For many years now, Switzerland has gained the reputation around the world for being one of the most crypto-friendly countries. In addition to a favorable regulation, the ease of access and the large panel of available options that have existed for many years to buy Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies locally have contributed to build this image.
We introduce you below to all the different options that exist today in the country, and explain the pros and cons of each one. Let's get started!
Table of contents
Understanding the costs
Finding the best place to buy something often means finding the cheapest one. To do so, it is important to first understand the price you pay when buying Bitcoin and all the costs associated with it, hidden or not. If you want to get as many sats as possible for each Swiss franc you spend, you will need to pay attention to the following things:
How the Bitcoin price works
The point of Bitcoin is to be completely decentralized, and as a result it can be freely exchanged anywhere. Its price is therefore determined on each individual marketplace where it is traded, and can vary between each one of them. This creates arbitrage opportunities, where one can buy BTC where its price is lower to sell it where it is higher. This free market mechanism eventually eliminates large price gaps between marketplaces.
Therefore, the price of Bitcoin refers to a global price that is calculated by making a volume-weighted average of its real-time price on many different exchange platforms, such as Binance, Bybit, OKX, Coinbase, Kraken, etc.
Current Bitcoin price in Swiss franc:
1 BTC = CHF
The exchange fee
When you buy Bitcoin from a seller, you usually pay the market price explained above plus a service fee that remunerates the seller. That fee is expressed as a percentage of the transaction amount.
Example
- BTC market price: CHF30,000
- Exchange fee: 1%
- Final price: CHF30,300
- For this example, if you pay CHF 50 you will receive 50 / 30,300 = 0.00165 BTC
The spread
The spread is the difference between the market price explained above and the price offered by a seller, before applying any service fees. That difference usually represents the seller's ability to source liquidity and execute transactions efficiently on the markets, but it many cases it also indicates the presence of a hidden fee charged by the seller through an artificially inflated price.
Example
- BTC market price: CHF30,000
- BTC price listed by a seller: CHF30,100
- Seller's spread: 0.33%
The delivery fee
If you use a non-custodial service (see Understanding custody below), there might be an extra fee (called delivery fee, network fee or mining fee) to deliver your Bitcoin to your destination wallet. That fee covers the cost of sending a Bitcoin transaction.
The withdrawal fee
If you use a custodial service (see Understanding custody below), the Bitcoin you buy will not be in your possession but in the custody of the seller. To withdraw your sats to your own wallet, a withdrawal fee can be charged.
Understanding custody
A custodial service means that when you buy Bitcoin with it, you don't actually own BTC directly. The provider holds the crypto for you and your Bitcoin is in its custody. You can usually withdraw it on your own wallet, but it often comes with fees and limitations. With a non-custodial service, you buy Bitcoin and receive it directly on a wallet that you own with full control over its secret phrase.
💡 Custodial services are against the whole point of Bitcoin, which was created for self-ownership and independence from third parties. You should always use Bitcoin with a wallet that you control, and prefer non-custodial services.
Understanding KYC
KYC (Know Your Customer) refers to the legal obligation of a financial service provider to verify the identity of its customers. This identification process means submitting your ID and personal information to the provider for verification.
Most countries require KYC from the 1st dollar of transaction for cryptocurrencies, but thankfully Switzerland allows to buy and sell cryptocurrencies without KYC up to CHF1,000 per day.
No KYC doesn't mean anonymous though, it simply means that you don't have to submit your personal information and documents to use a service.
💡 When possible, you should prefer no KYC services in order to minimize the amount of personal information that you put online.
Buy Bitcoin by bank transfer
The table below lists all the different providers that lets you send bank transfers in CHF to a Swiss bank account in order to buy Bitcoin. Its data is based on information that is publicly available online. The fees shown are the ones available without requiring additional purchases or referral codes.
| Provider | Lowest fee | Highest fee | Spread | Delivery fee | Withdrawal fee | Min. buy | Max. buy | Type | KYC required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 0.00% | 1.30% | <0.05% | 0 | 0 | CHF 1 | none | non-custodial | no |
 | 0.25% | 0.95% | <0.05% | n/a | CHF 50 | CHF 200 | none | custodial | yes |
 | 0.50% | 1.00% | <0.05% | n/a | $10 | CHF 10 | none | custodial | yes |
 | 0.80% | 1.20% | <1.00% | 0.00001832 BTC | 0 | CHF 10 | CHF 500,000 | non-custodial | no |
 | 1.00% | 1.00% | <0.10% | n/a | cannot withdraw | CHF 1 | none | custodial | yes |
 | 1.29% | 8.90% | 0.29% | n/a | 0.0005 BTC | CHF 1 | none | custodial | yes |
 | 1.49% | 1.49% | <0.5% | n/a | 0.000045 BTC | CHF 1.50 | CHF 9,467,982 | custodial | yes |
 | 1.49% | 1.49% | <0.05% | n/a | 0.00006 - 0.0038 BTC | CHF 5 | CHF 120,000 | custodial | yes |
 | 2.00% | 2.50% | <0.50% | 0 | 0 | CHF 10 | none | non-custodial | no |
Buy Bitcoin by card
The table below lists all the different providers that lets make CHF payments by debit/credit card or by Apple Pay/Google Pay in order to buy Bitcoin. Its data is based on information that is publicly available online. The fees shown are the ones available without requiring additional purchases or referral codes.
| Provider | Lowest fee | Highest fee | Fixed fee | Spread | Delivery fee | Withdrawal fee | Min. buy | Max. buy | Type | KYC required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.49% | 1.49% | 0 | <0.5% | n/a | 0.000045 BTC | CHF 1.50 | CHF 2,367 | custodial | yes |
| 2.50% | 3.80% | CHF1.20 | <0.05% | 0 | 0 | CHF 1.20 | none | non-custodial | yes |
| 3.50% | 4.00% | 0 | <0.50% | 0 | 0 | CHF 50 | CHF 500 | non-custodial | no |
| 3.74% | 50.00% | 0 | <0.05% | n/a | 0.00006 - 0.0038 BTC | CHF 10 | none | custodial | yes |
| 4.60% | 5.00% | 0 | <1.00% | 0.00001832 BTC | 0 | CHF 10 | CHF 500 | non-custodial | no |
Buy Bitcoin in cash
Swiss QR-bills
Using this feature is the cheapest way to buy Bitcoin in cash in Switzerland. The concept is simple: instead of directly sending a bank transfer to buy BTC, you print a Swiss QR-bill and go pay it in cash at any Swiss post office or Swiss train ticket vending machines, which are the two main services in Switzerland where QR-bills can be paid in cash.
The two tutorials below will show the detailed process to buy Bitcoin in cash through Swiss QR-bills:
Crypto ATMs
Crypto ATMs have been one of the oldest method to buy Bitcoin in cash in Switzerland. Similar to bank ATMs, they are machines that will take your cash and print you a paper wallet that you will need to scan from a compatible wallet to access your Bitcoin.
Because those machines have setup, maintenance and location rental costs, they are one of the most expensive solutions to buy Bitcoin.
| Provider | Locations | Lowest fee | Highest fee | Fixed fee | Spread | Min. buy | Max. buy | KYC required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 3.50% | 9.50% | CHF2.00 | <1.00% | CHF 20 | CHF 1,000 | no |
 | 20 | 5.00% | variable | 0 | <0.5% | CHF 50 | CHF 1,000 | no |
 | 1,150 | 6.00% | 14.00% | 0 | ? | CHF 100 | CHF 500 | no |
 | 70 | 6.40% | 10.00% | CHF1.00 | ? | CHF 50 | CHF 1,000 | no |
Crypto voucher cards
In Switzerland, crypto voucher cards can be bought in cash at post offices, trains stations and various retail stores. Sold by a company called Cryptonow, the funds on the card can be redeemed using their wallet solution. Although convenient, this solution is the most expensive of the market with fees around 10%.
| Provider | Fee | Spread | Fixed fee | Withdrawal fee | Min. buy | Max. buy | Type | KYC required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 9.70% | ? | CHF 1 | CHF 0 | CHF 50 | CHF 500 | voucher card | no |
Buy Bitcoin in P2P
Finally, the last possibility to buy Bitcoin in Switzerland is in peer-to-peer, meaning that you will buy Bitcoin from an offer posted by another individual for a given amount of BTC. Both you and the seller will send funds to the P2P platform, which will release the corresponding funds to both of you at the same time, minus a service fee.
| Provider | Lowest fee | Highest fee | Spread | Delivery fee | Min. buy | Max. buy | KYC required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2.00% | 12.00% | 0 | Dynamic | CHF 10 | CHF 1,000 | no |
Where to spend Bitcoin in Switzerland
There is a large diversity of Swiss businesses that will let you pay for their goods or services in Bitcoin. Hotels like the prestigious Dolder Grand in Zurich, cars, jewelry, wine, the biggest Swiss online store like Digitec / Galaxus, even insurances like Axa and Atupri.
Some cantonal taxes can be paid in Bitcoin such as in Zug, and some city taxes as well like in Zermatt, Chiasso or Lugano.
Talking about Lugano, the largest city of Ticino made the headlines in 2022 when it launched its Plan ₿, in partnership with Tether. The program, designed to transform the city into a Bitcoin haven, has introduced multiple incentives for both citizens and businesses to drive adoption. As a result, around 260 local stores (including McDonald's) accept today payments in Bitcoin over the Lightning network.
The map below shows a non-exhaustive list of the retail stores accepting Bitcoin payments in Switzerland:
Crypto-friendly Swiss banks
All Swiss banks accept transactions related to Bitcoin, however some of them are known for being particularly welcoming to crypto business. The Swiss crypto venture capital firm CV VC lists them all in its annual Crypto Valley report:
