There are many bitcoin exchanges, all have varying reputations and levels of customer service. Some have no regulations whilst others concentrate on adhering to regulations. The user interface and experience can vary widely between exchanges with some being quite complex and technical whilst others are incredibly simple.
Most exchanges only offer the trading of crypto asset to crypto asset such as using Bitcoin (BTC) to buy Ethereum (ETH) so you would need to send a crypto asset to one of these exchanges to begin trading.
Fewer exchanges offer direct transfer of GBP or the purchasing of bitcoin via debit card. These exchanges usually offer fewer crypto assets for trading, with most altcoin trading taking place on the crypto asset to crypto asset exchanges. Most peoples first purchase of bitcoin takes place on an exchange that offers GBP trading and deposit.
Recommended exchanges :
Use cash to buy a bitcoin voucher or deposit cash to your account from a participating retail location and redeem it directly to your own wallet via the website; you can also sell bitcoin and collect cash; simplest user interface; cheaper fees than bitcoin ATMs; online bank transfers available; dollar cost averaging available, UK based
Deposit GBP/use debit card; simple user interface; optional mobile app; secure storage vault option; slow customer support; US & UK based; well regulated; high fees; dollar cost averaging available
Deposit GBP; more complex user interface more suited for traders; good customer support; US based; well regulated; low fees
Deposit crypto assets only; complex user interface; reasonable customer support; Malta based; no regulations; medium fees
Other exchanges with good reputations include:
Coinbase Pro (previously G-Dax)
All of the above exchanges are companies facilitating the exchange of crypto assets from one person to another. There is another option and that is by cutting out the middleman and using a decentralised exchange (DEX) that facilitates the exchange of crypto assets directly from one person to another for low or no fees. DEXs do suffer from low liquidity for trading purposes.
This is more complex and you should only use this method if you consider yourself to be an experienced Bitcoin user. Some decentralised exchanges are:
Now you have started in Bitcoin it is really useful to track any trades using a portfolio tracker.