Note: This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only. Please note that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset class; only invest what you can afford to lose.
“How to buy XRP on Coinbase” is trending on Google as investors consider buying the Ripple network’s cryptocurrency coin. However, the better query for Google is, “Can you buy XRP on Coinbase?”
In light of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs (the folks behind XRP), Coinbase delisted XRP from its cryptocurrency arsenal. As it stands now, you cannot buy XRP on Coinbase, but there is a legal workaround solution that will help you buy XRP.
How to buy XRP on Coinbase
As of this writing, you can’t buy XRP directly from Coinbase. Coinbase suspended XRP trading on January 19 after the SEC accused Ripple Labs of unlawfully raking in more than $1.3 billion in profits by offering digital-asset securities that were not registered with the SEC.
Ripple Labs argues that XRP is not a security, so it should be exonerated. As the Ripple Labs vs. SEC battle rages on, some crypto investors are still willing to take a plunge into buying XRP. If you want to YOLO and invest in XRP, here’s how you can do it.
Note: Before diving into this tutorial, make sure you’re signed up for Coinbase and have the Atomic Wallet app downloaded on your phone.
1. Sign in to your Coinbase account and click on the Buy/Sell button located at the top-right corner.
2. Click on the “Buy” tab to access the drop-down menu of tradeable assets.
3. Select Stella Lumens (XLM). This is what you’ll use to swap for XRP. XLM is often touted as the best coin for swapping due to its low fees.
4. Depending on how much XRP you’d like to purchase, choose one of the pre-selected amounts ($10, $50, $100, $500, $1,000). You can also click “Custom” if you want to input a specific amount. Take into account that there will be minor fees throughout this process, so make sure to compensate for them.
5. Next, click on “Buy Now.”
How to send XLM to Atomic Wallet and exchange it for XRP
1. Open Atomic Wallet, type in “XLM” in the search bar, and tap on XLM.
2. Tap on “Receive” and copy the XLM address.
3. Open Coinbase and click on the “Send/Receive” located at the top-right corner.
4. Paste the XLM address in the “To” section. Select “XLM” in the “Pay With” section. Click “Continue.”
5. Wait a few minutes for your XLM to arrive in Atomic Wallet. Tap on the “Exchange” tab.
6. Select “XLM” under “You Send” and “XRP” under “You get.” Tap on “Send all.”
7. Tap on “Exchange.”
8. Voila, you’ve turned your XLM into XRP.
Again, keep in mind that cryptocurrency is a highly volatile asset class. Be sure to take proper risk management.