Blockchain technologies offer innovative gifts for Christmas, together with an opportunity to initiate ‘nocoiners’ in your family to crypto.
The year 2017 proved to be an eventful one in the media with constant turmoil about Donald Trump, North Korea, Brexit, and many other topics, but one thing is very clear-2017 will go down in history as the year of the cryptocurrency. This year saw the launch of hundreds of new cryptocurrencies while older coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum outperformed all other asset classes.
Initial coin offerings (ICOs) saw record inflows, giving traditional venture capital firms a run for their money–no pun intended. Major news corporations like Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal significantly ramped up their cryptocurrency coverage–a tip of the hat to the upcoming industry.
With individuals getting more involved in cryptocurrencies than ever before, one way to spice up the holiday season is to give cryptocurrencies as gifts. To do this, all one has to do is create an account with an exchange like Coinbase. Then, after funding the account with a bank transfer, debit card, or credit card, users can buy Bitcoins, Ethereum, or a wide variety of other cryptocurrencies. These cryptocurrencies can be sent to a friend’s wallet address along with a cheery holiday greeting.
Cats and games
Those that want to add a personal touch can give virtual goods like CryptoKitties, a digital pet on one of the first games to be successfully launched on a Blockchain platform. Users can buy and sell CryptoKitties as collectibles on a decentralized marketplace, with the Blockchain serving as an irrefutable record of ownership. Players can also breed two CryptoKitties together to create a brand new, unique kitten, one that no other user on the platform can recreate. Some CryptoKitties demand quite a high premium, making them an excellent source of potential returns.
Gifters can consult online exchanges to find virtual goods to send to their friends as holiday presents. These digital goods can be sent anywhere in the world and can be bought with a majority of cryptocurrencies. Like CryptoKitties, they can be an excellent way to put a little extra thought into the process, especially because many digital gifts can be customized for each recipient.
Soon, a bunch of great projects will allow you to send exciting and innovative gifts on the Blockchain. One example is GIFTO, a Blockchain platform that completed its token sale a week ago in just one minute, making it the fastest crowd sale ever in Asia. GIFTO is working on a decentralized virtual gifting protocol that incentivizes content generation for content creators worldwide. The platform can be integrated with YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, allowing creators to send content to their fans in an increasing number of ways.
Another option for those who want to give digital gifts is the WAX (Worldwide Asset eXchange) platform, which is expected to launch in Q4 2018. It will allow the 400 mln strong gaming community to collect and trade in-game items, a market which is close to $50 bln per year. But the WAX platform will also allow the exchange of almost any virtual items. In fact, a user could set up their own store for crypto-gifts and trade them through the platform.
It’s an exciting time for cryptocurrencies and Blockchain technology. After an amazing 2017, whether your friends or family are nocoiners or die-hard crypto enthusiasts, giving ‘the gift of crypto’ this holiday season could be an exciting way to usher in 2018.
