Which exchanges should I look at using?

[jdndndndx]

I signed up for Mt. Gox over a month ago and my account it is still awaiting verification. I've heard mixed reviews about coinbase. Can anyone point me in the direction of a good exchange where I can buy BTC?

[hairycoins]

There are a lot of reputable exchanges bitstamp, cryptsy and btc-e you may want to consider these factors before you decide on which exchange is good for you the fees, verification, alt coins, method of withdrawals and deposits, support and reputation. I personally use mtgox to trade BTC, cryptsy to trade alt coins and btc-e to have a good laugh at the troll box.

[Eldoen]

I use Coinbase and Coin.mx basically to get fiat into the system.  I agree with the Troll box on btc-e, entertaining. 

Just getting back into cryptocoins myself.  kicking myself not keeping up with it from when I first downloaded software around 2010.

so looking forward to the answers you receive. 

El

[Protato]

edit: nvm i misread content of post

[beetcoin]

i'm 2/2 with coinbase.. a lot of people seem to complain about them, but they've been good for me. when people ask these questions, though, they should mention which country they are form.

[MCR]

Don't use MtGox if you ever want to get your money out in USD. BTC-E Is currently the best trading site for daytrading especially. If you're looking for a good altcoin exchange there is none. BTC-E has a very small variety of coins but great volume. Cryptsy has good volume and lots of coins but the site is very laggy and uncomfortable to use. You might lose money due to trade or transfer lag. I know lots of people have.

[d33_man]

btc-e?

[jdndndndx]

Don't use MtGox if you ever want to get your money out in USD. BTC-E Is currently the best trading site for daytrading especially. If you're looking for a good altcoin exchange there is none. BTC-E has a very small variety of coins but great volume. Cryptsy has good volume and lots of coins but the site is very laggy and uncomfortable to use. You might lose money due to trade or transfer lag. I know lots of people have.

@MCR
What happened?

[inabsentia]

So far I have had only good experiences with Coinbase, and at least for US residents it appears to be the easiest way to initially exchange fiat currency for bitcoins. If you are unsure, set up an account and purchase something like 0.01 BTC to test it out (transactions do take about a week to process, and until you meet certain criteria you can only make one purchase at a time). Mt Gox typically has the highest USD/BTC exchange rate but seems difficult to get verified on and nearly impossible to withdraw from.

For altcoins I have been trading on Cryptsy, and although their interface is a bit slow so far I haven't had too much trouble with them. But you need bitcoins first before you can trade altcoins there. The typical process is purchase bitcoins through coinbase, then transfer them to cryptsy to trade altcoins.

Another US based exchange is Kraken.com, which you can use to purchase bitcoins, ripple, namecoins, and maybe a few others (I can't remember off the top of my head). Their interface is really clean (much more like an actual trading platform with margin trading and other options), but their volume is a bit lower than some other platforms.

Hope that helps!

[6Fallen]

coinbase can keep your money no ?

[Wotancoin]

btc-e, cryptsy

[Chartist]

I use coinbase to buy bitcoin. For exchanges, I like btc-e and bter, and cryptsy if I absolutely have to use them due to a coin not being on bter.

[jdndndndx]

How much time elapsed between signing up at Coinbase and buying for first BTC?

[Eldoen]

Signing up and purchasing on Coinbase was about 20 mins, create the Account and set up the Bank account, online. and could purchase a small amount ( I did 35 dollars on first purchase)  then Wait a week for it to deposit.  have it setup on a recurring basis now.  

only issue I have is for the Instant service the only option is to verify with a Visa Card,  which I don't have.  a couple of Master cards, discover, amex.  no visa.

Coin.mx takes about an hour if you follow thru with the setup. and don't mind the 3.5% exchange fee, and the BitCoin rate is closer to Mt Gox, then to BTC-E (typically 50 to 75 dollar difference between those exchanges) 

El

[BrockLanders]

for alts i go to cryptsy coins-e and coinedup.. btc-e for btc trading

[tanstaafl]

I've only just started trading on bitstamp but so far the experience has been great. The verification was reasonably quick (3-4 days) and the first deposit went through very quickly (overnight from Australia, which is much faster than I expected). And I've had no problems with the trades themselves, although I've not tried the API yet.

I'm still waiting for verification from Gox (from a couple of weeks before Xmas).

[huolo]

just make a post

[undeadbitcoiner]

You are actually trying to Trade in Currency or Trade with Alt Coins? If you are trying to Trade with Currency then you must Sign up with MtGox, Bitstam or BtcE but if you want to trade with Alt coins then Cryptsy as i Prefer and other few are so you can sign up and start.
Good Luck

[Papacrusher]

I am looking to sign up with vicurex.   Has anyone had any negative experiences with them?

[jdndndndx]

OP here to follow-up. Coinbase could not be any simpler. I wish I would have signed up here in November instead of Mt. Gox. I am still waiting on Mt. Gox to verify. When they finally verify I will write a follow-up to compare how long it takes to sign up at Mt. Gox vs Coinbase.