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs (the folks behind XRP), Coinbase delisted XRP (opens in new tab) from its cryptocurrency arsenal. As it stands now, you cannot buy XRP on Coinbase, but there is a legal workaround solution that will help you buy XRP.
How to buy XRP
As of this writing, you can’t buy XRP directly from Coinbase. Coinbase suspended XRP trading on January 19 after the SEC accused Ripple Labs of unlawfully raking in more than $1.3 billion in profits by offering digital-asset securities that were not registered with the SEC.
Ripple Labs argues that XRP is not a security, so it should be exonerated. As the Ripple Labs vs. SEC battle rages on, some crypto investors are still willing to take a plunge into buying XRP. If you want to YOLO and invest in XRP, here’s how you can do it.
Note: Before diving into this tutorial, make sure you’re download the Atomic Wallet app and get onboarded.
1. Open the Atomic Wallet app.
2. Tap on “Buy” on the bottom taskbar.
3. Under “You send,” input how much XRP you’d like to buy and select your fiat currency.
4. Under “You get,” select XRP.
5. Tap on “Continue.” Please note there is a 5% fee.
6. This will bring you to Simplex’s check out page. Fill out your card details, untick “Save card for my future purchases,” and tick “I have read and agreed to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.” I’d also recommend unticking “I’d like to receive occasional e-mail offers.”
7. Click Next.
8. You should get a verification code sent to your email address. Once you input the code into the pop-up window, your order should be processed.
9. If you don’t see XRP in your wallet right away, don’t fret. It should take a few minutes to appear.
How to buy XRP in New York (and other non-friendly crypto states)
Unfortunately, the third-party provider Simplex, which facilitates Atomic Wallet’s card purchases, doesn’t service every region. If this is the case for you, there is a workaround solution using Coinbase (opens in new tab).
1. Sign in to your Coinbase account (opens in new tab) and click on the Buy/Sell button located at the top-right corner.
2. Click on the “Buy” tab to access the drop-down menu of tradeable assets.
3. Select Stella Lumens (XLM). This is what you’ll use to swap for XRP. XLM is often touted as the best coin for swapping due to its low fees.
4. Depending on how much XRP you’d like to purchase, choose one of the pre-selected amounts ($10, $50, $100, $500, $1,000). You can also click “Custom” if you want to input a specific amount. Take into account that there will be minor fees throughout this process, so make sure to compensate for them.
5. Next, click on “Buy Now.”
How to send XLM to Atomic Wallet and exchange it for XRP
1. Open Atomic Wallet, type in “XLM” in the search bar, and tap on XLM.
2. Tap on “Receive” and copy the XLM address.
3. Open Coinbase and click on the “Send/Receive” located at the top-right corner.
4. Paste the XLM address in the “To” section. Select “XLM” in the “Pay With” section. Click “Continue.”
5. Wait a few minutes for your XLM to arrive in Atomic Wallet. Tap on the “Exchange” tab.
6. Select “XLM” under “You Send” and “XRP” under “You get.” Tap on “Send all.”
7. Tap on “Exchange.”
8. Voila, you’ve turned your XLM into XRP.
Again, keep in mind that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset class. Be sure to take proper risk management.
