Yes. One Bitcoin splits into 100 million units called satoshis, so you can buy any fraction you like, often from a few dollars. Here is how it works and the real minimums.
Yes. You never have to buy a whole Bitcoin. One Bitcoin divides into 100 million tiny units called satoshis, so you can buy any fraction you like, often from as little as a few dollars. Owning 0.001 BTC is just as normal as owning a whole coin, and it rises and falls by the same percentage.
The whole-coin price scares off a lot of beginners. It should not. You buy a slice, not the loaf.
A satoshi is the smallest unit of Bitcoin, equal to 0.00000001 BTC. It is named after Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator. One Bitcoin is 100 million satoshis, often shortened to sats.
Say Bitcoin trades at $60,000. Then $60 buys 0.001 BTC, which is 100,000 satoshis. Spend $6 and you get 10,000 sats. The dollar amount sets the fraction, not the other way around.
Two different limits apply, and they are often confused:
For more on sizing a first purchase, see how much money you need to start.
No. A fraction behaves exactly like a whole coin. If Bitcoin rises 10 percent, your 0.01 BTC rises 10 percent too. A whole coin is not safer, more legitimate, or more profitable per dollar. The only real difference is that fees take a larger share of a very small buy.
Yes. Most cryptocurrencies are highly divisible. Ethereum splits into tiny units called wei, and you can buy a fraction of almost any coin for whatever amount you choose. Whole-unit pricing is mostly a Bitcoin headline, not a rule.
Compare exchanges by fee and minimum, filtered to your country.
Buy BitcoinYes. You can buy 0.5 BTC, or any fraction. Most exchanges let you enter a dollar amount and work out the fraction for you.