Pocket Bitcoin Review: Accumulate BTC Easily
In this Pocket Bitcoin review, we explore this service for seamlessly buying Bitcoin with your bank account. Is this the simplest method for acquiring BTC? Let's uncover the answer.
What Is Pocket Bitcoin?
Pocket Bitcoin is a fully web-based service that empowers users to buy Bitcoin with fiat currency (EUR or CHF) directly with their bank accounts and receive it into their software/hardware wallets.
Basically, the entire process of converting fiat currency into Bitcoin is exceptionally innovative and, crucially, 100% non-custodial. Pocket Bitcoin seamlessly transfers your Bitcoin from their account to your specified Bitcoin address.
You have the option to input your Bitcoin address or seamlessly connect your hardware wallet. Pocket Bitcoin will securely store your xpub key to enhance operational security, ensuring that each transaction is executed through a newly generated address.
Notably, there's no requirement for KYC/AML verification, registration or the creation of an account. All that's needed is a simple transfer of funds from your bank account to the one provided by Pocket Bitcoin.
👉 Click here to join Pocket Bitcoin and get EUR 5.00 in free BTC with the code BLOCKDYOR.
| FEATURE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 🌐 Website | pocketbitcoin.com |
| 🏙️ Location | Lupfig, Switzerland |
| 📅 Year Founded | 2020 |
| 💰 Primary Token | Bitcoin (BTC) |
| 📈 Listed Crypto | Bitcoin only |
| 💱 Trading Pairs | BTC/EUR, BTC/CHF |
| 💵 Supported FIAT | EUR, CHF |
| 🌍 Supported Countries | Available in many European countries |
| 💰 Minimum Deposit | 1 CHF/EUR |
| 💸 Deposit Fees | No deposit fees for bank transfer |
| 💰 Daily Buying Limit | EUR 950 / CHF 1000 |
| 💱 Trading Fees | 1.5% |
| 💸 Withdrawal Fees | Network fees for buying |
| 📱 Mobile App | TBA |
| 💬 Customer Support | 24/7 customer support available through live chat, email |
How Pocket Bitcoin Works?
Pocket Bitcoin operates in an elegantly straightforward manner, offering perhaps one of the most user-friendly method for purchasing BTC. It seamlessly transforms your fiat bank transfers into Bitcoin and subsequently directs them straight into your personal Bitcoin wallet.
Furthermore, you have the option to establish recurring payments or engage in one-time, lump-sum Bitcoin purchase. The Bitcoin you buy is sent automatically, as soon as your payment is received by Pocket Bitcoin.
In the event that you are using Pocket Bitcoin for the first time or establishing a new bank connection, there might be a slight delay in your purchase, typically taking a few minutes to clear manually.
Additionally, if there are any issues with the transfer, such as missing reference numbers or reaching predefined limits, your purchase may experience delays.
Pocket Bitcoin Features
Pocket Bitcoin makes of simplicity it's primary feature. But if you explore enough into the app you will see that it has some features that are peculiar and extremely useful.
Bitcoin Only, Buy Only
To begin with, this exchange is unapologetically focused on one primary objective: the purchase of Bitcoin and only Bitcoin; there are no alternative offerings.
This streamlined approach allows the team to channel their efforts, time, and resources exclusively toward optimizing the Bitcoin experience without any diversions into other cryptocurrencies or endeavors.
Connect Your Hardware Wallet
We are well aware of the critical importance of self-custody, and Pocket Bitcoin has seamlessly based this concept into their platform. You have the option to directly link your hardware wallet, such as Bitbox, Trezor, Ledger, Coldcard, and various others, or simply input a Bitcoin receiving address.
When connecting a hardware wallet, you can securely share your entire wallet's xpub key with Pocket, ensuring that every payout is directed to a freshly generated, unused Bitcoin address.
Kraken Quotes
The issue most of the smaller exchanges often lies in their high spreads. For instance, it's puzzling to encounter an exchange with low fees, yet the Bitcoin price on their platform stands at 26,000 dollars when other exchanges list it at 25,000 dollars – that's a 4% markup. This scenario has been observed on competing small exchanges, including those similar to Pocket Bitcoin, and it can be rather vexing.
Fortunately, Pocket Bitcoin takes a different approach. Notably, there are no concealed extra fees embedded within the exchange rate. They consistently pass on the most up-to-date exchange rate, typically sourced from Kraken, directly to you. Pocket's revenue is derived from the fees, which we'll delve into further in the following sections.
Pocket Bitcoin Quick Review
If you're short on time to read the entire Pocket Bitcoin review, you can glance at the concise version below. Here, we assign scores to each crucial aspect to consider for a bitcoin exchange.
| Category | Feature | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 🔐 Privacy & Security (31/50) | ||
| 🕵️ Non-KYC | The exchange doesn't enforce the KYC to every user | 10/10 |
| 🔐 Non-Custodial | The exchange is non custodial, users can withdraw their funds | 10/10 |
| 👥 Peer To Peer | The exchange doesn't offer P2P trading | 1/5 |
| 🌐 Decentralization | The exchange is centralized | 1/5 |
| 🔒 Encryption | The exchange encrypts all confidential data transfers | 5/5 |
| 🌐 TOR Connection | It's not possible to connect to the exchange with TOR | 1/5 |
| 📂 Open Source | Some software used by the exchange is open source | 2/5 |
| 📱 2FA | The exchange doesn't offer two-factor authentication | 1/5 |
| 🚀 Features (40/50) | ||
| 🖥️ User-Friendly UX | Very easy to use, clean UX | 5/5 |
| 💵 Fiat Onramp/Offramp | Only onramp | 4/5 |
| 💸 Taker Fee | 1.5% | 5/5 |
| 💸 Maker Fee | 1.5% | 5/5 |
| 💸 Withdrawal Fee | Based on the Bitcoin network current mempool fees | 5/5 |
| ☎️ Customer Service | Available via chat and ticket | 4/5 |
| 📚 Documentation | Plenty of documentation on the official website | 5/5 |
| 🚮 Altcoins | No altcoins supported | 1/5 |
| ⚡ Lightning Network Withdrawal/Deposit | The exchange support the possibility to withdraw/deposit Bitcoin using the lightning network | 5/5 |
| 💧 Liquid Network Withdrawal/Deposit | Not possible to withdraw or deposit Bitcoin with the liquid network | 1/5 |
| 🧱blockdyor Score (71/100) |
How To Buy Bitcoin With Pocket Bitcoin
Getting started with Pocket Bitcoin is quite easy. Follow these steps to buy Bitcoin with Pocket Bitcoin.
- First of all, click on the link down below to visit the official Pocket Bitcoin homepage.
👉 Click here to join Pocket Bitcoin and get EUR 5.00 in free BTC with the code BLOCKDYOR.
- From the homepage, slick on "Set up now" to get started.
- Click on "Select wallet" to continue.
- Click on "On your existing Bitcoin wallet" to continue.
- Click on Other in order to paste your receiving address, or select one of the hardware wallets.
- First, input your Bitcoin address, and you'll receive a request to produce a message signature to confirm access to your Bitcoin address.
- Subsequently, you'll be guided to complete the payment using the funds from your bank account, transferring them to Pocket Bitcoin's designated account.
- Once Pocket Bitcoin confirms the receipt of your wire transfer, your BTC funds will be promptly delivered to you.
Congratulations, you just bought Bitcoin using Bitcoin Pocket.
Pocket Bitcoin Fees & Limits
Fees
Pocket Bitcoin charges a simple 1.5% service fee for their Bitcoin transactions. This fee covers all associated costs, ensuring there are no hidden charges in the exchange rate. Users receive the most current exchange rate from sources like Kraken.
In addition to the service fee, there is a Bitcoin network fee deducted from each payout, which varies over time. Pocket consolidates multiple payouts into single Bitcoin transactions, distributing the network fee among users. This results in an average network fee of around 500–1000 satoshis per payout or approximately 10–25 cents.
If a user makes multiple purchases to the same Bitcoin address in one day, they may only incur the Bitcoin network fee once.
| Fee Type | Amount example (EUR) | Amount example (BTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Service Fee (1.5%) | 100 EUR | 0.00228554 BTC |
| Network Fee | - | 0.00000039 BTC |
| Total BTC Received | - | 0.00228515 BTC |
Limits
There is no minimum purchase requirement; you can buy Bitcoin with as little as 1 EUR or CHF if you prefer. Pocket Bitcoin operates as a soft-KYC exchange, meaning you are not required to provide identification for purchases within specific limits. ù
This leniency is a result of Pocket Bitcoin being based in Switzerland, where regulations are more relaxed. Consequently, you can buy Bitcoin without the need for registration up to the following limits:
- CHF 1000 per transaction per day
- EUR 950 per transaction per day
If you happen to surpass these limits, Pocket Bitcoin may request you to verify your identity through a brief video call, conducted via email. All that's needed is an identity document and a few minutes of your time. It's worth noting that such an identification request may occur even if the limits have not been exceeded.
Who Created Pocket Bitcoin?
Founded in 2020 by Davic Knezic, Pocket Bitcoin became accessible to the public in June 2021.
The team behind Pocket Bitcoin is notably youthful, yet their dedication shines through, as they've developed one of the most seamless and hassle-free services for purchasing Bitcoin without the need for KYC procedures.
Is Pocket Bitcoin safe?
Pocket Bitcoin operates as a fully licensed and regulated Swiss company, overseen by a team of passionate Bitcoin enthusiasts, which instills a sense of security in its services. Additionally, Pocket Bitcoin recently expanded its offerings by acquiring Bitkipi, further fortifying its portfolio.
Pocket Bitcoin, operated by Pocket App GmbH based in Lupfig, Switzerland, is committed to ensuring safety and security for its users. Here are key aspects of their safety and security measures:
- Swiss-Based Company: Pocket App GmbH is a Swiss company registered in the Swiss Handelsregister under the registration number CHE-449.515.715. Being Swiss-based provides a degree of regulatory oversight and adherence to Swiss financial regulations, known for their stringent standards.
- Virtual Currency Services: The company's primary purpose is to provide services related to virtual currencies and information technology. This includes facilitating the purchase and sale of virtual currencies, developing and operating computer systems, and engaging in the trade of hardware and software. Their focus on virtual currencies suggests a commitment to maintaining secure practices within this industry.
- Transparency: Information about the company's leadership, such as David Knezic and Matthias Koller, is publicly available. Transparency in leadership is often associated with responsible business practices.
- Financial History: Information regarding the company's financial history and capital is available, indicating a degree of financial stability. This can be an important factor when considering the safety of a platform.
Pocket Bitcoin App
Many reviews mention the Bitkipi app as a recent acquisition by Pocket Bitcoin, potentially for using the service on their official website. However, while this is true, there are no links to Bitkipi from the Pocket Bitcoin website.
Therefore, exercise caution before downloading and using the Bitkipi mobile app for Bitcoin transactions, especially as it has not been updated since 2022.
In the interim, I've found that Pocket Bitcoin is developing an Android app available for download on the Google Play Store. It's worth noting that this app is not promoted on the official Pocket Bitcoin website at the time of writing, suggesting it may still be in the evaluation phase.
Considering that Pocket Bitcoin is fully functional in its web-based form, it's recommended to use the web version for the best experience, and you may hold off on using any mobile app for now.
Pocket Bitcoin Pros & Cons
The platform only supports Bitcoin purchases (no possibility to sell). Address ownership verification involves signing a message with your private key. While it may be inconvenient for cold storage users, it offers benefits like Kraken price quotes, low fees, and strong hardware wallet support.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Low fees | ❌ No selling BTC |
| ✅ Kraken quotes | ❌ To receive BTC you must sign a message with your private key |
| ✅ Vast Hardware wallet support |
Pocket Bitcoin Alternatives
Pocket Bitcoin's primary rivals include Swiss-based Bitcoin-only exchanges. These competitors benefit from soft-KYC procedures and offer higher daily purchase limits.
| Pocket Bitcoin | Relai | Hodl Hodl | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧱 blockdyor Total Score | 71/100 | 72/100 | 95/100 |
| 🕵️ Non-KYC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 🔐 Non-Custodial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 👥 P2P | No | No | Yes |
| 💵 Fiat Onramp/Offramp | Only onramp | Yes | Yes |
| 💸 Taker/Maker Fees | 1.5%/1.5% | From 2.5%/2.5% | From 0.3%/0.3% |
- Relai: A mobile app for buying, selling, and accumulating Bitcoin. By using the promo code BLOCKDYOR, users can enjoy lower fees compared to Pocket Bitcoin. It also provides the option to sell Bitcoin and is non-custodial, relying on a 12-word mnemonic for wallet access. Like Pocket Bitcoin, it offers soft-KYC options, allowing purchases of up to 950 CHF or 1000 EUR per day in Bitcoin. Learn more in our Relai Review.
- Hodl Hodl: This platform offers a no-KYC solution for peer-to-peer Bitcoin trading, offering greater freedom and anonymity. However, Bitcoin prices may be slightly higher, but trading fees remain low. Hodl Hodl extends its services to include P2P lending with Bitcoin, stablecoins, and altcoins. Learn more in our Hodl Hodl Review.
Bottom line
Pocket Bitcoin provides a unique blend of benefits and considerations. Its strengths lie in the low fees it offers, integration with Kraken pricing for Bitcoin, and strong support for hardware wallets. Additionally, it operates with a soft-KYC approach, enabling substantial daily purchases without extensive identity verification. However, it's important to note that Pocket Bitcoin exclusively supports Bitcoin purchases, and users are required to verify their ownership of Bitcoin addresses by signing messages with their private keys. This process may be somewhat cumbersome, especially for those practicing cold storage.
Pocket Bitcoin's availability in various European countries further extends its reach, making it accessible to a wide user base. Overall, its unique features cater to Bitcoin enthusiasts looking for a simple, secure, and regulation-compliant platform for purchasing and holding Bitcoin, but it may not be suitable for those looking to engage in other cryptocurrencies or sell Bitcoin.
Pocket Bitcoin Evaluation
Pocket Bitcoin stands out as one of the rare applications that enable Bitcoin purchases without requiring Know Your Customer (KYC) verification. This exceptional feature merits its commendable blockdyor Score of 71 out of 100.
Reputation: Pocket Bitcoin, though relatively new, has gained recognition for its unique approach and user-focused service.
Technology: Pocket Bitcoin offers innovative features, particularly its use of hardware wallets, making it a secure and forward-thinking platform.
Customer Service: Pocket Bitcoin provides customer support, but response times may vary. A dedicated support button is available on the platform for user inquiries.
Fees: Pocket Bitcoin maintains transparent fee structures, although they may not be the absolute lowest in the market, they offer fair and honest pricing.
Ease of Use: The platform is user-friendly, as it's web based. However, signing a message might not be the easiest option for the regular users.