9 Exchanges to Buy Crypto & Bitcoin in Florida (2024) (2024)

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Florida offers many places to buy bitcoins due to its pro-business environment. We've listed the top exchanges below.

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House Bill 1379 in Florida defines cryptos and prohibits laundering of virtual currency. Thanks to tough legal requirements, selling Bitcoin in the state requires a Money Services license in addition to the maintenance of an anti-money laundering program.

Such restrictions make Florida a difficult state to do Bitcoin-related businesses in. Mining activity in the state is also limited. There are some small companies mining cryptocurrencies in the state but no major corporation has started a mining hub.

A view of the city of Miami in Southern Florida, a growing tech hub. Many companies have left New York and moved to Miami.

Despite this, the Florida environment is changing. In March 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, “We will accept Bitcoin, we're working on doing that, for payments in the state of Florida. I've told the state agencies to figure out ways where if a business wants to pay tax in cryptocurrency to Florida, we should be willing to accept that."

If you do want to buy Bitcoin in Florida, one of the easiest ways is through the cryptocurrency exchanges outlined above. There are several exchanges offering Bitcoin in Florida, and you can easily select one based on your requirements and preferences using our guide. Different exchanges have different transaction fees, withdrawal limits, payment modes, and verification processes that need to be kept in mind before users select one.

Additionally, Bitcoin buyers need to keep in mind the fact that certain exchanges might require them to get a wallet of their own before they are able to buy the digital currency. Also, it is recommended to have a wallet of your own for security reasons, preferably a hardware wallet.

Another way to buy Bitcoins in Florida is through automated teller machines (ATMs). These ATMs allow users to instantly purchase the cryptocurrency using cash, and most of them only require a telephone number for verification, so long as you aren’t buying a lot of Bitcoin. This makes them more private than exchanges.

LocalBitcoins is another option. Here, you can buy and sell Bitcoin for a wide range of payment methods, from gift cards to bank transfers. LocalBitcoins is a peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange, where you buy and sell with another individual. This does introduce a degree of risk, though by ensuring that you conduct all business on the platform, make use of its escrow services, and only trade with users who have a good reputation, you'll minimize any potential problems.

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Florida offers cheap energy cost relative to the rest of the US, but there may be new reasons for miners to consider Florida.

In June 2021, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez began promoting Miami has an alternative to China for bitcoin mining companies. He is even talking about creating enterprise zones that would offer tax and infrastructure incentives to encourage mining companies to move to the city.

Suarez has been an advocate of bitcoin for some time, and he is excited about the prospect of Miami becoming a bitcoin mining destination. But he knows that there is competition with other states that may offer a more friendly crypto environment.

Bitcoin mining is also not ideal in Florida because of the state's high temperature. Bitcoin miners need to be cooled. Since there is so much heat, running cooling fans to cool the miners would cost too much in Florida for miners to be profitable.

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Twitter Hack

In mid-2020, a Florida teenager allegedly gained access to Twitter's backend and administrative dashboard with the help of two accomplices (neither of which worked for twitter). With this access, the teen was able to control any twitter account he wanted.

He used this access to send tweets out using famous personalities, such as Joe Biden, Bill Gates, and Elon musk. In the tweets, he told followers to send Bitcoin to an address so he could send them back double what he received.

An example of a hacked Obama tweet asking followers to send Bitcoin

In total, the teen stole around $100,000 worth of Bitcoin before being shut out by Twitter.

Ultimately, the teen was caught and is facing 30 felony charges.

If any famous person asks you to send them Bitcoin, on twitter or elsewhere, it is best to assume the celebrity is being impersonated by a hacker. Do not send them Bitcoin.

Crypto Ponzi

In October 2022, Joshua David Nicholas, a Florida resident, plead guilty to a crypto ponzi scheme defrauding investors of over $100 million. He was EmpiresX’s “head trader” and guaranteed returns of up to 1% a day using an artificial intelligence "trading bot." Don't fall for promises of outrageous returns and do your research on any company before investing or transfer crypto to there exchanges.

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Where Can I Find a Bitcoin ATM in Florida?

The best way to find a Bitcoin ATM in Florida is to use our Bitcoin ATM finder tool.

Here, you can filter by any of the most popular cryptocurrencies and find ATMs that support buying, selling, or both.

Is the Bitcoin Conference in Florida every year?

The Bitcoin Conference by Bitcoin Magazine was hosted in Miami, Florida in 2023 and 2022. However, in 2024 the conference is moving to Nashville, Tennessee. The company claimed there was no issue with Miami, but that they want to expose more people to Bitcoin. By moving the conference to another city, they hope more people will come that have never been around a bitcoin environment.

Is governor Ron Desantis accepting Bitcoin donations?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called off an event where he was set to announce acceptance of cryptocurrency contributions for his 2024 presidential bid due to the impending Hurricane Idalia.

Expected to receive donations in cryptocurrency at a co*cktail-hour fundraiser, DeSantis canceled events and prioritized informing Florida residents about the storm. Announced in May, DeSantis's presidential campaign has taken stances significant to the crypto community. In July, he pledged to prohibit central bank digital currencies if he wins the presidency. Despite this, his campaign website mentioned only fiat donations via credit card.

With DeSantis behind in polls compared to Donald Trump, accepting cryptocurrency could differentiate him from other candidates. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are among the few to accept crypto donations. Historically, cryptocurrency contributions haven't drastically impacted federal campaign outcomes. Lastly, regulations surrounding crypto donations have been under consideration by U.S. lawmakers.

Where is Bitcoin accepted in Florida?

Bitcoin is accepted at lots of stores and service providers all over Florida. So many, in fact, that we couldn't possibly list them all here. However, you can find specific kinds of services and goods filterable on a map over at coinmap.org.