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Cryptocurrencies
Digital currencies are known for their volatility, but have also offered high returns. Up to the challenge? Discover the 22 currencies available on our platform.
Your advantages
Promising new asset class
Cryptos are a promising new market with rising global liquidity levels
High volatility
Cryptos’ high volatility presents both increased risks, but also unprecedented opportunities
Crypto never sleeps
You can trade cryptos around the clock – 24/7
The Swissquote edge
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• Crypto exchange services: Trade the 22 major cryptocurrencies with low fees and exchange cryptos against fiat currencies.
• The real thing: Don’t settle for indirect exposure via derivatives. Own cryptocurrencies in your Swissquote account.
• Peace of mind: Luxembourg-based Swissquote Bank Europe provides the peace of mind that you need while you pursue your journey into cryptocurrencies.
To the moon!
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Cryptos have been one of the best performing asset classes in recent years. Be mindful of how much and how quickly its value can change and of the potential for gains as well as losses.
Enjoy the crypto-ride with Swissquote.
Major cryptocurrencies
Swissquote offers a total of 22 cryptocurrencies and an infinity of opportunities. Learn more about the benefits of each digital currency available on our platform.
Bitcoin
(XBT)
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"The king and forefather
of cryptocurrencies"
Created in 2009 by a person known as Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin rules over the digital currencies market, making up more than half of the capitalisation.
For the time being, the share prices of altcoins still fluctuate based on Bitcoin. Supporters view the currency as digital gold, whose value will only increase over time.
Discover
Ethereum
(ETH)
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"The smart contract
platform"
Created in 2015 by prodigy Vitalik Buterin, Ether has caused quite a sensation ever since. It is currently the second most important digital currency in terms of capitalisation.
Ethereum allows for the creation of smart contracts that can self-execute automatically, which makes thirdparty intervention unnecessary. Many companies and developers are experimenting with this token.
Litecoin
(LTC)
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"Faster than
Bitcoin"
This top 10 cryptocurrency is inspired by Bitcoin’s technical foundations but offers faster transactions.
With Litecoin, blocks are created every two minutes and thirty seconds, whereas Bitcoin creates a block every 10 minutes.
Mining is also easier and transaction fees are substantially lower.
Ripple
(XRP)
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"The cross-border
payment champion"
This token, created in 2012 by California based company Ripple, is primarily used to accelerate international financial transactions and reduce costs.
XRP acts as a "bridge currency" in the exchange between two currencies that can be used to carry out the entire transaction (send, exchange and receive money) in just a few seconds. XRP holds third place out of all cryptocurrencies, just behind Ethereum.
Bitcoin Cash
(BCH)
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"Bitcoin
revisited"
This token, created on 1 August 2017, is the result of a hard fork with Bitcoin.
It is based on the same blockchain as Bitcoin but is faster and allows for less expensive transactions.
Bitcoin Cash ranks as the world’s fifth-largest cryptocurrency.
Chainlink
(LINK)
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"Decentralised
information"
Operating on the Ethereum blockchain, this token has taken off in the past two years, while the market has virtually all but collapsed.
ChainLink derives from the notion of integrating "off-chain" information, i.e. information not included on the blockchain, to serve the entire ecosystem.
Information is more reliable when based on multiple sources. The project benefits from many partnerships and marks an important step towards decentralised finance.
Ethereum Classic
(ETC)
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"The purists’
choice"
Historically, this is Ethereum as it started. This cryptocurrency emerged from the hard fork within the community after Ethereum was the victim of a major hack in 2016.
While most developers wanted to start over as if the incident had never happened, a handful of diehards chose to move on and accept the situation. Although less popular with developers than Ethereum, Ethereum Classic can recover features implemented on the Ethereum blockchain.
EOS
(EOS)
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"Competition for
Ethereum"
Referred to as third-generation blockchain technology, EOS is based on a concept similar to that of Ethereum with the development of fully decentralized applications (dApps). But unlike Ethereum, EOS uses a delegated proof of stake system, which uses "block producers" to validate transactions.
This choice significantly increases the speed and number of transactions. After a record-breaking ICO completed in 2018, in which it raised $4 billion, the token has grown impressively to seize a spot in the top 10.
Stellar
(XLM)
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"Limitless
payment"
Started in 2014 by the co-founder of Ripple, Stellar is based on the same protocol.
However, while Ripple and its XRP token are focused primarily on financial institutions, Stellar targets the peer-to-peer payments market for transferring small sums of money.
This token has grown admirably over the past few months and is solidly in the top 20.
Tezos
(XTZ)
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"The Ethereum
Killer"
The creators of Tezos are quite happy with the cryptocurrency’s nickname "Ethereum Killer". Like EOS, the token is based on the principle of delegated proof of stake. In other words, stakeholders can earn more Tezos rewards for creating and validating blocks on the blockchain.
The cryptocurrency offers a slightly faster and more secure environment than Ethereum. Its governance model also has the advantage of avoiding forks. Tezos has joined the top 10 and is currently one of the best performing tokens on the market.
Augur
(REP)
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"Decentralised
peer-to-peer protocol"
Built on the Ethereum blockchain, Augur allows token holders to bet on the likelihood that an event will occur. Simply put, users can buy shares of probability.
Prices are adjusted in line with supply and demand, similar to the principle of sports betting.
But with Augur, the outcome of an event is not validated by a central authority. Users themselves verify results, making any manipulation impossible.
0x
(ZRX)
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"Decentralised
exchange"
This Ethereum-based ERC20 token aims to facilitate decentralised exchange on the Ethereum blockchain.
Its designers have developed a protocol that enables the peer-to-peer exchange of ERC20 tokens.
The ICO in 2017 was a success.
0x then spiked in value and has since come back down, but 0x still ranks in the top 50.
Cardano
(ADA)
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"Next generation
blockchain"
Cardano is currently one of the most popular cryptocurrencies. Now a serious contender against Ethereum in executing smart contracts, this open-source blockchain project claims to be faster and more agile.
The project is led by the co-creator of Ethereum, Charles Hoskinson, and supervised by the Cardano Foundation, based in Zug.
Uniswap
(UNI)
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"Decentralised exchange
platform"
Currently one of the most popular decentralised marketplaces, the Uniswap protocol allows holders of ERC20 currency (standard tokens from the Ethereum ecosystem) to trade within the system. Using smart contracts, anyone with an Ethereum address can provide liquidity and gain income without going through an intermediary.
Aave
(AAVE)
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"Peer-to-peer
lending"
The decentralised lending (DeFi) heavyweight, Aave is an open-source cryptocurrency lending protocol governed entirely by its users. Lenders earn interest on their deposits, while borrowers gain access to cash using their cryptocurrencies as collateral.
Underlying this ecosystem is a token of the same name, AAVE, which has registered spectacular growth in recent months.
AAVE holders can participate in protocol governance and pay less in fees.
Cosmos
(ATOM)
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"The blockchain
network"
The Cosmos network provides an infrastructure that allows different blockchains to interconnect and enhances interoperability between systems. ATOM, its native token, powers the hub and is used to pay fees. The cryptocurrency also plays a role in Cosmos governance, as holders can make suggestions to improve the network.
Algorand
(ALGO)
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"Decentralisation
and speed"
The Algorand public blockchain boasts the achievement of combining speed, decentralisation and security, three characteristics that are typically difficult to assemble in a single cryptocurrency. The entire team behind the project is made up of illustrious scientists, such as its creator Silvio Micali, an MIT professor and winner of the 2012 Turing Award (a sort of Nobel Prize in computing). The non-profit Algorand Foundation oversees and funds the development of the protocol.
Filecoin
(FIL)
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"Decentralised
data storage"
This decentralised peer-to-peer network lets people buy and sell storage space. Miners earn FIL, Filecoin’s native token, by renting their storage space, while users pay miners in FIL to store their data.
Maker
(MKR)
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"The system
behind Dai"
Maker plays a key role in decentralised finance (DeFi). MKR is the governance token native to the Maker protocol, a software platform that enables the generation and management of Dai, itself currently one of the most popular stablecoins. MKR grants its holders the right to vote on certain changes to the Maker protocol. Its price is based on the appeal of the Dai ecosystem.
Compound
(COMP)
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"Competing
with Aave"
Alongside Aave, Compound is the other mover and shaker in decentralised finance (DeFi). The Compound protocol allows users to earn interest with cryptocurrencies or borrow funds by pledging cryptocurrencies as collateral. The COMP token powers the Compound ecosystem. Holders can participate in governance, debate and vote on changes to the protocol.
yearn.finance
(YFI)
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"Maximising
returns"
Yield farming is an emerging field in decentralised finance (DeFi) that consists in obtaining the best possible rate of return from across various sector protocols, whether it involves providing liquidity, lending or offering insurance. Yearn is a yield aggregator for platforms such as Aave and Compound. YFI is the governance token for the yearn.finance ecosystem.
Discover the newcomer
Dogecoin
(DOGE)
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"An unexpected
triumph"
This cryptocurrency has been receiving much wow, many interest in the news lately. Initially launched as a joke in 2013, Dogecoin is now supported by a community of very active fans on social media. Its logo features the expressive Japanese dog breed Shiba Inu, best known for its appearance in one of the most famous internet memes. But while the DOGE is fully aware of its zany side, it’s not completely lacking in practicality.
How to buy and sell cryptocurrencies at Swissquote
From your account overview
Scroll down to the crypto-assets section, click on "Go to platform with account", then click "Trade" on the desired currency pair.
Via our eTrading platform
Type the desired crypto, for instance "Bitcoin" or "XBT" in the Search & Trade widget. Select the "Cryptocurrencies" asset class, then trade.
Digital Assets are unregulated in most countries and consumer protection rules do not apply. As highly volatile speculative investments, Digital Assets can become illiquid at any time, and are not suitable for investors without a high risk tolerance. Make sure you understand each Digital Asset before you trade.
Crypto traders are also interested in …
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FAQ - General questions
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You can trade cryptocurrencies directly from your Swissquote mobile app, the eTrading platform or the cryptocurrency service in your eBanking portal.
You must hold a Swissquote Trading Account with cash available in EUR and/or USD, as currently cryptocurrencies can only be traded with these two currencies.
There are no custody fees. The account maintenance fee is free if you trade stocks and/or ETFs at least once a month, and EUR 15 per month when you don’t.
Our trading account includes all that you need for your investing journey. To find out more about your simple and transparent pricing, visit the pricing section of our website.
The minimum buy/sell amount for Cryptocurrencies is equivalent to EUR/USD 25.
The performance graph is available on the dedicated Crypto Asset platform under My account > Account overview > Crypto Assets > Trade > Show details.
Settlement is instantaneous.
Swissquote Bank Europe solely uses Swissquote Bank SA, a Finma-regulated bank in Switzerland, as its digital asset custodian. Swissquote Bank SA relies on the following sub-custodians and liquidity providers: Bitstamp Europe S.A. (Luxembourg), Bitstamp Limited (United Kingdom), Coinbase UK, Ltd and CB Payment, Ltd. (United Kingdom)
While the treatment of Hard Forks and similar events (incl. "airdrops" and other token allocation events) is uncertain from a legal and practical perspective, Swissquote’s current policy in this regard is to make its best efforts to have its concerned clients benefit from such events, the way Swissquote deems appropriate. For more details, please refer to our Policy on Hard forks and similar events and section 12 of our Digital Assets Contract.
Swissquote does not provide tax advice. It is your responsibility to fulfil any tax obligations that you may have depending on your individual circumstances. Swissquote provides details of your cryptocurrency positions in January of each year to help you fulfil tax filing obligations. This information can be found in the «Documents» section of your account.
You cannot transfer cryptocurrency in and out of your Swissquote account.
Swissquote will continue providing access to XRP for as long as the situation allows it. Please be aware that the situation can change quickly. For this reason, it is important that you regularly review your cryptocurrency holdings, specifically XRP, and whether you remain comfortable with the associated risks.