When many people hear the name Ripple, they immediately think of the third-ranked cryptocurrency by market cap. But Ripple Labs, the company behind the coin, is so much more than a crypto project. The San Francisco-based FinTech firm's super-fast payment processing network has already been adopted by some of the world's biggest banks. And it would appear that the relationship is a two-way street.

Some in the Bitcoin community have always taken an anti-government, anti-fiat, anti-bank approach to their philosophy. Ripple takes the orthogonal side of each of those. - Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. 

With so much of the old guard seemingly on board when it comes to Ripple, XRP has some impressive future growth potential. At a time when digital currencies find themselves near historical lows, any prospective XRP investor may wonder, 'where can I buy Ripple?'

As one of the most popular digital currencies on the market, XRP is available to trade on different exchanges, and many offer the purchasing option by either using fiat or crypto. If you're based in the UK and looking for the best place to buy Ripple coins, look no further than StormGain. It's secure, convenient and practically instantaneous.

What is Ripple (XRP)?

XRP is the primary coin on the Ripple blockchain platform. Ripple is specifically created to enable swift and cost-effective financial transactions. The main purpose of the XRP coin and its blockchain is to provide a means for investors to transfer substantial amounts of money across international borders in a matter of seconds.

What sets Ripple apart from many other blockchains is its lack of decentralisation. It operates under the direct control of a consortium of major banks and financial institutions. These entities own and manage the nodes (servers) responsible for all the computational tasks on the Ripple blockchain.

How can I buy Ripple instantly with StormGain?

Trade Ripple NOW
 

Buying XRP with StormGain is as easy as pie. Once you've registered an account, which only takes a few seconds, you can start buying Ripple right away. Use your debit/credit card, and your XRP purchase will be completed within a short time. The fees and terms are hard to beat. Just check it out!

StormGain's step-by-step guide to buying Ripple

1. First things first, you'll need an XRP wallet. Unlike some exchanges, StormGain provides one automatically, so no worries there.
2. Register an account on StormGain. This process is quick and easy and can be completed in a matter of seconds, with none of the long-drawn-out security checks you get with some platforms.
3. Buy Ripple using your credit/debit card. When you open the StormGain app and sign in, you'll see a button at the top of the screen that says "BUY CRYPTO WITH CREDIT CARD" (see image below).
   
4. Once you click the button above, simply select the cryptocurrency you want to buy (in our case, it's Ripple XRP).
5. Finally, enter your card details as you would for any other transaction, and then click Pay. Don't worry; StormGain is 100% secure, so feel free to save your details for subsequent purchases.
6. Now that you've got your Ripple, you can choose to buy and hold for a guaranteed return of at least 10% annually (Interest on Deposits Scheme), or you can try to play the market by trading with leverage up to 1:200. 
   

Ripple wallets

Before you can buy XRP, you'll first need to get a Ripple wallet. Unlike Bitcoin wallets, XRP ones require a fixed deposit of 20 XRP to keep the wallet open. That means that if you send yourself 1,000 XRP, you'll only really have access to 980. Luckily for StormGain clients, all of this is taken care of, and you're automatically provided with a Ripple hot wallet when you create your account. Users from other platforms aren't quite as fortunate, though.

Get Ripple Wallet
 

Where else can I buy Ripple (XRP)?

If you're asking yourself how you can buy Ripple in the UK and, for whatever reason, you don't wish to purchase your XRP directly on StormGain, there are a few other options available. While there are some exchanges with meagre commission rates out there (e.g. Binance), most of these won't accept fiat. So, in the interest of fairness, our guide will only compare those that allow you to buy Ripple with traditional currency. 

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Coinbase 

Coinbase is the best-known fiat exchange. Following intense popular demand, Coinbase has finally added XRP to its crypto offering. At 3.99% commission on purchases, the cost is significantly higher than on crypto-only exchanges. And unlike StormGain, they don't support credit card purchases, so you're limited to debit card transactions/wire transfers. Additionally, Coinbase clients receive zero interest on their crypto deposits (StormGain pays its users 10% APR on their balances).

Summary of Coinbase purchase/withdrawal costs:

• Instant buys – 3.99% + $0.10 withdrawal fee

• Standard buy and sell – $1.49 + $0.10 withdrawal fee

CEX.io

This is a good option for anyone who is just looking to buy and hold crypto without leverage. It's secure and offers fair commission rates. Users in a wide range of countries can deposit funds via Visa, MasterCard, bank transfer or Crypto Capital, though each method carries different taker-maker transfer fees. Bank transfers are free, though they typically take several days, while card payments are usually quick. One thing to bear in mind is that CEX's verification procedure can take some time and requires you to submit an ID photo, which may make it unsuitable for some users. If you're wondering, 'how can I buy Ripple in the US?', this could be a good fit for you.

A quick breakdown of typical CEX costs:

• Visa payments – 3.5% + $0.25 deposit fee and $3.80 withdrawal fee

• MasterCard – 3.5% + $0.25 deposit fee and a 1.2% + $3.80 withdrawal fee

• Crypto Capital – only 3% withdrawal fee

• Bank transfers – free of charge

PayPal

Why anybody would choose this method is beyond us, but yes, there's a way to buy XRP using your PayPal balance. Be warned, though, it's unnecessarily complicated, and you'll rack up around 15% in total fees. First, you'll need to purchase Bitcoin on a platform such as Localbitcoins. Once you have your (needlessly expensive) BTC, you can then trade these for Ripple on another website, like Binance or Bittrex. Not only is this process much more complicated, costly and time-consuming than making a credit/debit card purchase with StormGain but the use of several different platforms (including a p2p exchange) also makes it inherently riskier.

Peer-to-Peer

As alluded to above, there are p2p exchanges, and some, like Cointal, do offer XRP. However, given Ripple's less popular status, it's much harder to find sale offers than with other coins. Though the fees are lower, there's a relatively large risk that your seller could just abscond with your fiat. That's why many such exchanges recommend meeting face-to-face, a step that is undesirable and impractical for most.

So, how do they all stack up?

Final thoughts

So, there you have it: how to buy Ripple with fiat, summarised in a handy, easy-to-digest format. We've seen numerous different methods, all of which have their pros and cons. Generally speaking, you'll always have to strike some balance between speed, convenience, cost and security. Out of all of the options above, StormGain stands head and shoulders above the rest. With almost instantaneous registration and free hot storage backed by industry-leading security and unhackable encryption, you'll struggle to find a more comprehensive solution. Add to that StormGain's incredible generosity with its Interest on Deposit scheme and the enormous profit potential of leveraged trading, and the choice is clear-cut. Get StormGain now and start earning from day one!

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