Buy Crypto & Bitcoin in Hawaii

The History of Bitcoin in Hawaii

To understand the struggle of buying bitcoin and cryptocurrency in Hawaii, you need some brief history first.

Up until 2016, users could buy Bitcoin in Hawaii, just like most other states. In September of 2016, Hawaii lawmakers created a law that would make it mandatory for exchanges to hold cash reserves for collateral.

If a Hawaii resident Bitcoiner owns $10,000 worth of BTC, the exchange would need to hold $10,000 of cash for the customer as well.

Exchanges that adhered to this new law would be sacrificing a lot of money just to comply with an incomprehensible rule.

Coinbase, one of the biggest exchanges, was discouraged by the law’s impracticality — calling the regulation “untenable.”

Exchanges are still seeking a better deal with legislators to pass fairer laws regarding digital currency. To no avail, news bills and efforts have all stalled in the Hawaiian House and Senate as of October 2019.

However, in August of 2020, the Hawaii Division of Financial Institutions granted a special license-free status to 12 firms on a pilot program to see how things go in the state, so hopefully, this will show regulators they do not need to stifle the growth of these firms in their state.

How to Buy Bitcoin in Hawaii

If you’re a Hawaiian, you might have a few more struggles than the average Bitcoiner, but that shouldn’t stop from getting in on the action. There are a handful of ways for you to trade, just beware of fees and make secure trades.

Hawaiians aren’t able to use all of the same exchanges that the rest of America is privileged with, but they do have options.

You can use any of the exchanges outlined above. There are several exchanges offering Bitcoin in Hawaii, and you can easily select one based on your requirements and preferences using our guide. Different exchanges have different transaction fees, withdrawal limits, payment modes, and verification processes that need to be kept in mind before users select one.

Additionally, Bitcoin buyers need to keep in mind the fact that certain exchanges might require them to get a wallet of their own before they are able to buy the digital currency.