The process is straightforward once you know the steps. Here is a detailed walkthrough for Filipino buyers.
Step 1 — Choose a platform
Select an exchange with an active PHP P2P market or direct PHP deposit support. Binance, OKX, and Bybit all have strong Filipino user bases. HTX and Bitget are also worth considering for their copy trading features and competitive fees.
Step 2 — Create your account and complete KYC
Register with your email. Prepare a valid government ID (passport, PhilSys ID, or driver's licence) for identity verification (KYC). KYC typically takes 5–30 minutes and is approved within a few hours. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) immediately using an authenticator app, not SMS.
Step 3 — Fund your account via P2P
Go to the P2P marketplace and buy USDT using PHP. Filter sellers by payment method — GCash and Maya are the most widely available. Check seller ratings and completion rates — look for 95%+ with hundreds of completed trades. The exchange holds funds in escrow. Transfer payment, mark it as sent, and USDT is released after the seller confirms. Usually takes 5–15 minutes.
Step 4 — Buy Bitcoin
Once you have USDT, navigate to the Spot market and trade BTC/USDT. A market order fills at the current price instantly. A limit order lets you name your price and wait. You can buy any fraction of Bitcoin — there is no minimum of one full BTC.
Step 5 — Secure your Bitcoin
For small amounts you trade actively, keeping Bitcoin on the exchange is convenient. For amounts above ₱50,000, consider transferring to a personal hardware wallet for long-term storage. Write your seed phrase on paper and store it somewhere safe offline. Never photograph it, save it to a cloud service, or share it with anyone.