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Are there multiple Bitcoin markets?

I understood there are multiple platforms to trade Bitcoin (Coinbase and Kraken were mentioned). Suppose I want to invest a small amount in Bitcoin and sell it in three years, i.e., I want to make a gamble: it's more or less the same as buying a few lottery tickets. How do I do that? I guess I have to choose one of these platforms, and create an account or similar. What characteristics should I look at, when choosing among the various platforms? In case it's better not to use these platforms at all, what should I do instead?

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  • What country are you in. I'd only trust Coinbase with exchange from dollars to btc... For whatever it's worth I no longer hold any and agree with gnasher that something doesn't feel right.
    – quid
    Apr 21, 2018 at 22:38
  • @quid I'm from an European country, so I would exchange with euros. I'm interested in why you think something's not right: I have the impression that you and gnasher729 see a bigger problem behind cryptocurrencies, than pure volatility. That's interesting: what are you referring to, exactly?
    – DeltaIV
    Apr 21, 2018 at 22:59
  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
    – GS - Apologise to Monica ♦
    Apr 23, 2018 at 17:51
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    Prefer exchanges over brokers. Coinbase and GDAX are operated by the same company and if you have an account at one you have an account at the other, but GDAX charges much less than Coinbase.
    – David Schwartz
    Apr 24, 2018 at 20:20

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What characteristics should I look at, when choosing among the various platforms?

The primary characteristics you want to look for are popularity, a good regulatory structure, and make sure they accept your local currency, whether that is USD or Euros. A 'good regulatory structure' is obviously subjective, but I generally stick to US based exchanges that have gone through the trouble of getting a 'BitLicense' from New York. Coinbase is the easiest that will fit all these categories, but there are others if you care to look.

Regardless of where you purchase Bitcoin, @RedGrittyBrick is completely right.

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I want to invest a small amount in Bitcoin and sell it in three years

Regardless of where you purchase the bitcoin, move them into an offline wallet where only you know the private key. It is not neccessary and not prudent to leave them in the hands of any other person or company.

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    And don't lose the private key. If it's lost, those bitcoins can never be recovered.
    – Simon B
    Apr 23, 2018 at 22:37
  • it was hard to decide between these two answers, they're both great and complement each other nicely.
    – DeltaIV
    Apr 24, 2018 at 9:43

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