For a crypto diehard, the New Year arrives with every bitcoin ATH, which this time has, as if by magic, landed on the cusp of the winter holidays. To avoid poring over charts of past, present and future through the night—and turning into a Dickensian, crypto-era Scrooge—it pays to separate work from leisure, take profits in good time, clock off for the holidays and spend a little on gifts for yourself and those close to you.
ForkLog offers a selection of devices and services to delight any crypto user this New Year—from the weary “hamster” to the indefatigable Web3 enthusiast.
Be useful and earn tokens
Devices in the DePIN segment turn owners into fully fledged participants in global decentralisation. Users of such gadgets contribute to common goods—be it mapping, internet and mobile access, or climate data.
WeatherXM is a project built to study weather conditions worldwide and collect information in a single decentralised, community-run network. At the time of writing, there are more than 17,000 portable stations installed and streaming data around the clock across the globe. Each owner earns WXM tokens in exchange for weather readings.
Helium is an infrastructure network that provides coverage for wireless connections. Users can buy Helium hotspots running the LoRaWAN protocol and earn the native MOBILE token for providing services. At the time of writing, two devices are available for indoor and outdoor use.
Drivers may like devices that build global maps and monetise vehicle-condition data.
Hivemapper is building a dynamic map of the world as a Web3 alternative to Google Maps. Drivers using Hivemapper Bee dashcams record their surroundings and receive HONEY tokens as a reward. The cameras have already covered more than 400m km of roads, and at the time of writing the HONEY token has a market capitalisation of around $300m.
DIMO LTE R1 is an IoT device that makes a car “smart”. It lets owners monetise vehicle health data such as oil level or tyre pressure. These readings can be used by the automotive, financial, insurance, technical and other sectors. Users earn the native DIMO token. The driver can also monitor the vehicle’s status in a free app. Device price: $169.
For the true crypto enthusiast, miner and fan of digital gold, a satellite receiver for a full bitcoin node makes a fitting gift.
In 2017 a programme was launched to deploy geostationary satellites that beam bitcoin blockchain nodes from space to Earth—Blockstream Satellite.
If all terrestrial connectivity is lost, the project’s protocol lets you sync a node without internet and supports Lightning Network instant payments. The company uses five geostationary satellites to beam signals to Africa, Europe, South America, North America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Crypto smartphones and blockchain gaming consoles
One of the first mobile devices tied to blockchain was HTC’s Exodus smartphone, released in 2018. A built-in wallet for storing cryptocurrencies was a revolutionary feature at the time. Later, Solana grabbed the spotlight.
The key to the Saga crypto phone’s success was a series of big airdrops. It started with the Bonk (BONK) token—device owners received a guaranteed 30m-coin distribution. Given the rapid rally, at one point the windfall fully covered the cost of the phone. Other projects later announced drops for Saga users.
Many see the device as a keepsake—or a punt on future distributions. The new Seeker model, priced at $500, is available for pre-order with delivery in 2025.
Strong phone sales spurred other blockchain players to build rivals—and expand into gaming consoles.
In 2024 at least three companies launched Web3 phones:
- Aptos Foundation, in partnership with Jambo Technology, released a smartphone for Web3 access in Africa, South-East Asia and Latin America. According to the makers, the $99 JamboPhone is meant to drive inclusion in the digital economy across emerging markets;
- a $129 model—the Universal Basic Smartphone (UBS) from Oyster Labs. The mobile device, built on The Open Network (TON) blockchain, is designed specifically for users in Telegram’s ecosystem;
- entertainment-focused blockchain project XProtocol announced the “first in the world DePIN smartphone”. The XForge device works as a full blockchain node. Users can participate in a DePIN network straight from the phone, earning rewards and airdrops. The stated post-release price is $299.
Whiling away a few hours with favourite games is a fine way to switch off. You will not be able to fire up the newest devices over the coming holidays, but they make desirable gifts. Developers promise several models in 2025.
In September 2024, Mysten Labs, the firm behind the Sui L1 blockchain, opened pre-orders for SuiPlay0X1—a Web3 gaming console created with Playtron. The price is $599.
The device is a portable console with the following specifications:
- AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor;
- AMD Ryzen 780M GPU;
- 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a memory card slot;
- 7-inch IPS No-Bezel display with 1920×1200 resolution;
- Playtron operating system;
- dimensions: 264.5 mm x 105.5 mm x 21.5 mm;
- weight: 677 g.
That same month, Play Solana opened pre-orders for the PSG1 handheld gaming console with blockchain-app support. The price is $199. Release is planned for Q2 2025.
A speculator’s holiday
As institutional funds deepen their engagement with crypto, the industry sometimes borrows useful habits from Wall Street. One inviolable tradition for the American stockmarket’s toilers is an uncompromising Christmas break.
By December, big players usually have their calendars set. The expiry of the last monthly, quarterly and annual futures on the CME or Deribit typically falls on the month’s final Friday. Dollar-settled contracts are scheduled to settle the next day—December 28th 2024. December 25th and January 1st are holidays, and the preceding sessions are shortened to midday.
A glance at bitcoin’s price over the past ten years shows December moves are usually modest—barring the high-volatility bull runs of 2017 and 2020. Almost every year, the real excitement starts in January.
When there is cash on hand and the trader is by the fireplace, stove or tree, the absence of chart-filled monitors may still nag. A portable ticker displaying the price of a favourite coin can help—and doubles as a festive decoration. The market offers plenty of options below $100.
Hardware wallets and seed-phrase safes are evergreen gifts for crypto traders.
The new Ledger Stax blends innovation with aesthetics. It offers secure storage of cryptocurrencies in a compact, designed device with a touchscreen and customisable display.
A more affordable alternative is the Trezor Safe 5—a wallet from Trezor for roughly $180.
Proper seed-phrase storage is crucial for protecting assets. Portable capsule safes help. These waterproof and fireproof devices are virtually indestructible. Options range from mini-tubes that hide key notes to do-it-yourself engraving of sacred characters on metal.
CryptoSteel is a metal container for storing seed phrases and private keys. If you are in the habit of stuffing presents into stockings above the fireplace, you can even toss the capsule into the fire—then suggest finding the gift in the ashes come morning. The device costs under $100.
Non-fungible gifts
Connoisseurs of digital art on blockchain have plenty to covet. Building on the old digital photo-frame trend, developers have created displays to show NFTs. They mount on the wall like a painting; some offer video and sound.
Using its patented ArtSense technology, the Canvia smart frame displays fine art, photographs and NFT images from a crypto wallet. Sensors adjust each image in real time to ambient light levels. The NFT frame costs about $500.
A relatively new use for non-fungible tokens is NFT tickets. This event tool attracts users with its flexible features and the prospect of organiser perks.
Armed with such proof of attendance, holders can go to events ranging from small meetups to conferences with thousands of people: ETHDenver, TOKEN2049, Blockchain Life. Tickets for next year are already on sale on event websites.
There are also platforms for creating NFT invitations to your own events. For example, via MyShCh you can invite everyone to a New Year party and issue SBT certificates for attendees.
Crypto in an envelope: a universal option
The simplest gift is cryptocurrency itself. Enthusiasts eager to onboard friends and family to digital assets can arrange a debit or credit card on one of the popular exchanges. During transactions, cryptocurrencies are converted to fiat instantly.
NoOnes, a new project from former Paxful CEO Ray Youssef, offers a P2P platform and wallet with Lightning Network support. Aimed at users in the Global South, it has attracted almost 2m users with instant conversion of digital assets. The service solves the festive-gift question with gift cards of various denominations.
In the Gift cards section, P2P exchange of crypto for cards from 157 services is available, including Steam, PlayStation Network, Apple Store and Netflix. NoOnes offers discounts of up to 50% on them.
Trustee Card is a virtual Mastercard debit card linked to the Trustee Plus multi-currency crypto wallet. The product supports instant conversion into euros and local fiat currencies.
Crypto.com Card is a prepaid Visa card from the Hong Kong-based firm Crypto.com. It can be topped up with credit and debit cards, PayPal and cryptocurrencies.
Five products are available to users, with different limits and perks. Depending on the card selected, holders receive rewards for holding Cronos (CRO) tokens, subscription rebates for Spotify, Netflix, Prime and X, travel-booking cashback, airport lounge access and special service terms.
Spend freely and with joy—just try not to dump the market in the “Chinese tradition” before New Year. The most valuable gifts, beyond time and trend, are attention, care and knowledge. Happy holidays, past and upcoming!