How to buy bitcoin in Peru
- Status
- Legal
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN)
- Recommended
- 5 exchanges
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-12
Peruvians can buy bitcoin legally, and most do it on Binance, with Kraken and Coinbase as strong regulated alternatives and Coinmama for quick card purchases. No Peruvian law bans or comprehensively regulates crypto: platforms operate under an anti-money-laundering regime run by the SBS and the financial intelligence unit UIF-Peru, which brought virtual asset service providers under registration and reporting duties in 2024. The sol has few direct exchange pairs, so people typically fund in dollars by bank transfer or trade P2P settled through Yape and Plin, the mobile payment apps that dominate daily life in Peru. Congress has debated a fuller crypto framework for years without passing one, so no local licensing protects you yet.
Best exchanges in Peru
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.
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 Peru
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.
- Yape
- Plin
Crypto cards available in Peru
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.
Bitcoin wallets available in Peru
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 choose an exchange
This is our general video rather than a walkthrough for Peru. It shows the method in two steps: first the country you are buying in, then the exchange. You have done step one by being here, so start from the exchanges ranked above.
We have not filmed a walkthrough for Peru yet, so this is our general one, from our YouTube channel @dontgetrekt. It also sits on the home page, next to the country search it starts from.
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 Peru, 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 Peru require this before you can deposit.
Fund your account with bank transfer in soles or dollars
Common options here: bank transfer in soles or dollars, Yape, Plin, credit or debit card. 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 Peru
Bitcoin is legal in Peru but largely unregulated. No crypto-specific statute is in force; instead, virtual asset service providers must register with the financial intelligence unit UIF-Peru and follow anti-money-laundering rules issued by the SBS, the banking and insurance superintendency, under a 2024 regulation. The securities regulator SMV and the SBS have both said they lack a broader mandate over crypto, and a framework bill has sat in Congress without passage.
Words worth knowing before you buy in Peru
Picked from what this page already says about Peru, not from a standard list.
- Peer-to-peer exchangeYape and Plin via P2PA 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is bitcoin legal in Peru?
Yes. There is no ban and no comprehensive crypto law; virtual asset service providers simply have to register with UIF-Peru and follow SBS anti-money-laundering rules from a 2024 regulation. Individuals can buy, hold, and sell freely.
Can I buy bitcoin with Yape or Plin?
Not directly on the global exchanges, but P2P marketplaces widely settle trades through Yape and Plin transfers because nearly everyone in Peru has them. Use escrow and confirm the payment landed before releasing anything.
Do Peruvian exchanges require identity verification?
Yes. Platforms serving Peru apply KYC checks, and registered virtual asset service providers have reporting obligations to UIF-Peru, including transfer information rules that took effect under the SBS regulation. Anonymous buying through regulated channels is not an option.
Is there a Peruvian government-licensed exchange?
No. Peru has registration and AML supervision rather than a licensing regime, so no platform is endorsed or prudentially supervised by the state. That makes withdrawing to self-custody after buying a sensible habit.
