The state of North Dakota has plenty of cryptocurrency sites to choose from to facilitate buying and selling of bitcoin. When buying bitcoin, it’s important to choose an exchange that is licensed, reputable, safe and secure. There are also other ways that bitcoin can be acquired in the State. Most notable is bitcoin mining due to the conducive weather and oil supply found within the Sate.
A snapshot of North Dakota Cryptocurrency Market:
- It is legal to buy and sell bitcoin in North Dakota
- Only 18 years old or older can buy and sell bitcoin on an exchange
- North Dakota is a cryptocurrency friendly state.
- The Money Transmitter Act of North Dakota has been amended to include Virtual Currencies
The Peace Garden State, North Dakota is pro-crypto and is among the fastest to implement laws to encourage the development cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Though buying and selling bitcoin is popular (as well as across America), mining activity is the number one block activity.
The state has a natural abundance of resources and perfect weather conditions to be conduscive for mining and operating data centers.
Read further to understand how to buy bitcoin, where to buy bitcoin, the bitcoin and cryptocurrency legality and tax obligations.
Top 5 North Dakota Bitcoin Exchanges
Overview of North Dakota Bitcoin Exchanges
Choosing a North Dakota bitcoin exchange requires assessing various attributes. These attributes are common among all exchanges, but their importance to you may differ to someone else. Your bitcoin strategy, maybe to buy and hold. Or maybe to trade often. Each strategy will determine which the best exchange to use.
The most common attribute assessed are fees. Fees have an impact to your bottomline, and therefore it makes sense to rank this at the top of considerations. This should be balanced with Customer Support which mostly correlates with KYC requirements. KYC can be a lengthy process, if there is inadequate customer support. Other attritbutes such as security, liquidity, payment options is also important in deciding which exchange to use.
We outline the attributes and discus further their importance.
💰 Fees
Look for a low trading fee exchange, but balance other important attributes
Fees are a key attribute particularly if you are intending to trade often. While comparing fee percentage may show minor absolute differences, for example: a charge of 0.1% vs 0.2% is only an absolute difference of 0.1%, the 0.1% difference can actually translate to big dollar trading fee expenses. $1,000 in trading fees becomes $2,000 at another exchange.
Hence, particularly important for long term frequent traders, you should consider the fees (structure). However, be aware that the lowest fees, do not mean, they are the best exchange for you. Low fees tend to correlate to poor customer service. Don’t undervalue the importance of customer service, because you never know when you will need it as some point in time.
Sometime low fees can also be hidden among large spreads. Large spreads discount your buy and sell values, meaning you get less bang for your buck. It’s a way of an exchange clipping into your trade. There are some exchanges which market themselves as ZERO fee exchanges, but they catch you on the spreads.
📞 Customer Support
Don’t underestimate the value of good Customer Support
Professional, prompt and accurate Customer Support is important, particularly if you intend to open a business account, that is, an account for a company, trust or any other structure that is not a personal account. A non-personal account will require additional information for KYC requirements, and typically low trade platforms tend to “let slip” customer support in this area. Hence, you will often find a disgruntled customer that had attempted to open an account with Binance.US or Coinbase, but then gave it because of frustration.
The best exchanges for Customer Support tend to be the new exchanges, such as Crypto.com and FTX.US, and the higher fee charging exchanges such as CEI.IO.
🪙 Bitcoin and Supported Cryptocurrencies
Diversification helps reduce risk
Buying bitcoin is a great investment for the long term. But placing all your eggs into one basket, leaves exposure to the volatility of one cryptocurrency. A common strategy to minimize volatility is to spread your investment across several cryptocurrencies. For an investor who chooses to mitigate their risk with this strategy, they will need an exchange that offers a wide range of coins and tokens that will suit their cryptocurrency goals.
Some exchanges offer hundreds of cryptocurrencies to choose from, while others are limited to the tens or twenties. As long as the exchanges offer the coins that you want to spread your risk across, then its fine.
Choose an exchange that offers the cryptocurrencies that you want to trade with.
🔒 Safety and Security
Safety and security has improved in leaps and bounds since the launch of bitcoin into mainstream
A breach in security often now comes down to individuals being scammed and revealing their bitcoin keys to their wallets. Or, ironically losing keys to their wallets and therefore unable to unlock their bitcoins. All the licensed exchanges now offer customers several layers of protection. Many of the global exchanges even have insurance to protect against any losses suffered from a hack. (please note that the insurance only covers the event on an attack on an exchange and not at an individual customer).
Common layers of security includes 2FA (2 Factor Authentication), white listing IP addresses and withdrawal time limitations.
Regulatory and compliance rules is also required to be met. KYC (Know Your Customer) documentation is an onerous task, but one that must be fulfilled to prevent criminal activity. Anti-Money Laundering is also a requirement of cryptocurrency exchanges, adhered to through the monitoring of suspicious trading activity.
💳 Payment Methods
Ensure the exchange you choose, offers the payment method you want to use
In North Dakota the most common method of deposting and withdrawing is though wire transfers and ACH. Credit cards such as VISA and Mastercard can also be used, but with limits. There are a few exchanges which extend payment methods to e-wallet transfers which includes PayPal, ApplePay and Google Pay.
When selecting an exchange, you may want to consider the payment options of an exchange. Though some may be limited, you can easily transfer your funds to enable an accepted payment methods. Just beaware, that different payment methods will incur different fees and each will have different processing times.
⚙️ Platform Reliability
A reliable platform reduces frustration
With any IT software, especially an online bitcoin exchange, there will always be maintenance required to the hardware and upgrades to the software. Sometimes, IT maintenance will place the exchange offline, to allow for these changes to be made. During an offline period, you will not be able to buy or sell bitcoin. Often the downtime period is very short and does not impact customers. Some exchanges however have had their exchange offline for up to a week. These exchanges are generally the smaller ones that are not global and service a small customer base.
📈 Liquidity
High Liquidity lead to quick transactions
An exchange that has many buyers and sellers can generate liquidity. The facilitating of buying and selling can only be as fast as those who are on the exchange, hence, if an exchange is small, you may find that fulfilling your buy or sell order may take a while. In theory a larger exchange is faster.
Liquidity is not bound to cryptocurrency exchanges alone. The same attribute can be considered for the stock exchange, forex and any other market with buyers and sellers.
Choosing an exchange with high liquidity will enable you to complete buying and selling quicker. This is especially important if you intend to be buying and selling often.
North Dakota Bitcoin Exchange Reviews
There are many exchanges to choose from in North Dakota. We have selected the best and most popular exchanges to review, indicating their history, selection of cryptocurrencies and licensing status.
Binance.US
Binance.US is one of the most popular exchanges in the US and North Dakota. Many see Binance.US as an offshoot of Binance (International), but in fact, the two companies are stand alone. Binance.US however, does utilize the IT platform and experience of Binance, and it clearly shows with their ability to provide a quality service with low trading fees.
The Binance.US platform is one of the best. It is reliable, easy to use and is most suitable for the personal account trader. The KYC process is fast, and will get you up and running in a very short period of time. On the other hand, Business account setups do take longer, and in some cases have extended one month. This is not the norm, but take note that business accounts can be lengthy and will need customer service.
Binance.US supports a good range of cryptocurrencies, including it’s own native coin BNB. Yes, there are some traders that want to diversify from bitcoin with some exotic coins that may not be available, but that is the minority. Overall, you will find a healthy range of cryptocurrencies that you can diversify your exposure into.
The Binance.US platform is downloadable on a mobile app – Android or iOS, but its functionality is not as powerful as the desktop version. Still it is effective to trade when on the move.
Binance.US is a good choice for beginners or personal account holders. It’s fast, intutive, highly liquid with narrow spreads. You will get the most bang for your buck on this platform.
- Money Transmitter License: MT103722
- Cryptocurrencies: 64
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: 0.1% – 0.5%
- Payment Methods: Debit Card, ACH, Wire Transfer
BlockFi – Avoid
** Update: BlockFi was penalized by the US SEC in February 2022. Hence avoid using this exchange. **
BlockFi is not as well known as other exchanges. Its core business is lending bitcoin through the acceptance of deposits (much like a bank). Its trading platform as an exchange is still maturing and can only accept one payment method. Fees are included in the spread, which makes it difficult to determine the actual fee to customers.
If you just want to get started with buying bitcoin, then perhaps give BlockFi a miss. But if you want to borrow and lend bitcoin, BlockFi is a good choice.
- Money Transmitter License: MB103768
- Payment Methods: ACH
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: embedded in the spread
CEX.IO
With over 4 millions customers reaching over 20 countries, CEX.IO is a big exchange that both new starters and experienced buyers of bitcoin are attracted to. Excellent customer support, with reasonable trading fees and high liquidity. CEX.IO supports over 100 cryptocurrencies, which ranks as one of the highest.
The layout and design is intuitive, but probably best for the sophisticated investor with many options. That doesn’t mean that as a beginner it’s not good, it’s just that you may find it overcrowded. CEX.IO has been in the market for over a decade, developing a reputatin of being safe and secure.
Unfortunately, CEX.IO has not obtained a special Money Transmitter license in North Dakota but is permitted to accept residents. There is nothing illegal or untoward with operating in this manner in the State, however our preference is to select an exchange that is State Licensed.
Choose CEX.IO if you are an experienced trader.
- Money Transmitter License: Not licensed but accepts residents
- Cryptocurrencies: 100+
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: 0.15% – 0.25% + deposit and withdrawal fees
- Payment Methods: Debit Card, Credit Card, ACH, Wire Transfer
Coinbase
Coinbase is a well known all rounder bitcoin exchange. It is competitive with low trading fees, although it can be difficult to determine due to it’s complex fee structure. Being listed on the NASDAQ, you can be assured that Coinbase is safe and secure to use. Part of the personal security that it offers to customers is the ability to whitelist IP addresses and put limits and timeframes on withdrawals. At nearly 100 support currencies, Coinbase ranks higher than Binance.US. Lastly, Coinbase is a highly liquid exchange with narrow spreads. Completing a buy and sell order of bitcoin is fast and efficient.
- Money Transmitter License: MT102790
- Cryptocurrencies: 96
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: 0.5% – 4.5%
- Payment Methods: Debit Card, Credit Card, ACH, Wire Transfer
Coinmama
We like Coinmama for its simple and easy to use layout. Very intuitive for beginners, hence the need for Customer Support isn’t as important as other exchanges. In addition to bitcoin, there are other coins that you can select. Trading is confined to simple outright buy and sell, there is no margin lending, stop losses and other hyrbids to consider.
The platform is stable, but only Android is downable for mobile apps. Coinmama does not hold a North Dakota license per se, but trades through a third party provider.
- Money Transmitter License: N/A
- Cryptocurrencies: 96
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: 0.5% – 4.5%
- Payment Methods: Debit Card, Credit Card, ACH, Wire Transfer
Crypto.com (CDC)
One exchange that is shaking up the market in North Dakota is Crypto.com. Employing the services of Matt Damon and LeBron James, the marketing budget is huge. Crypto.com has also purchased the naming rights of what was previously known as the Staples Center, L.A.’s stadium.
Pushing for a flashy image, Crypto.com provides customers with a card that is metal. That’s right, a heavy metallic card that is shiny and bright to buy things with bitcoin. It’s not often said, but customers are drawn to pulling out their metal card rather than the boring plastic credit and debit cards.
Pretentious? Maybe. But behind the glamour Crypto.com does offer a fantastic service. The trading fees are very low, comparable to Binance.US, FTX.US and Coinbase. It’s mobile app is strong and reliable in both iOS and Android versions.
Lastly, as with Binance.US, there is a Crypto.com native coin (CRO), which can be earned when trading on the platform.
- Money Transmitter License: N/A
- Cryptocurrencies: 96
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: 0.5% – 4.5%
- Payment Methods: Debit Card, Credit Card, ACH, Wire Transfer
eToro
Forex exchange was and still is remains the key business for eToro. However it is looking to branch out into the cryptocurrency market. It’s a natural progression because the functionality is exactly the same. With eToro’s history of trading in currency, the platform has developed into a leading, reliable, user friendly exchange.
eToro says that its trading fees are zero. Which is true. But the catch is that their spreads are wide. So wide that eToro ranks as one of the most expensive platforms to buy bitcoin with.
Getting started with eToro is very fast and simple. The customer support is fantastic, but is limited to only 27 cryptocurrencies to trade with.
- Money Transmitter License: MT103394
- Cryptocurrencies: 27
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: zero (but huge spreads making eToro more expensive than Binance.US and Coinbase).
- Payment Methods: Wire, ACH, PayPal, e-wallets
FTX.US
FTX.US is a cryptocurrency exchange and a NFT trading platform. Alongside Crypto.com, FTX.US is splashing out a big marketing campaign to capture the US market, including North Dakota. Huge partnerships have been established with sport teams nationally. As a brand ambassador, FTX.US has employed the services of Tom Brady (who is also a significant shareholder of FTX.US).
The FTX.US layout is very sharp, and intuitive to use. But it supports a limited number of cryptocurrencies at only 20. Nevertheless, bitcoin is available and the trading fees are extremely low (in some cases even cheaper than Binance.US).
FTX.US is fast capturing a great market share in the US, increasing its liquidity for its customers and also providing narrower spreads. FTX.US is a great exchange to use if you just want to buy and hold bitcoin.
- Money Transmitter License: MT103940
- Cryptocurrencies: 20
- Mobile App: iOS and Android
- Fees: 0.4% – 5.0%
- Payment Methods: Wire, ACH, PayPal, e-wallets
Bitcoin ATMs
North Dakota is a small State of the US, but it punches above it’s weight when it comes to bitcoin cryptocurrency, innovation, development and law changes. Surprisingly, for a state that is small, there is a huge selection of Bitcoin ATM providers. The market is very much alive and open, with an ATM located in all of the major cities, even in little Willison.
The small airport in Williston, North Dakota was the first to install a bitcoin crypto ATM, on a government owned infrastructure. This ATM was strategically placed at the international airport to enable passengers and vistors the convenience of buying and selling bitcoin among another 40 virtual currencies. The installation is referred to as a kiosk, and kept maintained and kept securely on the airport premises. Williston only has a small population of 29,000 (in 2019), hence on surface it may seem surprising to establish a crypto ATM in this location. But it does have many fly in, fly out visitors due to its resources of oil and natural gas.
Not only does the kiosk facilitate the buying and selling of bitcoin, it also offers the convenience of withdrawing cash (just like any normal ATM).
Extending beyond Williston, you will find other ATM Providers that includes: BudgetCoinz, BitStop, Bytefederal, DigitalMint, CoinSource, Rockitcoin, CoinFlip, Bitcoin Depot, PureCoin, Bitcoin of America, Coin Cloud, Versa Exchange, National Bitcoin ATM, QuadCoin, ATM Coiners, Coin Genie, Coin Mover, Crypto Dispensers, Cash 2 Bitcoin, GetCoins.
Although bitcoin ATMs offer a lot of convenience, they charge astronomically high fees. Far better to use an online cryptocurrency exchange than to use a bitcoin ATM if you are looking to save.
North Dakota Cryptocurrency Tax Ruling and Rates
In the state of North Dakota, bitcoin buyers must pay tax on any realized capital gains to the IRS. Any realized capital losses can be carried forward to the next tax year, but this depends on the overall tax assessment of the individual.
The IRS requires buyers of bitcoin to be able to support their trading with form 1099 submissions. Many of the top bitcoin exchanges have reports that can be downloaded and used for tax lodgements. Some exchanges even have reports that can interface with tax software.
Calculating tax on bitcoin can be extremely complicated. We highly recommend seeing a tax professional when calculating tax in North Dakota.
Bitcoin Cryptocurrency Laws and Legislation
North Dakota has attempted on numerous occassions to move forward with developing and clarifying cryptocurrency laws within the state. That said, its Money Transmitter laws do not directly reference cryptocurrency in the form of either virtual or digital. As a result, licensing of a cryptocurrency exchange in the State is optional. And therefore you will find some exchange are not State licensed but continue to accept residents of North Dakota./
The State has issued guidance from the Department of Financial Institutions with the disclosure of NDCC 13-09
In 2019 several bills and resolutions were attempted to be passed via the House and Senate. Among them include SB2100 (failed), H.C.R. 3002, 66th Leg. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (failed), H.C.R. 3004, 66th Leg. Assemb., Reg. Sess (failed), H.B. 1043, 66th Leg. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (failed).
HB1048 – successfully passed the House. It’s purpose and scope was to “research and develop the use of distributed ledger-enabled platform technologies, such as blockchains, for computer-controlled programs, data transfer and storage, and program regulation to protect against falsification, improve internal data security, and identify external hacking threats. Research must include efforts to protect the privacy of personal identifying information maintained within distributed ledger programs.”
In regards to State taxes, North Dakota attempted to establish the definition and clarity of a market facilitator, which naturally failed, since the Money Transmitter Act has yet to include virtual currencies explicitly.
One last bill that was successful was the amending of contract law to include electronic signatures, smart contracts and blockchain technology – HB1045.
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Wallets
When buying bitcoin, you will need somewhere to store it. The larger exchanges in North Dakota often have a facility to store you bitcoin at their exchange. In the past, hackers were able to penetrate and steal bitcoin and some exchanges, but the security has now greatly improved.
Bitcoin can also be stored at your own peronsal hot and cold wallet. A hot wallet is storage that is connect to the internet. It offers greater protection than being held on an exchange. A cold wallet storage is not connected to the internet, and is the safest of all storage. However, with cold storage, you personally must take ownership of the storage key. If it is lost, it is normally irretrievable.
Minimum Legal Age
It is legal to buy and sell bitcoin on an exchange in North Dakota, if you are 18 or older.
Summary
- North Dakota has a wide selection of bitcoin exchanges to choose from. The best exchanges will depend on your investment strategy. To sign up and create an account at an exchange you will need to complete KYC details and make a deposit.
- In addition to exchanges, you can buy bitcoin at ATMs. ATMs are convenient but charge a higher fee than an exchange.
- There are other ways of acquiring bitcoin. Mining is very popular, and also the receiving bitcoin for the exchange for goods and services.
- Realized capital gains are taxable in the eyes of the IRS. The tax rate is dependents on whether it is short or long term.
- The application of sales tax has yet to be determined, hence currently there is no sales tax.
- Legally, North Dakota residents must be at least 18 years old to buy and sell but coin at an exchange.
How to Lodge a Cryptocurrency Customer Complaint
If you have any complaints with trading with cryptocurrency in North Dakota, please initially attempt to resolve the matter directly with the provide
If the complaint remains unresolved, contact the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions.
North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions
2000 Schafer Street, Suite G
Bismarck, ND 58501-1204
Telephone: 1-701-328-9933
Email: dfi@nd.gov
https://www.nd.gov/dfi/file-complaint