River
DefaultBitcoin-only exchange with recurring buys and published proof of reserves.
Not offered in every US state. Coins left on any exchange can be frozen.
Tools we use
Tools for stacking more Bitcoin
Buy BTC, hold the keys, and keep the tax file. The point of the list is a larger stack. The borrowing section explains the risk and names no lender.
Some links are affiliate links: Formula BTC may earn a commission at no cost to you. Not financial advice. Bitcoin is volatile; self-custody and loans carry risk of loss.
Buy Bitcoin
The highlighted exchange is the default. Each exchange link opens a Bitcoin page, not a catalog of other assets.
Large US exchange. This link opens the page for buying Bitcoin.
The company also lists other assets. A customer-data breach was reported in 2025.
Long-running exchange. This link opens the Bitcoin page, not the full catalog.
The company also lists other assets, plus futures and margin. This link is for a simple Bitcoin buy.
Optional US exchange, if you want a third place to buy Bitcoin.
The Earn program froze withdrawals in 2022 and 2023. Customers were later repaid. Buy and withdraw.
Self-custody hardware wallets
A hardware wallet keeps the keys on a device you hold. The backup words are the wallet.
Hardware wallet. The keys stay on a device you hold.
Lose the device and the backup words, and the Bitcoin is gone. No company can restore them.
Hardware wallet from Shift Crypto, with a Bitcoin-only edition.
A fake device or a photographed backup loses the coins. Check the seller.
Hardware wallet used by a lot of holders.
Customer contact data leaked in 2020. The Recover feature in 2023 was widely rejected. You still guard the backup words.
Tax tools
These prepare a report from the files you give them. They are not a tax advisor.
Builds a crypto tax report from exchange and wallet exports.
The report follows the file you upload. It is not tax advice.
Tracks cost basis across accounts.
A missing wallet can invent a gain. Review the result before you file. Not tax advice.
Borrowing against BTC
Education only. No links, no lender, and no recommendation.
A loan uses Bitcoin as collateral. It does not remove the chance of a loss. This section names no company and no protocol to use.
CeFi means a company holds the Bitcoin and sends you dollars. You are trusting that company to stay open and to return the coins. Celsius and BlockFi failed in 2022, and customers went through bankruptcy. A fall in the Bitcoin price can also force a sale of the collateral.
DeFi means a smart contract holds a wrapped version of Bitcoin and lends other assets against it. There is no desk to call. A bug in the contract, a failure of the wrapper, or a bad price feed can liquidate the position. Fees to move the coins are another way to lose them.
If the price falls far enough, either setup can sell the collateral. Formula BTC does not list lenders here.