3 Methods for Buying Bitcoin Anonymously
Let’s just dive right into the discussion of how to buy bitcoin anonymously so you can get started right away. Later in the article, we’ll touch on some more specifics related to this topic, so you can get a better understanding of the big picture if you desire.
#1 Buying BTC at Bitcoin ATMs is Your Best Bet
Without a doubt, if you hope to purchase bitcoin as anonymously as possible, you will want to use a bitcoin ATM. This is the method that offers the best overall balance of anonymity, convenience, and safety. If you have been hesitating about jumping into the crypto world because you didn’t know how to get started or how to make a purchase without turning over personal data, a bitcoin ATM is the ideal solution.
Finding an ATM that dispenses bitcoin is getting easier every day, and you should have little trouble finding such a machine in any major metropolitan area. So, why would you opt to buy your bitcoin from an ATM as opposed to the many other options available? Consider the following benefits –
- Anonymity. This is the main point of this article, so we might as well start here. When you purchase bitcoin at an ATM, you can remain largely anonymous while doing so. For example, if you buy bitcoin from an Hermes Bitcoin ATM, you will only need to provide your phone number for purchases of $999 or below. The phone number is simply used to send you a confirmation code that will be entered into the machine before the transaction is completed. So, if you plan to stay under $1,000 with your purchase of bitcoin, you won’t need to produce a photo ID or any other personal information. Simply produce a phone number, supply the machine with the cash that you would like to convert to cryptocurrency, and you’ll be all set.
- Security. Some of the other methods of buying bitcoin can feel a little unsafe, but that’s not a problem here. You’ll be working with a high-tech machine that has all the necessary security measures in place, and you won’t be passing around personally identifying information beyond your phone number (a photo ID would be required for a purchase beyond $999).
- Convenience. Once you know where our Hermes Bitcoin ATMs are located around the Los Angeles area, you’ll be able to stop by whenever you want to add to your collection of bitcoin (or whenever you want to sell bitcoin and turn it back into USD). Making crypto a part of your life shouldn’t be complicated, and using ATMs for your transactions can make it just another part of your daily life.
- Speed. ATMs are a great pick if you want to purchase bitcoin quickly. These machines are connected to the internet and they stay current with the price of bitcoin on the open market. When you visit a machine to purchase bitcoin, the process will typically be completed in just a matter of moments and you can be on your way. Once you see the bitcoin you purchased land in your digital wallet, you will be good to go!
It’s hard to think of a downside to buying bitcoin at an ATM. With so much to like about this approach to buying crypto, there is nothing left to do other than find a location and head out to complete your first transaction.
#2 – Buying Bitcoin in Person
Another option for purchasing bitcoin – or other forms of crypto – is to meet up in person with another human being. While this might seem like a rather “old school” way to do it, buying and selling crypto in person has actually been popular for years. And, in terms of remaining anonymous, this option does score pretty well. In theory, you could hand another person some case, that person could transfer some bitcoin to your digital wallet, and the deal would be done without any other information changing hands.
Unfortunately, there are some rather big drawbacks to this method. First, you would have to find people who want to make a deal, and who live physically near to you. That’s a big hurdle that will make it far more time-consuming to set up a purchase or sale. Also, there is the matter of safety to consider. Can you trust this person you don’t know to deal with you fairly? Will they simply take your money and not deliver the bitcoin? There are plenty of honest people out there, but you’ll have little way to know if you are setting up a deal with someone who has bad intentions.
For most people, this approach just isn’t a practical, sustainable way to buy bitcoin. Unless you are actively involved in the cryptocurrency community and you know many people in your area who are as well, it’s going to be tough to set up in-person deals that are safe and convenient. Turning to something like an ATM for your purchases makes a lot more sense for the average person.
#3 – Non-custodial P2P Exchanges
There are abundant opportunities to buy and sell bitcoin online, of course. However, most of those exchanges do not pass the anonymity test, as you’ll need to turn over quite a bit of information to complete a transaction. However, you can get around that issue by using a P2P – or peer-to-peer – platform to make a deal. Basically, this is like the digital version of the in-person meet-ups we discussed above. You’ll use a P2P platform to find another party for your deal, and the bitcoin can be transferred through a secure technology.
This is certainly more convenient – and a good deal safer – than meeting in person to make bitcoin deals. However, these platforms are relatively small, may not offer great support if an issue comes up, and some are not available for those who live in the United States. P2P exchanges could be useful in some cases but they still lead to more hassles and headaches than what you’ll encounter by using an ATM.
How do You Buy Crypto at an ATM?
So, we have seen so far that bitcoin ATMs are a great way to buy cryptocurrency. But how do they work? Let’s walk through the process of how you buy bitcoin at a Hermes Bitcoin ATM to show you just how simple it is –
- The process starts by finding an ATM near you. You can use our Locations page to track down the best spot to stop and make a bitcoin purchase.
- For purchases of less than $1,000, you simply enter your phone number and wait for a code to arrive on your phone. Then, that code is entered into the machine and you are ready to start your transaction.
- Next, supply the machine with the amount of cash that you would like to turn into bitcoin.
- To have the crypto added to your digital bitcoin wallet, you scan the QR code for your wallet and the bitcoin will be deposited shortly.
- Once you see that the bitcoin is present in your wallet, the transaction is finished and you can be on your way.
It’s a good idea to have a bitcoin wallet in place on your mobile device before you arrive at a Hermes Bitcoin ATM to make the process as seamless as possible.
We Make Anonymous Bitcoin Buying and Selling Easy
Cryptocurrency doesn’t have to be intimidating and it doesn’t have to be complicated. If you want to buy or sell bitcoin, and you don’t want to turn over a trove of personal information at the same time, an Hermes Bitcoin ATM is the best way to do just that. With locations throughout the Los Angeles area, those in Southern California are never far from one of our secure and easy-to-use machines. Whether this will be your first bitcoin transaction or you have been into crypto for years, you’ll be impressed by the service we provide. Buy or sell bitcoin anonymously today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! When you use a bitcoin ATM to buy your crypto, you can complete the transaction while providing nothing other than your phone number (as long as the transaction remains under a specified limit).
Yes, you can purchase bitcoin without turning over your Social Security Number in the process. When you buy or sell bitcoin at an ATM, it will not be necessary to produce your SSN. Depending on the amount of the transaction, you may need to provide only your phone number, or you might need to supply your phone number and a photo ID. Either way, your SSN will not be involved in the transaction.
There are many ways to use bitcoin in an anonymous – or mostly anonymous – manner. For example, if you would like to make a purchase at a store that accepts bitcoin, you can use your digital wallet to transfer the necessary bitcoin to the retailer without producing ID (unless ID is required for another reason, such as the purchase of alcohol or tobacco).
And, if you purchased that bitcoin at an ATM, you may have only needed to use your phone number to acquire the bitcoin, so your ID would not have been involved on that end of the process, either. Of course, you will not be able to use bitcoin anonymously in all applications, so it depends on how much you want to buy, what you want to use the bitcoin to purchase, and more.
Bitcoin ATMs are rapidly growing in popularity. If you are in the Los Angeles area, you’ll be able to find a LA based Hermes Bitcoin ATM in many locations in and around the city. For those in metropolitan areas outside of Los Angeles, ATMs that buy and sell bitcoin continue to pop up in various locations, so a quick internet search should reveal a machine that you can visit without going too far out of your way.
It’s possible in some situations to buy bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with a credit card. With that said, there are plenty of risks involved in doing so, and you won’t be approved to make such a purchase in all settings.
For example, if you want to buy bitcoin at an ATM, you will need to provide cash to complete that transaction – you won’t be able to put your credit card into the machine and receive bitcoin in exchange. If you would like to make this kind of purchase, you are going to need to confirm that it is allowed by your credit card company first.
Also, it’s necessary to check on the policy of any exchange you want to use, as rules and regulations will vary from one to the next.