Every time Bitcoin hits a new milestone, the story about Laszlo Hanyecz, the software programmer who bought two pizzas with 10,000 BTC back in 2010, resurfaces. There is also the story of Kashmir Hill, a reporter, who spent 10.354 BTC to buy dinner for strangers in 2013.  

The latest milestone was when Bitcoin finally broke $100,000 per BTC on December 4, 2024. 

This was the culmination of positive developments that included the approval of Bitcoin ETFs, Wall Street’s growing acceptance of Bitcoin, the election of Donald Trump (who is crypto-friendly), and Trump’s nomination of Paul Atkins (a crypto enthusiast) as the chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

If Hanyecz held on to the 10,000 BTC he spent on Pizza, he would have been worth $1 billion on December 4, 2024, and Hill would have been worth $1.0354 million.

While arguments about Bitcoin’s true value continue, the cryptocurrency continues to make new strides, and enthusiasts continue to profit massively. 

Over the past 10 years (2014-2024), Bitcoin’s total returns of 30,133% and average annualised returns of 77% completely dwarfed the S&P 500’s 313.7% total returns and 15.3% average annualised returns, according to data from Curvo, an investing company.

No one knows what the next milestone will be, but enthusiasts believe that the cryptocurrency’s limited supply, its strong community, favourable regulations from Trump’s presidency, increased popularity of blockchain technology, and continued acceptance of Bitcoin by Wall Street bodes well for its future. 

If you are also convinced that Bitcoin’s future is bright and want to join its train for the next milestone, then you must learn how to buy Bitcoin in the UAE. 

In this article, we will provide you with a detailed guideline on how to buy Bitcoin online in the UAE through our Sarwa Crypto product. 

Do you want to learn more about the Bitcoin market and become better at Bitcoin trading? Subscribe today to Sarwa’s Fully Invested newsletter for regular insights into the financial markets.

1. Download the Sarwa app

The first step towards learning how to buy bitcoin in the UAE is to download the Sarwa app. 

The Sarwa app is available on both Google Play Store and Apple Store. This app provides you access to all of Sarwa’s products – Sarwa Trade (which includes Sarwa Crypto), Sarwa Invest (which includes Sarwa Bitcoin), and Sarwa Save. 

2. Register for a Sarwa account

You can sign up for a Sarwa account on the website or through the app. The sign-up process is very easy – all you need is your full name, email address, and phone number.

After signing up, you will need to complete the Know-Your-Customer (KYC) process to gain complete access to your account.  

For this purpose, you will need to submit a valid copy of your passport (or Emirates ID), a valid proof of address document (bank statement, tenancy contract, national address, or utility bill), and a live selfie. 

Once you have done this, you are ready to buy Bitcoin online in the UAE. 

3. Fund your Sarwa Trade account

After completing the sign-up process, you are ready to add funds to your account. 

To do this, you will need to access the “Account” section from the app’s homepage, as seen below: 

You can add funds through a free transfer from your local UAE bank account. As seen above, the amount you are sending in dirham will be converted to the dollar equivalent (based on current exchange rates) so you will know the amount you will have in dollars. 

If you click on the “Continue” button, you will find the account details you need to complete the transfer. 

Other payment methods (debit cards and credit cards) are also available. 

If it’s a local card, the transaction fee is 2.99% of the transaction amount + 1 AED. For international cards, the transaction fee is 3.99% of the transaction amount + 1 AED. 

4. Access Sarwa Trade via the Sarwa app

The Sarwa Trade product is available from the app’s homepage, as shown below: 

As said above, Sarwa Crypto is available under Sarwa Trade. With Sarwa Trade, you can buy crypto, stocks,  stock ETFs, and stock options. 

5. Select Bitcoin from the list of available cryptos

You can do this in two ways. 

First, you can search for Bitcoin using the search bar available on the Sarwa Trade tab (just below “Account Balance”, “Earnings”, and “Returns”), as seen below:  

You can also scroll down to the “Crypto” section and select Bitcoin from the list of available cryptocurrencies. In addition to Bitcoin, you will also find cryptos like Ethereum (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ripple (XRP), and Litecoin (LTC), among others. 

6. Create a buy order

Once you have clicked on Bitcoin, you will arrive at a page similar to the one below: 

On this page, you will find important information about Bitcoin under the “Summary” tab – current price, price charts, key statistics (daily high, daily low, 52-week low, 52-week high, and trading volume), and a brief overview of the digital currency. You can also switch over to the “News” tab for the latest news about Bitcoin. The “Orders” and “Transactions” tab will provide information about your latest trades. 

If you click on the “Buy” button, you will be ready to buy Bitcoin in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other parts of the UAE. You can create three types of buy orders: 

• Market buy order: With this order type, we will fill in your order at the current market price. If BTC is currently trading at $105,000, that’s the price at which the system will execute your order. 

• Limit buy order: A limit buy order instructs the system to execute your order only when the price is at or below a maximum amount. If the maximum amount is $110,000, for example, then your order will not be filled until the market price is at or below that price. 

• Stop buy order: A stop buy order instructs the system to execute your order only when the price is at a specific amount. If the price is $110,000, then you can only get filled when the market price is at $110,000

There are important things you must note when learning how to buy cryptocurrency in the UAE.  

First, the price at which we execute your orders include a 0.75% spread. For example, if Bitcoin is trading at a market price of $100,000, the buy price on Sarwa Trade will be $100,750 ($100,000 + 0.75% of $100,000) and the sell price will be $99, 250 ($100,000 – 0.75% of $100,000). 

Second, Sarwa does not support trading pairs. While you can own multiple crypto assets, you can’t exchange them with each other. For example, you cannot use BTC to buy XRP or LTC to buy BTC. You can only purchase cryptos with a fiat currency (dollars). 

This restriction is one of the ways we secure your investments from hackers and comply with regulations guiding our activities. 

Fourth, Sarwa allows fractional trading. If you don’t have $100,000 to purchase 1 BTC, you purchase just 0.01 for $1,000 or 0.001 for $100. With this, everyone can benefit from the crypto market irrespective of their initial capital (you can start with as low as $5). 

7. Create a sell order

Once you know how to buy bitcoin in the UAE, you must also understand how to sell it. 

When you go to Bitcoin’s page on the Sarwa Trade app, there will be an option to sell a part or all of your holdings. 

Just like buy orders, sell orders come in various forms: 

• Market sell orders: This will execute your sell order at the current market price. 

• Limit sell orders: A limit sell order sets a minimum amount below which you are not willing to sell. For the system to execute the order, the market price must be at or above this minimum price. 

• Stop sell orders: The system will only execute a stop sell order when the market price is at a specific price, not above and not below. 

After you have completed a sale, the amount realized will be added to your account balance (in USD). We don’t currently provide access to stablecoins like tether (USDT) and USD coin (USDC), so all deposits and sales will be denominated in USD. 

For withdrawals, your money will be converted from USD to your local currency and transferred for free to your local bank account. 

Why should you choose Sarwa?

Now that we have covered how to buy and sell Bitcoin in the UAE, let’s review why you should choose Sarwa as your trading platform in the UAE: 

• Zero commission: We don’t charge any commission for your buy or sell orders. 

• Low spreads: Our 0.75% spread on the price of BTC and other digital assets is very competitive.

• Free bank transfers: As we have shown above, transfers to and from your local bank account(s) are free. Unless you are using other payment options (debit and credit cards), withdrawals and deposits are free. 

• Accessibility: You can start trading with just $5. Our fractional trading makes the crypto market accessible to all. 

• Multiple order types: Given the high liquidity of Bitcoin, you can maximise your returns by using conditional orders (limit and stop) instead of market orders. 

• Trading support: In addition to market news about Bitcoin (and other assets), we have a blog and a newsletter where we consistently provide materials that can improve your cryptocurrency trading skills.

• Cybersecurity: Security is one of the conversations that dominate in the cryptocurrency market. It’s why some crypto investors prefer cold storage and hardware wallets despite their seeming inconvenience. 

At Sarwa, we recognise the importance of security and this is why we use 256-bit encryption and other security measures (including multiple authentication) on our website and app to keep your data secured and backed up continuously. 

You can be confident that your money and data are safe with us. 

• Regulatory compliance: We are regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). In a bid to protect our customers, we adhere to high standards of compliance & regular audits.

• User-friendly interface: We design our website and apps (both Android and iOS) to provide the best user experience and the most convenient access to their functionalities. Our interfaces are easy to navigate and you will have no problem finding your way around our platforms. 

• Excellent customer support team: Our experienced and expert customer support team is always available to provide any needed help.  

Are you ready to buy Bitcoin in the United Arab Emirates? Sign up for a Sarwa account for cost-effective, secure, and accessible crypto trading and investing.