Since launching 12 years ago, Bankless Times has brought unbiased news and leading comparison in the crypto & financial markets. Our articles and guides are based on high quality, fact checked research with our readers best interests at heart, and we seek to apply our vigorous journalistic standards to all of our efforts.
BanklessTimes.com is dedicated to helping customers learn more about trading, investing and the future of finance. We accept commission from some of the providers on our site, and this may affect where they are positioned on our lists. This affiliate advertising model allows us to continue providing content to our readers for free. Our reviews are not influenced by this and are impartial. You can find out more about our business model here.
How to Buy Filecoin Online in 2024
Filecoin is a decentralized file storage and sharing network that uses the power of blockchain technology to provide a secure service. The team behind Filecoin has the vision to store humanity’s most important information with their network. Moreover, using their services requires making transactions with their native coin FIL, which leaves a record of commitments made on the chain.
Today, we’ll cover important information regarding Filecoin to help you decide if it’s a great investment opportunity. This page goes over multiple payment options, key takeaways, and investment strategies.
Key Takeaways
-
Filecoin is a decentralized file-sharing protocol. They have a completely unique product compared to what the overall crypto market offers.
-
Huge firms like Grayscale have investments in Filecoin.
-
Filecoin can see huge growth from the NFT market as it begins to support them on the blockchain.
-
Filecoin is planning to cut its production supply by 50%, making the coin more affordable and increasing demand.
-
This cryptocurrency specializes in storing important information with the power of blockchain technology.
What Is the Difference Between Owning Filecoin VS a Derivative Product
The best method of getting into crypto is buying coins and owning them yourself. This gives you complete control of your currency as you can stake, provide liquidity, and transfer them between accounts freely. Owning Filcoin means you have a portion of the available 147 million FIL, and no platform can control your assets.
However, derivative products like CFDs and ETFs let you invest in Filecoin without owning the coin. They take the current price of Filecoin and let you invest without needing to own the coin. Since derivatives are not real Filecoin, the owner cannot transfer them off the platform. The company that issued the CFD is in control of your money, and you rely on them to provide a fair service.
Different Ways to Buy Filecoin
Since Filecoin is a popular project, it’s available to purchase on various platforms. Take the time to research the options below, as availability depends on your location.
Brokers: Using a broker is an excellent way to get into crypto because they have easy-to-use interfaces. They let you invest in crypto while avoiding complicated trading platforms. However, some brokers provide derivative products, so you won’t own the cryptocurrency.
Decentralized Exchanges: Those who want to buy Filecoin anonymously can use a decentralized exchange. It’s easy to use as you only need to connect your crypto wallet and select the coin you want to purchase. Avoid using ETH-20-based exchanges until Ethereum 2.0 comes out because they currently have huge gas fees.
Centralized Exchanges: Perhaps the best method to buy Filecoin is a centralized exchange because they have the lowest fees. Binance and CoinBase deliver the best user experience due to the straightforward process of buying Filecoin. They also have the best security and are regulated by respected authorities.
Where to Buy Filecoin
Selecting a platform to purchase Filecoin is an important step that you should not overlook. Choosing the perfect platform to meet your needs can become challenging with multiple options available. Thankfully, two major companies provide investment opportunities for FIL.
Coinbase
Coinbase is one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges globally, and is popular for its user-friendliness. It is designed to be easy to use, even for those who have never invested before. It provides access to a wide selection of cryptocurrencies and an expanding range of useful features.
- Access to 250+ coins
- Beginner-friendly
- Educational resources and Learning Rewards
- Fees are higher and less transparent than competitors
eToro
eToro. meanwhile is popular with users of all experience levels thanks to its innovative trading tools and intuitive interface. With eToro, you can practice risk-free in the demo account and replicate the actions of successful FIL traders with the unique CopyTrader feature.
- Innovative features, like copy trading
- eToro has multiple layers of security
- Interface is easy to understand for beginners
- Free deposits
- Higher fees than competitors
- Fewer cryptocurrencies than many exchanges
How to Buy Filecoin Online?
eToro is one of the simplest platforms for buying FIL due to its user-friendly interface. You can purchase Filecoin by following the steps below.
Step 1: Create an Account and Verify It
Open an account with on the official eToro website and complete the verification process.
*Disclaimer: eToro USA LLC; Virtual currencies are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk.*
Step 2: Deposit Funds
Deposit money into your account using your chosen payment method.
*Disclaimer: eToro USA LLC; Virtual currencies are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk.*
Step 3: Select Filecoin
Open the crypto marketplace and select Filecoin to open the trading interface.
*Disclaimer: eToro USA LLC; Virtual currencies are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk.*
Step 4: Click the Buy Button
Write the number of coins you want to purchase and press the “Open Trade” button. The newly purchased Filecoin will then show up in your portfolio.
*Disclaimer: eToro USA LLC; Virtual currencies are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk.*
Crypto Investment Strategy
Having an investment strategy is important when buying cryptocurrency because it can help avoid bad decisions. New investors often experience huge drops in price for the first time and panic sell without proper research. Having an investment strategy can prevent emotional decision-making.
Short-term Holding: This strategy requires you to buy and hold coins for a short period. Once the coin price increases, investors will sell for a profit. Afterward, they wait for the dip to purchase the coin again and repeat the process.
Long-term Holding: Storing coins for long periods is the easiest investment plan because it doesn’t require in-depth knowledge of the crypto market. Invest in strong projects like Filecoin and wait long-term for the value to increase to a price point you’re happy with. Also, you can sell tokens at each price jump to take out profits along the way. This lets you recoup your initial investment and minimize the risks associated with crypto.
Staking and Savings
Staking and earning products such as savings accounts provide a way to generate passive income on your tokens simply by holding them on a platform that offers these services. This strategy can be combined with long-term holding to increase the amount of tokens you hold. Find out more about these options in our detailed guide:
How to Store Filecoin?
Storing your coins is an important step when investing in cryptocurrency. Leaving your Filecoin on an exchange makes them vulnerable since it can get hacked or go offline due to DDoS attacks. Therefore, you should store them in a digital or hardware wallet.
Digital wallets are great for holding small amounts because you can quickly sell, making them viable for the short-term investment strategy. However, only a few crypto wallets are compatible with Filecoin due to their unique blockchain.
On the other hand, hardware wallets are brilliant for holding coins long-term because they have the best security. Although they require an initial investment, the services provided in return are well worth the price. Unfortunately, there are only a few options to store Filecoin on a hardware wallet.
Here are the best options to store Filecoin:
Hot Wallet
-
Exodus Wallet – Get started with Exodus
-
Coinbase Wallet – Get started with Coinbase
Cold Wallet
-
Ledger Wallet – Get started with Ledger
-
Trezor Wallet – Get started with Trezor
What Are the Different Ways to Pay For Filecoin?
Nowadays, investors have multiple payment methods for buying Filecoin. The availability of the payment options depends on the platform you use. You should research this information before signing up. Here are the most common methods for buying Filecoin.
Cryptocurrency
Centralized and decentralized exchanges let users purchase Filecoin with their cryptocurrency. Often investors exchange USDT for Filecoin to reduce fees. Brokers don’t let clients use cryptocurrency as a deposit method to buy Filecoin since they provide derivative products.
- Lets users buy Filecoin anonymously
- Crypto wallets let you purchase Filecoin directly through their built-in exchanges
- All crypto exchanges have crypto as a deposit method
- Transfer times are lengthy depending on the blockchain you use
- Decentralized exchanges built on Ethereum have huge gas fees for buying coins
Bank Transfer
Bank transfers are a secure way to send money to an exchange or broker to buy Filecoin. Also, it has fast processing times, so you can buy Filecoin quickly. Before sending money, always double-check the transfer to ensure everything is correct.
- Straightforward to deposit money
- Reliable and safe transfers
- Available on most platforms
- Banks can deny payments to crypto platforms
- Transfer times can vary and are usually not instant
Debit /Credit Cards
The most popular method to purchase cryptocurrency is with a debit or credit card. Buying coins directly with this option has higher fees. You’ll want to convert your money to a stable coin and then buy Filecoin.
- Widely available
- It’s a straightforward payment method
- Depositing money to a platform is instant
- Buying crypto directly with a bank card has higher fees
- Your bank can deny transfers to crypto platforms
What to Consider When Buying Filecoin
When buying Filecoin, there are a few considerations to make. Below are some factors that should impact your decision when investing in FIL.
Different Fees: Crypto platforms have various costs for buying Filecoin. Take the time to research the best options available in your country to minimize the fees you’ll pay. Also, when withdrawing your crypto to a wallet, a fixed fee is applied. Usually, the cost of withdrawing is paid with the same crypto you’re sending. In this case, you’d be paying with Filecoin.
Volatility: Cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset, meaning the price can swing in either direction. Only invest an amount you can afford to lose and stick to your investment plan.
Regulations and Taxes: Before buying Filecoin, check the laws and taxes regarding cryptocurrency to ensure that your activities will be legal. Only use platforms that are regulated by a government authority. Platforms that are not licensed cannot be trusted since they are not required to deliver a fair experience.
Investment Strategy: Most crypto investors fail before starting because they didn’t take the time to create an investment strategy. Choose a plan that focuses on your goals and stick to it. You may want to set up key sell points that let you take out profits to minimize risk.
Is It Safe to Buy Filecoin Online?
As mentioned above, buy Filecoin from a regulated platform as they have multiple layers of security.
However, before creating an account, look at reviews left by other investors and see what their experience was like. This gives you a feel for the platform and if it can be trusted.
Users can further protect their accounts by enabling 2-step authentication, making it harder to steal your funds. Platforms like Binance let you whitelist your crypto address for extra security. Whitelisting your crypto addresses means that the coins can only be sent to approved wallets. If your account gets compromised, your funds will be safe from getting stolen.
How to Sell Filecoin?
Selling Filecoin is similar to the process of buying. First, go to the trading page of your platform and select the token. Usually, a drop-down menu will appear, letting you choose the exchange pair like FIL/USDT, FIL/ETH, and FIL/BTC. After selecting your currency pair, input the number of coins you want to sell.
Next, review the order of the trade to ensure you’ve made no mistakes. Then click the sell button to execute the trade. Lastly, you can check if the coins have sold by looking at your crypto assets.
Is It Worth Buying Filecoin Right Now?
Filecoin has a lot of use cases and adoption that have made it reach a market cap of 4.3 billion. However, the coin costs $29, falling heavily from its all-time high of $190. While new partnerships can impact the price, it’s evidently a highly volatile cryptocurrency.
Filecoin is led by a team of experts in the crypto space. Their website is well-built and comprehensively showcases everything you need to know about the coin. Filecoin has many use cases for businesses and individuals. FIL is potentially a great long-term investment if they plan to make new partnerships in the oncoming years.
Final Thoughts
The best option for buying Filecoin is through an exchange like Binance to reduce fee costs. These platforms have multiple deposit options and the highest level of security. Lastly, they let you whitelist your wallet addresses and enable 2-step authentication.
Remember that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset, so the prices can swing drastically. Invest what you can accordingly, and don’t make decisions based on emotion.
FAQs
Do I have to be 18 to buy cryptocurrency?
Centralized exchanges and brokers require users to be 18 or older to create an account. However, decentralized exchanges have no age restrictions.
What is Filecoin?
Filecoin is an open-source cloud storage marketplace. The team’s focus is on storing humanity’s most valuable information on their blockchain.
Can I buy Filecoin instantly?
Exchanges let you purchase Filecoin instantly if you place a market order. This takes the best available price for FIL and executes the trade immediately.