For US citizens, trading crypto in the US is not without challenges. Unfortunately, limited options are available. On top of that, you also have the on-ramp and off-ramp issues to deal with.
That’s why, we will take a look at USDC on-ramp and off-ramp options in the US.
What Is On-Ramping and Off-Ramping Crypto?
On-ramping and off-ramping in crypto is something we all need. Here’s what it means:
- On-ramping is buying crypto with fiat.
- Off-ramping is the opposite, now you sell your crypto for fiat.
However, there are a few factors to look out for. For instance:
- Transaction fees — Compare the fees between the various providers. They can vary greatly. If on-ramp and off-ramp a lot, this can make quite a difference.
- Transaction speed — These speeds can vary between platforms. Network congestion can also play a role.
- Ease of use — Make sure the UI suits you. Take a thorough look at your preferred option, mobile or desktop.
- Secure and reliable — DYOR, for example, checks on the team. Also check how long they already were active in the crypto space. Are they allowed to operate in your region? Do they have KYC or AML policies in place?
- Supported cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies — Check both options. This way, you know that you can do what you plan to do. Make sure they offer your preferred fiat option.
For our purpose, we don’t include CEXes, but concentrate on noncustodial wallets. Furthermore, we are not going to compare the cheapest chains in this article. So, let’s take a look at some available options.
Method #1: MoonPay
MoonPay has 15 million users all over the world. We show you options on two different chains.
1) Ethereum
- Buying fiat or on-ramp — $100 will get you $93.14 USDC via Debit Card.
- Selling crypto or off-ramp — $100 USDC gets you $95.01 USD.
2) Polygon
- On-ramp or buying crypto — with $100 you get $96.06 USDC via Debit Card.
- Off-ramp or selling — $100 USDC gives you $95.01 USD.
The costs consist of network fees and processing fees. See the picture below.
Source: X
Method #2: Coinbase Pay, Stripe, and Sardine
For this, we first look at on-ramping on Ethereum with Instant ACH on MetaMask.
- Coinbase Pay on-ramp — For $100 you get $93.42 USDC.
- Stripe on-ramp — $100 gets you $92.45 USDC.
- Sardine on-ramp — $100 for $89.32 USDC.
On Polygon we would see these numbers.
- Coinbase Pay on-ramp — For $100 you get $96.48 USDC.
- Stripe on-ramp — $100 gets $94.71 USDC.
- Sardine on-ramp — $100 for $92.16 USDC.
Now let’s take a look at their off-ramping options. Here we noticed that you can only off-ramp ETH through MoonPay or Transak. They offer either a bank transfer or debit. So, in this case, 0.04278 ETH (approx ~100 USDC) would be ~ $94. However, actual prices may vary, since we didn’t click the provided links.
We’re introducing a Stripe-hosted fiat-to-crypto onramp (no code required) and unlocking the waitlist for the embeddable onramp. 🛹 https://t.co/U9OW2cjFrZ pic.twitter.com/jjmkDUiOqc
— Stripe (@stripe) May 4, 2023
Method #3: Ramp Network
With Ramp Network, we will compare Ethereum and Avalanche.
On ETH:
- On-ramp or buying — For USD 100, you receive $93.70 USDC via Apple Pay.
- Off-ramp or selling — USD 100 gets you USD 98.1 via Bank Transfer.
On AVAX:
- Buying or on-ramping — $100 USDC gets you $96.1 USDC via Apple Pay.
- Selling or off-ramping — For $100 USDC you get USD 98.09 via Bank Transfer.
Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest.
Tired of scrambling for your passport every time you onboard web3 with a new provider? 😵💫
We now offer document-free KYC, bringing the dream of 1-click on-ramping one step closer to reality!
Our commitment… pic.twitter.com/W50sQA4kBp
— Ramp (@RampNetwork) February 13, 2024
Method #4: Transak
With Transak, we look once more to Ethereum and Avalanche.
On Ethereum:
- On-ramping or buying — USD 100 gets you $94.19 USDC via Bank Transfer.
- Off-ramping or selling — For $100 USDC you get USD 93.40 via Debit Card.
On AVAX:
- Buying or on-ramping — For USD 100, you receive $94.49 USDC via Bank Transfer.
- Selling or off-ramping — $100 USDC gets you $93.61 via Debit Card.
Transak X Visa 💳
Now, millions of users from over 145 countries 🌍 can enjoy the freedom of converting over 40+ Cryptos 🪙to Fiat and deposit funds directly to their @Visa debit cards with @Transak.#TransakXVisa pic.twitter.com/S1edudUDXm
— Transak (@Transak) January 30, 2024
Method #5: Beam
Beam supports 6 chains. These are:
- Ethereum.
- Solana.
- Avalanche.
- Stellar.
- Bitcoin.
- Polygon.
The platform will create a Beam address for you on these chains. You can send the following assets to these addresses, ETH, SOL, MATIC, AVAX, and USDC. Beam converts these to USD and will send it to your bank account or debit card. Beam also offers low fees. For example,
- Cryptocurrencies — 3% fee per transaction. This splits up into 1% for processing and 2% for trading.
- Stablecoins — Only 1% fee per transaction.
To sum up. This seems to make Beam the cheapest option that we covered in this article. Ramp comes into second place on Avalanche for both on-ramping and off-ramping. Respectively, $100 USD for $96.1 USDC and $100 USDC for $98.1 USD. However, with Coinbase Pay, we noticed that they already offer free on-ramping. However, wallets, like MetaMask, appear to charge the mentioned fees.
This article was inspired by this X thread.
Disclaimer
The information discussed by Altcoin Buzz is not financial advice. This is for educational, entertainment and informational purposes only. Any information or strategies are thoughts and opinions relevant to accepted levels of risk tolerance of the writer/reviewers, and their risk tolerance may be different from yours.
We are not responsible for any losses that you may incur as a result of any investments directly or indirectly related to the information provided. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments, so please do your due diligence.
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