After your first deposit arrives, the next step is to convert that money into USDT. USDT is the "middle currency" you use on OKX to buy other coins. Once you have it, you can buy BTC, ETH, or other coins. The shortest path has just two steps: C2C buy USDT → Spot trading buy other coins. No need to take a longer route.
A leading global cryptocurrency platform,suitable for both beginners and experienced traders.
New user benefit: 20% off trading fees upon registration!！
Step 1: Buy USDT via C2C (Convert fiat to stablecoin)
After fiat currency (such as CNY) is deposited to OKX, it does not automatically become USDT. It simply sits in your funding account. You need to convert it into USDT through C2C.
[What to do]: Use your fiat balance to buy USDT through C2C trading.
[How to do it]:
Open the OKX App and tap [Buy Crypto] → [C2C Buy] on the home page.
Choose to buy USDT, enter the amount you want to buy in fiat currency, and select a payment method such as Alipay, WeChat, or bank card.
Pick a merchant with a good reputation, confirm the exchange rate and amount, and tap [Buy] to create an order.
Key step: Transfer the money according to the merchant's payment details shown on the page. After transferring, you must return to OKX and tap "I have paid", then wait for the merchant to confirm and release the coins.
Important warning: The payer's name must match your OKX verified identity. If you pay with an unverified account, the seller has the right not to release the coins. Do not write anything crypto-related in the transfer note, otherwise your bank may flag the transaction.
[Completion standard]: USDT appears in your [Assets] → [Funding Account].
Step 2: Use USDT to buy your target coin (Spot trading)
Once you have USDT, use it to buy the coin you actually want, such as BTC.
[What to do]: In the spot trading area, use USDT to buy your target cryptocurrency.
[How to do it]:
Go to [Trade] → [Spot], and search for the trading pair you want, such as "BTC/USDT".
Key step: Check whether your USDT is in the "Trading Account". If it is in the "Funding Account", you need to transfer it first. Tap [Assets] → [Transfer], and move it from the Funding Account to the Trading Account. Otherwise, you may see an "insufficient margin" error.
Choose the order type:
Market order: Enter how much USDT you want to spend, and the order will be filled immediately.
Limit order: Set your own price and wait for the market to reach it before the order is filled.
Enter the quantity and tap [Buy BTC] or the corresponding coin, then confirm.
[Completion standard]: The page shows that the order was filled, and you can see the coin you bought in [Assets].
Fastest path summary
| Step | What to do | Where to operate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiat → Buy USDT | [Buy Crypto] → C2C Buy | Return to the App and tap "I have paid" after paying |
| 2 | USDT → Buy BTC etc. | First [Transfer] to Trading Account, then go to Spot Trading | Funds in the Funding Account cannot be traded directly |
If you only want to convert fiat into USDT, you can stop after the first step. If you later want to buy other coins, go through the second step.
A leading global cryptocurrency platform,suitable for both beginners and experienced traders.
New user benefit: 20% off trading fees upon registration!！
Next action
Open the OKX App, go to [Buy Crypto] → C2C Buy, and use your fiat balance to buy a small amount of USDT as a test. After buying, go to [Assets] and tap [Transfer] to move USDT to the Trading Account, then buy a small amount of the coin you are interested in on the spot market. If you are not familiar with it, try a small amount first. The whole process should take less than 10 minutes to understand.
