Bitcoin gift ideas
Gifts that help someone hold their own Bitcoin safely and understand it better. No coins, no exchanges, just the tools and books we would give our own family.
Some links here are affiliate links*
Hardware wallets
The most useful gift for anyone who already owns some Bitcoin. A hardware wallet keeps their keys offline and lets them check every payment on its own screen.
Trezor
Open-source firmware, a Bitcoin-only option, and a range from simple button models to colour touchscreens. Good for a first device. Plugs in by USB-C, no air-gapped signing.
BitBox
Small, Swiss-made, open source, with a Bitcoin-only edition and a microSD backup, and a guided app. The original BitBox02 does not work with iPhone or iPad.
Ledger
Well-known secure element devices with Bluetooth on most models. Suits people who hold more than just Bitcoin. The secure element operating system is closed source, and there is no Bitcoin-only firmware.
Coldcard
Bitcoin-only, with two secure elements, open firmware and air-gapped signing by microSD, NFC or QR (Q). Best for someone who already knows the basics, as there are many settings.
Blockstream Jade
Low cost, fully open source and Bitcoin-focused. Jade Plus has a camera for air-gapped QR signing. It uses a "virtual secure element" with help from a Blockstream server instead of a classic secure element.
Foundation Passport
A premium air-gapped device with a big touchscreen, camera, secure element and open source hardware and software. More to learn than a basic device.
Listed in no ranked order. Not sure which? Read our hardware wallet comparison and our six-device table. Order from the maker's own site so it arrives sealed, and point the recipient to our setup checklist.
A home node
Umbrel
A plug-in home server that runs a full Bitcoin node, so the recipient checks the rules themselves and keeps their wallet activity private. Great for the tinkerer in the family.
Umbrel official site (link coming soon)*
See our Umbrel node setup guide.
Start9
Another plug-in home server, running StartOS, that can run a Bitcoin node and other self-hosted apps. A similar idea to Umbrel with its own app store and support team.
Build your own
A spare mini PC or laptop with a 2 TB SSD can run Bitcoin Core, or umbrelOS or StartOS, for no extra software cost.
Books
Inventing Bitcoin, by Yan Pritzker
Short, clear and friendly. A perfect first read.
The Bitcoin Standard, by Saifedean Ammous
The big-picture history of money and where Bitcoin fits.
Broken Money, by Lyn Alden
How money systems work and break, written by a respected macro analyst.
Mastering Bitcoin, by Andreas M. Antonopoulos and David A. Harding
The technical classic for the curious coder. Also free to read online.
More titles on our books page.
Gifting tips
- Never gift a device you have opened or set up. The recipient must create their own recovery words.
- Ship straight from the maker, not via a marketplace.
- Pair a device with a book, so they understand what they are protecting.
- Offer to sit with them during setup, but never look at or keep their recovery words.
Not financial advice. General education only. Do your own research.
Affiliate links and how we review
Affiliate disclosure: SHATOSHI has, or is applying for, paid affiliate relationships with some makers and shops linked on this page. If you use those links we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
How we review: every product is judged on the same points: security model, open source, secure element, Bitcoin-only option, ease of use and backup. Affiliate links never affect which products we include, what we say about them or the order they appear in. Some makers pay us a commission, most pay us nothing, and that never moves a product up or down. You can always buy direct from any maker without using our link. Read our full disclosure.