Buy bitcoin with PesaLink in Kenya
- Status
- Legal
- Currency
- Kenyan shilling (KES)
- Takes PesaLink
- 3 exchanges
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-20
3 of the exchanges we recommend in Kenya take PesaLink for funding bitcoin purchases. It is one of several rails in use here; the full picture is in the Kenya guide.
What is PesaLink?
PesaLink is Kenya's bank to bank instant transfer network, operated by Integrated Payment Services Limited, a subsidiary of the Kenya Bankers Association, and live since 2017. It moves shillings directly between accounts at participating banks and other institutions connected to the network, reached from mobile and internet banking. It exists so that a bank customer can pay another bank customer without routing the money through a mobile money wallet first.
- Speed
- Transfers settle in real time on a service that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with Bank of Africa Kenya quoting a maximum of 45 seconds per transaction.
- Cost
- Each bank publishes its own PesaLink tariff, typically a flat fee that steps up in bands with the amount; Bank of Africa Kenya charges nothing up to 1,000 shillings, rising to 200 shillings at the top band.
- Limits
- Bank of Africa Kenya caps a single PesaLink transfer at 999,999 shillings, with its tariff bands starting at 10 shillings, and other participating banks publish their own limits.
Exchanges that take PesaLink in Kenya
Ranked as in our Kenya guide. Every payment method shown is verified for this exact exchange and country pairing.
- 1Yellow Card4.1
Africa's largest licensed crypto on-ramp, spanning more than 20 countries with local bank and mobile money rails.
- Fees
- Posted trading fees are low or zero; the cost sits in a spread built into the quoted buy and sell prices. Local deposits by bank transfer or mobile money are typically free.
- KYC
- Required
- Pay with
- M-Pesa, PesaLink, Airtel Money
- 2Luno4.0
A DCG-owned exchange refocused on Africa and Southeast Asia, with a regulatory first in Nigeria.
- Fees
- Instant buys include a spread; the Luno Exchange order book charges lower maker-taker fees. Deposit costs vary by country and method.
- KYC
- Required
- Pay with
- M-Pesa, PesaLink, Airtel Money, Credit or debit card
- 3Binance4.2
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.
- Fees
- Spot trading starts at 0.1% maker and taker, with a 25% discount for paying fees in BNB. Card purchases and instant buys cost more because a spread and processing fee are added.
- KYC
- Required
- Pay with
- PesaLink, Credit or debit card, P2P trades with escrow
Buy on BinanceRead the Binance reviewReferral link: signing up is credited to us and may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
See the full how-to-buy guide for KenyaEverything about buying bitcoin with PesaLink
Watch: buying bitcoin in Kenya
From our YouTube channel @dontgetrekt, also embedded in the full Kenya guide.
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).
Other ways to pay in Kenya
Frequently asked questions
Which exchanges accept PesaLink in Kenya?
Of the 4 exchanges we recommend in Kenya, Yellow Card, Luno and Binance accept PesaLink for funding purchases.
Is buying bitcoin with PesaLink legal in Kenya?
Bitcoin is legal in Kenya and the sector is newly regulated. The Virtual Assets Service Providers Act, 2025, passed by Parliament on October 7, 2025 and in force from November 4, 2025, gives the Central Bank of Kenya and the Capital Markets Authority licensing and supervisory powers over exchanges, brokers, custodians, and stablecoin issuers. Licensing is being phased in under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Regulations, 2026, so check a platform's status before trusting it with large sums.
How long does a PesaLink deposit take?
Transfers settle in real time on a service that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with Bank of Africa Kenya quoting a maximum of 45 seconds per transaction. That is the rail itself; an exchange may hold a first deposit for longer while it verifies your account.
What does it cost to buy bitcoin with PesaLink?
Each bank publishes its own PesaLink tariff, typically a flat fee that steps up in bands with the amount; Bank of Africa Kenya charges nothing up to 1,000 shillings, rising to 200 shillings at the top band. Any fee the exchange adds on top is separate, and is shown per exchange above.