How to buy Bitcoin Cash in Germany
This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Verify the current rules with a qualified local professional and the official regulator before acting.
Buying Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is legal in Germany as of June 2026 and most people do it through a MiCA authorised platform supervised by BaFin, such as Coinbase, Kraken, Bitpanda, Bitvavo, and Bitstamp. You open an account, complete identity verification, fund it in euro, and place an order. Buying and holding is not itself taxable, and a gain is tax free if you hold for more than one year, while a sale within a year can be taxed as a private sale. This is general information, not advice.
Is it legal to buy Bitcoin Cash in Germany?
Buying, holding, selling, trading, spending, and gifting Bitcoin Cash is legal in Germany as of June 2026. Bitcoin Cash is a proof of work cryptocurrency that split from Bitcoin in 2017 to allow larger blocks. Bitcoin Cash is not legal tender, but owning and trading it is lawful, and the obligations fall on the firms that serve the public rather than on the private buyer. The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) supervises crypto service providers in Germany.
Since the European Union Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) took full effect, a platform offering crypto services to German residents must hold MiCA authorisation supervised by BaFin, or be passported into Germany from another member state. As of June 2026 the practical step is to use a platform that holds current MiCA authorisation, and to confirm its status with BaFin or the platform before depositing funds. Bitcoin Cash is treated like other cryptoassets, so the rules that apply to buying it are the same general rules that apply to bitcoin.
Ways to buy Bitcoin Cash
The most common route is a centralized exchange or broker authorised under MiCA. After you register and verify your identity, you can fund the account by SEPA bank transfer or card, then buy Bitcoin Cash at the market price plus the platform fee. Platforms let you hold the coin in their custody or withdraw it to a wallet you control. A further route is peer to peer trading, where you buy directly from another person through a platform that holds the coin in escrow until payment clears.
Whichever route you choose, expect to pass a know your customer check that collects your name, date of birth, and a government identifier, because that is part of the anti money laundering rules that apply as of June 2026. There is no legal cap on how much Bitcoin Cash an individual can buy, but platforms set their own limits by verification level and payment method. You can keep Bitcoin Cash (BCH) in the platform custody or withdraw it to a wallet you control, and you are responsible for keeping it secure either way.
Tax when you buy and sell
Germany taxes private individuals on crypto under section 23 of the Income Tax Act, which treats a sale within one year as a private disposal, a position current as of June 2026. Buying Bitcoin Cash with euro and simply holding it is not itself a taxable event. If you sell, swap, or spend Bitcoin Cash more than one year after you acquired it, the gain is tax free. If you dispose of it within one year, the gain is added to your income and taxed at your personal income tax rate, which rises to 45 percent for the highest band, plus the solidarity surcharge where it applies.
A tax free threshold, the Freigrenze, applies to total private sale gains in a year and is 1,000 euro as of June 2026. This is a threshold rather than an allowance, so if your total private sale gains exceed 1,000 euro the whole amount is taxable, not just the part above it. Bitcoin Cash received as staking rewards or as payment is generally treated as other income at its value when received. Your local Finanzamt assesses the tax, so keep records of acquisition dates, cost, and euro values, and confirm your position with a tax professional before filing. See our crypto tax in Germany page for more.
Buying compliantly
To buy Bitcoin Cash lawfully, choose a platform that holds MiCA authorisation supervised by BaFin, complete its identity verification, and keep records for your tax reporting. The platforms below are listed because they are genuinely available to German residents and list Bitcoin Cash as of June 2026. This is a description of availability and registration status, not a recommendation, a ranking, or any view on price.
Compare available exchanges in Germany
These platforms serve German residents and list Bitcoin Cash as of June 2026. Compare them on fees, supported assets, and MiCA authorisation before you choose. We list a platform here only where it is genuinely available to this country.
Compare available exchangesRegulator and sources
- Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) supervision of crypto service providers and authorisation under the European Union Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA).
- Federal Central Tax Office and your local Finanzamt treatment of crypto under section 23 of the Income Tax Act, the one year holding rule, and the Freigrenze.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to buy Bitcoin Cash in Germany?
Yes. Buying, holding, and selling Bitcoin Cash is legal in Germany as of June 2026. Platforms serving German residents must hold MiCA authorisation supervised by BaFin or be passported from another member state. A private buyer does not need a licence. This is general information, not advice.
Where can I buy Bitcoin Cash in Germany?
You can buy Bitcoin Cash through MiCA authorised platforms that serve German residents, including Coinbase, Kraken, Bitpanda, Bitvavo, and Bitstamp, as of June 2026. Confirm a platform holds current authorisation with BaFin or the platform before depositing funds.
Do I pay tax when I buy Bitcoin Cash in Germany?
Buying Bitcoin Cash with euro and holding it is not itself a taxable event. Under section 23 of the Income Tax Act, a gain is tax free if you hold for more than one year, while a disposal within one year is taxed at your personal income tax rate if total private sale gains exceed the 1,000 euro Freigrenze. This is general information, not tax advice.
Is Bitcoin Cash tax free after one year in Germany?
As of June 2026, a gain on Bitcoin Cash you have held for more than one year is generally tax free under section 23 of the Income Tax Act. A disposal within one year can be taxable. Your local Finanzamt assesses the tax, so keep records and verify your position before filing.
Is Bitcoin Cash the same as Bitcoin in Germany?
No. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a separate cryptocurrency that split from Bitcoin in 2017. For German law and tax it is treated as a cryptoasset like other coins, so the MiCA rules for platforms and the section 23 holding rules apply in the same general way as of June 2026.
Related pages
Risk and change note: crypto rules and exchange availability change frequently. The position above carries an as of date and was last reviewed on June 26, 2026. Confirm current MiCA authorisation, the tax position, and the specific service with the platform, BaFin, and your local Finanzamt before you act.
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