How to buy bitcoin in Chile
- Status
- Legal
- Currency
- Chilean peso (CLP)
- Recommended
- 5 exchanges
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-20
Chile makes buying bitcoin legal and increasingly orderly: Binance leads our rankings on the strength of its deep Chilean peso market, with Kraken the strongest regulated global exchange behind it. The Fintech Law, enacted in January 2023, put crypto platforms under the eye of the CMF, Chile's financial market commission, which now registers and authorizes providers and has layered on disclosure and anti-money laundering rules. Most Chileans fund purchases with a local bank transfer in pesos or a card, and P2P trading fills the gaps where direct peso support is missing. Coinbase and Coinmama round out the list. After years of peso swings, bitcoin has become a familiar hedge for savers who want an asset outside the local currency.
Best exchanges in Chile
Ranked by our editorial review of fees, security record, and local payment support. Rankings are never sold.
| # | Exchange | Rating | Fees | ID check | Pay with | Visit or read the review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Binance | 4.2 | From 0.1% spot, maker and taker | Required | Visit | |
| 2 | Kraken | 4.7 | From 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker | Required | Visit | |
| 3 | Coinbase | 4.5 | Maker-taker on Advanced Trade | Required | Visit | |
| 4 | Coinmama | 3.9 | Commission plus card surcharge | Required | Visit | |
| 5 | CEX.IO | 4.0 | Maker-taker; card costs more | Required | Visit |
Some Visit buttons above are referral links: signing up through them is credited to us and may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Which platforms pay makes no difference to the ranking.
Why these picks
1. Binance The largest crypto exchange by volume: the deepest bitcoin liquidity anywhere, the lowest headline spot fee of any major platform, and quarterly proof of reserves, under a settled US case and an independent monitor.
Bank transfer in Chilean pesos: in practice via P2P; direct peso bank transfers are not dependably supported
2. Kraken A 2011-vintage exchange with one of the cleanest security records in the business, heading toward a US stock listing.
3. Coinbase The easiest US on-ramp for beginners, publicly listed, and legally in the clear since the SEC dropped its case.
4. Coinmama A card-first broker that sends bitcoin straight to your own wallet instead of holding it for you.
5. CEX.IO A card-friendly exchange licensed across most of the US, but currently closed to deposits and trading in Europe.
Payment methods in Chile
The rails local buyers actually use, under their local names. Support varies by exchange; the list above shows exactly which methods each one takes here.
Crypto cards available in Chile
These spend money at ordinary shops and pay you back in crypto, which is the opposite of the exchanges above: those buy bitcoin, these do not. Availability is the issuer's own published coverage.
- Bitget Wallet Card2% base assetback on every cardholder, rising to 3% once monthly spend clears a $200-$400 threshold depending on region and card type; paid in a choice of BTC, gold, US stocks, and other assets.
- ether.fi Cash3% cashback on the first $2,000 (Core), $10,000 (Luxe), or $50,000 (Pinnacle) of monthly spend, stepping down to 1% then 0.5% beyond that band; invitation-only VIP pays 4% on its first $50,000.
- RedotPay CardRoughly 3% cashback on Apple Pay/Google Pay transactions is available to RedotPay Pro subscribers ($12.90/month or $129/year); the base card has no broad percentage-back cashback program.
- MetaMask CardChanged1% cashback in mUSD on the free Virtual tier; 3% on the first $10,000 of annual spend (then 1%) on the $199/year Metal tier.
Bitcoin wallets available in Chile
A wallet is where bitcoin lives after you buy it, which is the opposite of the exchanges above: those sell it, these hold it. Availability below is the maker's own published shipping or eligibility policy.
Hardware devices
- Keystone 3 Pro$149Air-gapped signing on a 4 inch touchscreen, with three security chips and a fingerprint reader, at $149.
- Ledger Flex$249The Ledger to buy if you want a touchscreen: $249, the same certified chip as the Stax, and more screen pixels than it.
- Ledger Nano S Plus$59Ledger's $59 entry device: the same certified secure element as the $399 Stax, no Bluetooth, and no iPhone support at all.
- Ledger Nano X$79The cheapest Ledger with Bluetooth, now $79 on Ledger's own store, and the one to buy if you want to sign from a phone.
- Ledger Stax$399Ledger's $399 flagship, with the biggest screen it sells and exactly the same secure element as the $59 Nano S Plus.
- Tangem Wallet$59.9A smart card you tap against your phone, sold only in sets of two or three so your backup is another card rather than a written seed.
Desktop and browser
Compare every wallet, including the ones we tell you not to buy
Watch: how to buy bitcoin in Chile
A video walkthrough of buying bitcoin in Chile: picking an exchange that takes Chilean peso deposits, passing verification, and moving your coins to self custody.
From our YouTube channel @dontgetrekt, uploaded 2023-02-15.
Do you need a VPN?
A VPN hides which sites you visit from the network you are on and from your internet provider, which is worth having when you move money over a connection you do not control. It does not get you past an exchange's identity checks: every platform we list verifies who you are no matter where you connect from.
If you want one, the strongest records on our list belong to NordVPN (6 independent no-logs audits, the most of any service we review), Windscribe (its no-logs claim tested in the real world 3 times) and Proton VPN (the most audited service with a free tier).
Buying bitcoin in Chile, start to finish
Pick a platform and verify your identity
Choose from the table above and complete KYC verification with a photo ID. Regulated platforms in Chile require this before you can deposit.
Fund your account with bank transfer in Chilean pesos
Common options here: bank transfer in Chilean pesos, credit or debit card, P2P marketplaces in pesos. Bank transfers are usually the cheapest; cards are faster but add fees.
Buy, then decide where to keep it
Place your order, and for anything more than pocket money consider moving it to a hardware wallet you control. Our security guide covers the habits that keep coins safe.
Legal status and regulation in Chile
Bitcoin is legal in Chile. The Fintech Law (Law No. 21,521), enacted in January 2023, brought crypto-related services such as custody, intermediation, and trading platforms under the supervision of the Comision para el Mercado Financiero (CMF), which registers and authorizes providers. Secondary CMF rules issued in 2024 added registration, disclosure, and anti-money laundering obligations for firms offering crypto services.
Words worth knowing before you buy in Chile
Picked from what this page already says about Chile, not from a standard list.
- Peer-to-peer exchangeP2P marketplaces in pesosA peer-to-peer exchange is a marketplace where individuals trade bitcoin with each other directly, with the platform holding the coins in escrow while the buyer sends payment by whatever local method both agreed.
- Maker and taker fees5 venues to compareMaker and taker fees are the two prices an exchange charges for a trade: less if your order waits in the book, more if it takes an existing order out.
- Bid-ask spreadCredit or debit cardThe bid-ask spread is the gap between the highest price a buyer will pay and the lowest price a seller will accept, and you pay half of it every time you cross.
Frequently asked questions
Is bitcoin legal in Chile?
Yes. Buying, holding, and selling bitcoin is legal, and the Fintech Law of 2023 brought crypto service providers under CMF supervision with registration and authorization requirements. Bitcoin is not legal tender, so nobody is obliged to accept it as payment.
Do I pay tax on bitcoin profits in Chile?
Yes. The Servicio de Impuestos Internos treats profits from selling crypto as taxable income that must be declared in your annual return. Keep records of purchase prices and sale proceeds in pesos so you can substantiate the numbers.
What is the cheapest way to buy bitcoin in Chile?
Deposit pesos by local bank transfer where a platform supports it, or use a P2P market to trade directly in pesos, then buy at spot rates rather than through instant-buy widgets. Card purchases are the most expensive route.
Do Chilean users need to complete identity verification?
Yes, on every serious platform. The Fintech Law and CMF rules push anti-money laundering obligations onto providers, and Chile is implementing transaction reporting requirements, so expect to submit ID before trading.
