Crypto-Savvy Gifts for the Holiday Season
Hedgehog correspondent Ryan S. Gladwin advises you on the best gifts for crypto fiends.
First, allow me to set the scene:
Jingle bells, fiat smells
Bitcoin bears are dead
ELONGATE lost the memecoin race
When Dogecoin got away (hey!)
Buying presents at Christmas is something I hate. I often find myself Googling "Christmas present ideas" just to get my mom the same candle I get her every year. That being said, I do know what to get a crypto lover … unfortunately Mom isn't one.
Here are some of the best crypto Christmas present ideas — no candles included!
Cold Storage
This may be the most important present for any serious cryptobro / cryptette. For those of you who don't know what this is, let me explain. There are two types of wallets: hot and cold.
Hot wallets are stored online, on a computer or mobile and are connected to the internet. This means you run the risk of the hot wallet provider being hacked and your private key being compromised.
Cold wallets, however, are stored offline, significantly reducing the risk of a hack or data breach that could result in your crypto being stolen. The most secure way to store your money.
What cold storage am I adding to our Christmas list? The Ledger Nano X!
Why? Outside of it just being a good looking piece of kit, its Ledger Live feature is a huge plus. It allows you to look at your portfolio like Robinhood or Coinbase would. Ledger Live allows for tracking, sending, and even staking your assets through your phone via bluetooth.
Ledger Nano X supports over 1,800 coins (which is a lot) but it's still a good idea to check your favorites are on this list before purchasing.
If the Nano X price tag is too much for you, consider downgrading to the Nano S for about half the cost. You won't lose any security doing this. You just won't be able to use bluetooth, you'll have a slightly smaller screen, and won't be able to download as many apps. For a full comparison, click here.
NFTs
Let's face it, NFTs are here to stay. So why not get your relatives one for Christmas?
The easiest way to do this is by heading over to OpenSea, finding the NFT you want to gift and purchasing it. Once it is in your wallet, you can click the "transfer" button and insert the wallet address of the recipient. The two most important things to keep in mind here: double, no, triple check the wallet address and please bear in mind the gas fees that you will be charged. We all know the stress Ethereum gas fees can cause.
If you aren't sure what their wallet address is, there's not much you can do. You'll have to do some serious detective work to get hold of it. Or let them open a card that asks for their wallet address to receive their present. If you're willing to go the extra mile, combine this idea with the Ledger Nano X and set it up for them!
Not comfortable with NFTs yet? Give yourself a trial run on WAX before dealing with ETH gas fees:
On-Chain Message
This is for the soppy ones amongst you. Using MyEtherWallet you can send a special message to your recipient, to be stored on the blockchain forever and ever! Awww 💖
First, you'll have to go to a "string to hex" converter and write your message. This will translate your sentimental Christmas note into a language the Ethereum blockchain can understand. It should look something like this:
4d65727279204368726973746d61732066726f6d204865646765686f6721
Then head over to MyEtherWallet and go to send a small (or big) amount of crypto to whomever you want to receive it. Before you click send, it's important you click the "data & gas limit" button. This will open up a drop down menu with a box titled "add data." Insert the translated message into this box and now it's time to click send!
Once your transaction is complete, Etherscan will pop up with all the details of what you just sent. Open up the "click to see more" button to reveal the input data. Currently, it'll be displayed in hex. To change this, simply click "view input as" and change it to UTF-8.
Voilà! Your message is now on the blockchain forever. Plus you've gifted some crypto while at it… everyone knows the best cards have money in them.
Price Ticker Display
Is the person you're buying for obsessed with the price of their favorite coin? Reduce their screen time with a price ticker display to constantly remind them of the price.
All you have to do is connect the display to your Wi-Fi then set it up via your mobile, computer, or laptop. The price will automatically update, providing a useful and stylish addition to a crypto lover's room. Okay, maybe occasionally it'll be depressing — all the better for memento mori!
If you're interested, CryptoCoinDisplay on Etsy offers a wide variety of displays that are worth checking out.
Book...s
We all think we're crypto geniuses but we could always know more. A great way to do that is through reading a book… oh god, I'm starting to sound like my dad.
It's true though! Reading is a great way to expand your knowledge in any field and cryptocurrency is no exception.
The book you give someone should depend on their experience with crypto and their particular line of interest within it. Are they pretty new to crypto? Get them a noob's guide to cryptocurrency. Are they interested in history? Get them a book that looks at the history of blockchain technology. Or are they more into the finance side? There's a book for that too!
This is an opportunity to show that you really know the person you're buying a gift for. Reflect their personality in the gift. Find out their favorite coin and why they love crypto so much. It'll help you get a great present for them and you'll learn a little bit more about your loved one.
[Ed. note: Digital Cash by Finn Brunton provides food for thought at any skill level.]
Clothing, Home Goods
Not every crypto enthusiast leaves their house, but when they do, they wear crypto clothing. There's not much to explain with this one. Everyone likes to express themselves through clothing. Why not include crypto in that?
The options are slightly overwhelming: hoodies, T-shirts, hats, socks, and even dresses. You actually might have too much choice.
I think you can't go wrong with a bitcoin hat, Ethereum t-shirt and Cardano hoodie. That's one killer outfit.
Not sure of their clothing sizes? In a similar vein, crypto pillows could be a great gift this Christmas. Pillows are both stylish and comfy, so crypto enthusiasts would love this as a present. Pick up a matching blanket while you're at it!
The best pillows I've found are these round Dogecoin, Ethereum and XRP pillows.
Extra Credit
Maybe the crypto-lover in your life already has all of the suggestions above. I commend their swagger! Three more ideas:
- ENS domain (those sexy .eth addresses you've seen on Twitter)
- Subscription to news sources (for example, The Defiant or The Block)
- Metaverse land
If you enjoyed this piece, check out Ryan's website, follow him on Twitter, and of course subscribe to the weekly Hedgehog newsletter!