Introduction

I a previous article Transferring OPEN.STEEM to STEEM and Powering UP, I explained how to go about buying OPEN.STEEM with Bitshares and transferring that to STEEM within the Bitshares Wallet GUI for Blocktrades. Many users who want to be part of the STEEM network may have no direct interest in managing funds through the Bitshares wallet. If this describes you then continue reading.

Preparing

Blocktrades.us makes it very easy to exchange one crypto currency to another. This article assumes that you

• Already hold Bitcoin in some account. I use Coinbase It's been around and has a good reputation.
• Already have a Steemit account.

Let's get Started

If you've met the prior criteria, you are ready to transfer Bitcoin to STEEM. Head over to BlockTrades.us and choose from the two dropdowns (you are not required to set up an account at BlockTrades in order to use the service.

While you are not required to enter values, I like to do it so I can verify that the funds I expected to receive were in fact received. I am planning to send .060785 BTC to my STEEM account.

Next, enter your STEEM address. This is simply the unique account name you signed up with on STEEM. Mine is billbutler

Now click Get a new Deposit Address. This will present you with an address and a QR Code. This is the Bitcoin address where you will send your Bitcoin to. This is a unique one-time address that will automatically

• Receive your Bitcoin
• Convert it to STEEM at the best rate they can according to the market price on a number of exchanges
• Deposit it into your STEEM account

Since I have the iPhone app for Coinbase, all I have to do is choose Send (Icon in the upper right corner.

Enter the amount you wish to transfer and click SEND

When the send window comes up, you can click the bar code icon and it will pull up a your camera so you can capture the bar code address.

Verify the address and choose Send This will start the process. While STEEM transactions clear in just 3 seconds, Bitcoin can take 30 minutes to an hour. Be patient during this time and don't panic. I'd always suggest sending a small amount for your first try. There is no sense in stressing yourself out on the first dew times.

Once the transfer has occurred, your STEEM wallet will look like this

I highly recommend converting your STEEM to STEEM POWER. Be sure to read up on STEEM and Powering UP so you understand the implications of holding STEAM POWER.

Conclusion

BlockTrades is a simple way to move value between cryptos without being overly concerned about the trading platform or online exchange. I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If it did, please give me a vote!