Looking to buy the Curve DAO Token (CRV) in the UK?
Check out this quick guide for an overview of my favourite places where you can buy it in the UK.
Intro: Buy Curve DAO Token (CRV) in the UK
Here’s a quick overview of the best places where you can buy Curve (CRV) in the UK.
| Provider | Payment Method | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Kraken | UK Bank Transfer | Up to 0.26% |
| Coinbase (Advanced) | UK Bank Transfer | Up to 0.60% |
| CoinJar | UK Bank Transfer | 1% |
| CoinJar | Credit & Debit Card | 2% |
| Crypto.com App | UK Bank Transfer | Variable |
| BC Bitcoin | UK Bank Transfer | 5% |
How to Buy Curve DAO Token UK
1. Cryptocurrency Exchanges
The Curve DAO Token (CRV) is available on two of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges available in the UK: Coinbase (Advanced) and Kraken.
You can deposit GBP into either of these crypto exchanges with a straightforward UK bank transfer. As both of them support Faster Payments (FPS), you’ll usually find that GBP you send over to them is quickly credited (within minutes on Coinbase).
Both of these exchanges have trading fees which are under 1% too.
| Provider | Fees: Maker | Fees: Taker |
|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Up to 0.16% | Up to 0.26% |
| Coinbase (Advanced) | Up to 0.40% | Up to 0.60% |
Of these two, Kraken charges the lowest fees – a maximum of 0.26%.
However, only Coinbase’s Advanced Trading terminal allows you to buy Curve DAO Token (CRV) directly with GBP.
On Kraken, you’ll have to convert your GBP into a cryptocurrency that can be traded for Curve DAO Token (CRV). This is more hassle, but also means you’ll pay twice as much in fees – which isn’t ideal.
Find out more on their official websites:
Or check out my in-depth reviews of each of them:
2. CoinJar
Established in May 2013, CoinJar is a cryptocurrency broker (and exchange) that allows you to buy, sell, store, and transfer Curve DAO Token (CRV).
In total, CoinJar supports more than 50 cryptocurrencies. This includes popular options like Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC), and Ripple (XRP).
CoinJar charges a fixed 1% fee when you buy or sell any supported cryptocurrency. The prices you’re quoted might be slightly higher than the real exchange rate – but whenever I’ve checked, it’s not been by much.
They’ve recently revamped their mobile app and web interface. It’s now simpler and easier to use than before – and is perfect for beginners.
Check out my CoinJar review or head over to their website to learn more.
3. Crypto.com App
Using the Crypto.com app, UK residents can buy, sell, store, and transfer the Curve DAO Token (CRV). It supports more than 250 other cryptocurrencies too.
You can deposit GBP into the Crypto.com app using a UK bank transfer for free. You can also buy any supported cryptocurrency with a credit or debit card, but you’ll be charged a fixed fee of 2.99% if you do this.
One of the most disappointing things I’ve recently noticed is that the prices you’re quoted when buying and selling cryptocurrencies using the Crypto.com app has drifted further and further away from the real exchange rate.
Recently, I’ve been quoted prices that were consistently more than 1% above the real exchange rate – even for popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
There’s also no web interface. You can only access the Crypto.com app through an Android or iOS mobile device.
Check out my Crypto.com review to learn more or download the app and check it out yourself.
What is Curve DAO Token (CRV)?
Curve DAO Token (CRV) is the governance and rewards token for Curve DAO, the decentralised autonomous organisation that manages Curve Finance.
Check out this video for a quick overview that explains how Curve Finance works and the role that the CRV token plays in the greater Curve ecosystem:
In the summer of 2020, Curve DAO launched to provide decentralised governance of Curve Finance. Anyone that holds Curve DAO Token (CRV) gets voting rights on all proposed changes to the DEX and the DAO.
CRV tokens are also distributed as a reward to anyone that stakes tokens on the Curve Finance platform to provide liquidity for the DEX. For example, if you stake DAI on Curve Finance, you can earn CRV tokens as payment for creating liquidity in the network.
Launched in January 2020, Curve Finance is one of the biggest names in the decentralised finance (DeFi) space. It was founded by Michael Egorov, a software engineer who also helped launch NuCypher, though it’s now governed by Curve DAO.
Curve Finance is a decentralised exchange (DEX) that lets traders swap ERC-20 tokens. It’s primarily used to trade stablecoins, such as DAI, Tether (USDT), and USD Coin (USDC), but it also supports Bitcoin-pegged ERC-20 tokens like Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC).
What makes Curve Finance different from other DEXes is that it focuses on providing an efficient decentralised trading experience that minimizes unsuccessful transactions. The Curve protocol uses automated market makers (AMMs) and liquidity pools to ensure that you can almost always place a trade, even if no one else is actively trading on the platform.
Curve Finance is also a popular platform for yield mining. Many centralised and decentralised yield mining platforms, like Yearn.Finance, actually use Curve’s efficient exchange to swap tokens and boost interest rates.
The main benefit of holding Curve DAO Tokens (CRV) is that they give you voting rights on all proposed changes to the Curve ecosystem.
However, you need to lock up your CRV tokens on the Curve governance platform before you can vote on community proposals. When you lock up CRV tokens, you receive veCRV (vote-escrowed CRV). The longer you lock up your CRV, the more veCRV (and the more governance votes) you receive.
Locking up your CRV tokens also earns you financial rewards.
Approximately 50% of the trading fees from Curve Finance are distributed to the owners of veCRV in the form of CRV tokens. Rewards rates for locking up your CRV vary, but they’ve been as high as 180% in the past.
You can also use your locked up CRV to increase the rewards you get for staking other assets on Curve Finance through a process called boosting. Locking up your CRV can increase your staking rewards on other assets by up to 2.5x.
Best Curve DAO Token (CRV) Wallets
Curve DAO Token (CRV) is an ERC-20 token that you can store the keys to in dozens of popular ERC-20-compatible wallets – like MyEtherWallet or Exodus Wallet.
But if you want to lock up your CRV tokens to receive governance voting rights and rewards? You might want to consider using a wallet with a direct integration to Curve Finance. Compatible wallets include:
- MetaMask: Available as a mobile app and browser extension, MetaMask is one of the world’s most popular ERC-20 software wallets. With MetaMask, you can quickly connect to Curve Finance to lock up your CRV tokens, cast votes, and earn rewards.
- Coinbase Wallet: Another up-and-coming software wallet, Coinbase Wallet is a non-custodial cryptoasset management system from the team at Coinbase. You can use it as a mobile app or browser extension to manage the keys to all ERC-20 tokens, plus Bitcoin (BTC) and other top coins. Coinbase Wallet also has a built-in decentralised app (DApp) browser and support for NFTs.
- Portis Wallet: Portis Wallet is a non-custodial software wallet that places user-friendliness above all else. You can manage the keys to all ERC-20 tokens on Portis Wallet directly from any web browser without the need to download any browser extensions.
Curve Finance also supports WalletConnect, a third-party software that integrates with dozens of major software and hardware wallets. You can use WalletConnect to access Curve Finance on other CRV-compatible wallets like Atomic Wallet and Trust Wallet.
Want to use a hardware wallet instead?
All Ledger devices can directly integrate with Curve Finance. You can store the keys to your CRV tokens on a Ledger Nano S or Nano X and manage them on Ledger Live (the Ledger wallet interface).
Curve Finance has a direct integration with Trezor devices, too. However, Trezor Suite, the Trezor wallet interface, doesn’t support CRV tokens.
You can send your CRV to a Trezor Model T or Trezor One using your wallet’s ETH address. But you’ll need to use MetaMask or another similar third-party service to manage CRV tokens from your Trezor wallet.
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