Casa Blog - Bitcoin Security Made Easy

Editor’s note: Bitcoin purchases are no longer available through the Casa app as of January 2023. We recommend that you use an alternative purchasing platform.

Casa is the smartest way to buy bitcoin and keep it safe by default.

Today, we’re excited to announce another major update: U.S. customers can now buy bitcoin with ultra-low fees by linking your bank account!

What you need to know

🏆 Lowest fees in Bitcoin - Flat, fair 0.99% fee on all bitcoin purchased through bank transfers. That means more of your hard-earned fiat goes straight to growing your wealth in Bitcoin.

📈 Increased limits - Purchase up to $5,000 of BTC per week, $20,000 per month, or $240,000 per year.

🔐 Your keys, your bitcoin - but safer and smarter - When you purchase bitcoin with Casa, your coins are protected by our superior security model, which keeps you in full control. It’s your bitcoin, secured by your private keys. Because you always control your keys, you can rest easy.

Why it matters

As much as 50% of all bitcoin in circulation is held by third-party custodians.

Not only does this mean you’re missing out on one of Bitcoin’s key values - the ability to have full control and full sovereignty over your money - it also makes the Bitcoin network itself less resilient. Read more about that here:

The Custodian Menace
A small number of custodians hold the private keys to a large amount of bitcoin. This is not good for Bitcoin.

Over the years, far too many Bitcoiners we know personally have given up on self-custody because it was too difficult or too risky.

Casa fixes this. When done right, holding your own bitcoin is far more secure than keeping it on an exchange. Self-custody eliminates an entire class of risks to your bitcoin. Casa helps you do it right, with an experience that’s just as easy as a custodial app.

With today’s update, it’s never been easier to safely, confidently grow your HODL stash without ever sacrificing your independence. You are now free to skip the exchange altogether.

How to get started

  1. On the purchase screen in your Casa App, tap “Bank Account” as your Buy Method.
  2. Complete the brief onboarding process with our purchase partner Wyre.
  3. That’s it!

Application review takes anywhere between a few minutes to several hours. As soon as that’s complete, you can begin buying bitcoin with your bank account.

To protect you from fraud and comply with government regulations, our processing partner requires full personal information plus a photo ID. This data is submitted securely through your Casa App and is never stored on Casa’s servers.

Don’t want to provide any personal info? As always with Casa, you’re in complete control. This feature is 100% opt-in. If you want to use Casa pseudonymously to secure coins you’ve already acquired, you can avoid it entirely. Likewise, this feature has no impact on clients that are already using Casa pseudonymously and doesn’t change Casa’s regulatory stance, as Casa never takes control of funds.

Ready to set up low-fee bitcoin purchases?

This feature is live today! To get set up, just head to your purchase screen and tap 'Bank Account.'

Not a Casa member? You can try Casa Gold risk-free for 30 days. It's 100% free for your first month, and just $120/year after that. 👉 Try for free.

Want to use Casa App without a membership? Your can download it here.


FAQs

What are the fees and limits?

There’s a flat 0.99% fee on all bitcoin you buy with your bank account. Because all bitcoin purchased through Casa is onchain bitcoin (not a bitcoin IOU), there’s also always a mining fee.

Purchases are capped at $5,000 per weekly (on a rolling basis), $20,000 per month, and $240,000 per year. There’s a minimum order size of $20.

Looking to purchase more bitcoin than that? Since 2018, we’ve quietly vetted and partnered with the premiere OTC desks in Bitcoin. At our Diamond tier, we help clients every week find the right liquidity partner for making large purchases.

What countries and US states are supported?

Currently this feature is for US customers only. We support all 50 states except: Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.

Currently reside in one of those states? Stay tuned! We’re working with Wyre to add support for you soon.

Are ACH purchases immediate like Apple Pay?

When you purchase bitcoin with your bank account, your price is locked in immediately. Note that because of the time it takes the ACH network to clear electronic transfers, there’s a hold of 5 business days before the BTC will be deposited into your Casa App. So if you purchase today (Thursday), it will arrive in your Casa App the following Thursday.

Can I still buy bitcoin Apple Pay and debit card?

Yes! You can switch between purchasing with your bank account and Apple Pay / debit card. While fees with bank transfers are significantly lower, Apple / debit purchases will be deposited into your Casa App immediately with no wait time and very little personal info required.

What are the full KYC requirements?

Our processing partner Wyre requires full personal information (name, address, phone, email, etc.) as well as a photo ID (driver’s license, passport) to confirm your identity before you can link your bank account. Check our help center for full details.

What if I don’t want to use this feature?

No worries! This feature is 100% opt-in. If you prefer to use Casa pseudonymously and/or only for security, there’s no need to use this feature.