First, tell the two order types apart
- Market order: fills immediately at the current market price. Simple, but the price isn't yours to choose — in fast moves you can buy a momentary spike.
- Limit order: you name your price and it fills only if the market reaches it. Beginners should default to limit orders — place one slightly below the current price; filled is a bonus, unfilled costs nothing.
One more pair of terms: a maker order rests on the book waiting for someone else (lower fee); a taker order consumes existing orders (slightly higher fee). Each exchange's exact rates are on the comparison page.
Five steps to buy (BTC/USDT spot as the example)
- Go to "Trade → Spot" and select the BTC/USDT pair.
- Choose "Limit" and enter the price you're willing to pay (glance at the recent price range first).
- Enter the amount: keep the first purchase small — around $15–$20 worth of USDT. Its job is to teach you the flow, not to make money.
- Tap "Buy BTC" and confirm the order status turns to "Filled" in your order list.
- Check the Assets page: USDT down, BTC up. Your first coin has landed.
Where to keep it afterwards
- Small amounts (a few hundred dollars): keeping them in your exchange spot account is fine — provided every item on the Step 3 security checklist is done. 2FA and the withdrawal whitelist are non-negotiable.
- As amounts grow: learn to self-custody in a personal wallet. A wallet's core is its seed phrase: write it by hand, store it offline, never screenshot it, never give it to anyone, never type it into any website. Whoever has the seed phrase can take everything — no exceptions, no support desk can undo it.
- Test withdrawals first: the first time you withdraw to a new address, send the minimum amount, confirm arrival, then send the rest. A wrong address or network usually means the coins are gone for good.
Three beginner don'ts
Don't borrow to buy. Borrowed money has a deadline; the market doesn't care about your deadline.
Don't chase pumps or panic-sell dips. Buying green candles out of FOMO and selling red ones out of fear is the number-one way beginners lose money. Decide your amount and rhythm in advance, then let time work.
Don't touch futures and leverage you don't understand. Spot can only lose your principal; leverage can put you in debt. Master spot and truly understand the risks first.
After these 5 steps
Congratulations — you've gone from zero to one. From here: use watchlist alerts to track the coins you care about instead of opening the app all day, and drop by the homepage daily for prices, ETF flows and fresh airdrops to build your own judgment. And keep the house rule in mind: idle money only — survive first, profits second.