The world of crypto continues to grow with more ways to spend, use and earn. We’ve compiled the best ways to make your crypto work for you by earning crypto rewards or cash back.
Quick note on security: Crypto scammers are becoming more advanced every day. Before lending, staking or giving out any information about your assets, research the opportunity and verify any links are actually coming from a legitimate source. Never give away your login credentials to a crypto platform or share private keys to your wallet. If an opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Use the BitPay Card to earn cash back
The BitPay Card is a crypto debit card which allows you to convert crypto to cash and to spend immediately. BitPay Card users get rewarded with automatic cash back when you use the card at thousands of your favorite brands and local retailers. No coupons, QR codes or hoops to jump through. Just cold, hard (digital) cash. Learn more about BitPay Card rewards.
The most rewarding crypto debit card
Earn crypto staking rewards
Certain cryptocurrencies allow you to “stake” your crypto and earn rewards back. Earning staking rewards is possible when a network uses a consensus method called Proof of Stake (PoS) to verify transactions taking place on the blockchain. Popular staking coins include Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Polkadot (DOT) and Ethereum 2.0 (ETH).
Before you start staking, it’s best to research and select a crypto project which you trust and understand. Many staking opportunities have rules and requirements, including lockup or vesting periods where you can’t pull your staked crypto for certain periods of time. Most crypto exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken and Binance offer staking opportunities.
Earn yield on crypto with CeFi and DeFi
If you’ve got crypto sitting in a wallet, using a centralized or decentralized lending platform may be a good way to earn yield.
Centralized Finance (CeFi) platforms arrange lending and borrowing similar to traditional financial institutions. However, instead of lending fiat, lenders and borrowers transact with crypto. Popular CeFi crypto institutions include BlockFi and Celsius.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platforms make it possible for lenders and borrowers to arrange loans without the help of an intermediary like a bank. DeFi loans are created using self executing smart contracts that contain loan agreement details and payment timelines. The borrower will typically put up crypto as collateral and receive digital assets in return. The lender will receive a portion of the interest paid by the borrower. Rates will vary by coin and market health. Potential lenders and borrowers can use sites like Compound, Aave and Yearn to get a sense of which coins are in demand and average interest rates.
Airdrops on new coins
Crypto airdrops are maneuvers used to garner attention for new and upcoming crypto projects. During an airdrop, project heads will send free coins to users for completing minuscule tasks (like tweeting about a project). Sometimes you don’t have to do anything at all. Make sure to follow along up and coming projects you are keen on. You might just be lucky enough to score when an airdrop is announced.
As the crypto community is always changing, new opportunities to earn crypto rewards will also evolve.