Looking for the best crypto gifts this Christmas? DL News has you covered

Yes, it’s almost that time of year again.

With one-in-five Americans now owning digital assets, chances are you know someone in your life who’s crazy about crypto.

But getting someone a crypto-themed gift can be difficult. Figuring out the right one can often end up more complicated than zero-knowledge proofs and more expensive than using Ethereum.

But don’t fret — DL News is here to make sure your gift doesn’t go down like a lead balloon — or FTX’s balance sheet.

Here’s our top five crypto gift recommendations, hand-picked by our staff.

Please note: we did not get any freebies or other forms of payments from the organisations mentioned on the list

A hardware wallet

Hardware wallets are physical devices which store the password-like private keys that back crypto wallets.

They can add an additional layer of protection for someone who holds their crypto in a non-custodial wallet by making it impossible to transfer assets out of the wallet without the device.

Hardware wallets can make great gifts, but there are a few things you need to consider before buying one for someone:

• Only buy from reputable sellers, preferably via the maker’s own website. There have been cases where unscrupulous sellers have sold compromised hardware wallets that steal the private keys loaded onto them.
• Make sure the wallet you buy is compatible with the crypto assets the person you’re buying for holds. Almost all hardware wallets are compatible with most major assets, but it’s best to check for more obscure ones.

So, which hardware wallet should you choose as a gift? While reputable brands like Trezor, NGRAVE or BC Vault are great, one particularly popular model is Ledger Nano S Plus.

Its ease of use makes it ideal for someone who has never used a hardware wallet before, but its functionality and security features are still top notch.

Its price tag doesn’t break the bank compared to some hardware wallets, either.

Crypto books

Who doesn’t like to settle down with a good book over the Christmas holidays?

This year several gripping crypto reads have hit the shelves, and any one of them would make a great gift for the seasoned cryptophile or even someone who’s just crypto-curious.

Michael Lewis’ “Going Infinite” details the inner workings and collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire. It’s a must-read for those who followed Bankman-Fried’s disastrous trial where a jury found him guilty on all seven charges of fraud and conspiracy.

For a broader look at the excess of the crypto industry in recent years, check out Ben McKenzie’s “Easy Money,” or Zeke Faux’s “Number Go Up.”

For a more technical dive into the nitty gritty of Ethereum, consider Camila Russo’s “The Infinite Machine,” or “Proof of Stake” — a collection of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s most influential writings.

Pudgy penguins toys

You might’ve seen them around before, those cute penguin profile pictures popular with the crypto-initiated.

As one of the hottest collections on the market, one of the 8,888 original Pudgy Penguins NFTs will set you back an eye-watering six Ether — about $26,000 at current prices.

But if you’re set on giving someone a penguin there are other options available. This year, the Pudgy Penguins brand launched a line of toys, and they’re surprisingly easy to find — even Walmart stocks them.

There are two main lines — hard plastic figurines and soft plushies — to choose from.

An ugly crypto Christmas jumper

Love them or hate them, those ugly knitted Christmas jumpers are here to stay.

You may already have seen some pretty niche examples of these festive pullovers, such as ones themed around Marmite or Louis Theroux, but now you can get them for your favourite crypto assets, too.

If you’re looking for a general crypto jumper, check out this Merry Cryptmas offering from Not Just Clothing, complete with HODL and FOMO detailing.

For a wider variety, head over to Hodlmoon.

Crypto

It used to be pretty difficult to give crypto as a gift.

After spending hours showing the person you’re gifting how to set up a Metamask wallet, forcing them to write down their recovery phrase, and explaining Ethereum fees, they’ll probably end up wishing you hadn’t bothered.

But thanks to Coinbase, you can now send crypto gifts with the click of a button — even if the person you’re sending to doesn’t have a wallet or a Coinbase account.

As long as both you and your recipient live in jurisdictions where Coinbase operates, you can use their crypto gift service. All you need is their email address and you’re good to go.

Once the recipient is notified you’ve sent them some crypto as a gift, they’ll be prompted to set up a Coinbase account to claim it. Any gifts that aren’t claimed within 30 days will be returned to your Coinbase account.

Tim Craig is DL News’ Edinburgh-based DeFi Correspondent. Reach out with tips at tim@dlnews.com.