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A round-up of cards that earn cryptocurrency rewards

July 27, 2022
7 min read
Shopping On-Line And Cryptocurrency
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If you believe cryptocurrency is a good long-term investment, you may be interested in a credit card that offers cryptocurrency rewards.

A growing number of companies are working to bring these rewards to crypto enthusiasts and speculators looking to get involved in the digital currency economy.

Of course, this particular type of rewards currency isn't for everyone, especially if you can't stomach potential volatility in the market — so be sure to check out our introductory guide to earning cryptocurrency on credit cards before reading this list of specific crypto cards.

Note that there is no official Bitcoin credit card or Ethereum credit card, but you may be able to earn those or other cryptocurrencies with any of the cards mentioned in this guide.

Gemini Credit Card

The Gemini Credit Card* is a Mastercard-branded product with no annual fee. The card features 3% back on dining, 2% back on groceries and 1% back everywhere else. You can choose to redeem rewards as any of more than 60 supported currencies.

Some of the biggest cryptocurrencies in the Gemini credit card rewards program include Bitcoin, Ethererum, Filecoin, Zcash, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Tezos, Solana and Polkadot. You can also cash in with stablecoins such as USD Coin and Gemini dollar. Many currencies on the Gemini exchange are eligible for interest when holding the crypto in a Gemini account.

Low costs, up to 3% rewards and a connection to the fully-featured Gemini exchange make this card a popular choice for cryptocurrency rewards.

BlockFi Rewards Visa Signature Card

The BlockFi Rewards Visa Signature Card* is a cryptocurrency rewards card from the BlockFi exchange with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. The card includes a flat 1.5% rewards rate on all purchases made with the card, and these rewards transfer into more than 15 cryptocurrencies, all supported by the BlockFi credit card.

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The flat 1.5% rewards rate puts the card in line with many other flat-rate cash back cards with no annual fees, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited. However, the ability to earn rewards in Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies makes it very different from traditional cash back rewards cards.

Once you get your crypto rewards, you can hold them in a BlockFi interest account that offers modest rates on supported currencies. The top rates are paid on stablecoins like USD Coin, while traditional cryptos offer lower rates.

Crypto.com Visa Card

The Crypto.com Visa Card* is a no-annual-fee card from one of the best-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States. (This is partially due to a major ad campaign with Matt Damon and buying naming rights to the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.)

The Crypto.com card is a bit more complex, with five tiers and varying rewards depending on your cryptocurrency balances.

The basic Midnight Blue tier requires no crypto holdings and doesn’t offer rewards. With $400 or more in the CRO currency, the native currency created by Crypto.com, you can earn 1% to 5% back on regular purchases.

Other perks include up to 100% back on Spotify, Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions and complimentary airport lounge access. However, those top benefits require holding a whopping $400,000 in CRO, far beyond what most people could afford or consider.

(Photo by d3sign/Getty Images)

SoFi Credit Card

The SoFi Credit Card* isn’t dedicated to cryptocurrency alone. You can redeem rewards from this card for cash back, stock or fund investments, and cryptocurrency. The card includes up to 3% cash back with no annual fee.

SoFi Crypto is a standalone investment account. You can redeem your cash back rewards into this account, which is then used to buy or sell any of the 26 supported cryptocurrencies. Note that SoFi charges up to 1.25% on cryptocurrency trades, which is baked into the trade price.

While this card offers a potentially top-level rewards rate on all purchases, it doesn’t let you use your cryptocurrency like a traditional crypto exchange. You can’t withdraw crypto from a SoFi account or use it for purchases. Your crypto is stuck in the SoFi account as long as you have it.

Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards Visa

The Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards Visa* was one of the first credit cards made to offer rewards only in Bitcoin.

With the Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards card, users earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back in Bitcoin. However, this card has an interesting twist: rewards are offered when you pay down your balance, not when you make the initial purchase.

The Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards Visa charges no annual fee. Rewards are paid to a dedicated Bitcoin account attached to your Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards card. Like SoFi, you can’t withdraw and there’s a fee when you sell your Bitcoin. The only way to withdraw is to sell your Bitcoin and send cash to your linked bank account as United States dollars.

Venmo Credit Card

The Venmo Credit Card* is another card that offers rewards in multiple forms, including cryptocurrency. Users can choose a preferred cryptocurrency for monthly rewards, which are redeemed automatically.

The Venmo card has no annual fee and offers up to 3% cash back rewards. You’ll earn 3% back in your top category for the statement period, 2% in your second biggest spend category and 1% on everything else.

Venmo only supports a short range of currencies: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. Venmo cryptocurrency transactions are made through a partnership with Paxos, which charges a fee as a difference between buying and selling prices, known as a spread.

The card is issued in partnership with Synchrony Bank.

Blockchain.com Visa® Card

The Blockchain.com Visa Card works like a debit card and offers 1% back on purchases in the form of crypto. Users can choose a preferred cryptocurrency for earning their rewards.

There is no annual fee on the Blockchain.com Visa, and users can withdraw cash at ATMs or make purchases anywhere Visa is accepted. It's worth pointing out that any cash withdrawals or purchases require first converting your crypto to US Dollars, and there may be a margin/spread added to this conversion. There are no purchase fees, sign-up fees or annual fees on Blockchain.com Visa.

This card is issued in partnership Pathward, N.A. and is powered by Marqueta. At present, the card is available only to U.S. residents.

*The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

The list of issuers getting into crypto credit cards is growing, with American Express soon to join the ranks.

Those who are interested in earning cryptocurrency will want to research the supported currencies, annual fees and earn rates when choosing a card. Remember that cryptocurrencies carry unique risks, so there’s a possibility your rewards could become worth less and less over time.

If you’re not into crypto, don’t forget our always-updated list of the best travel rewards-earning credit cards.

Featured image by NurPhoto via Getty Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.