The awfully patronizing guide to having a merry crypto-Christmas

As we’re wrapping up 2018, it’s clear it wasn’t the breakout year for cryptocurrency and blockchain that many enthusiasts hoped it would be.

True, the market has dipped significantly in comparison to last December, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t enjoy Christmas the way Satoshi Nakamoto would’ve wanted you to.

To get you started, we’ve prepared a list of services that accept cryptocurrency so you can plan your own ultimate crypto-Christmas and winter holidays.

Planning trips

For those of you that prefer to spend the holiday season away from home, the first step would be finding a travel agency that will take your coins.

Fortunately, there are already a number of airlines that support cryptocurrency payments. CheapAir.com has been accepting Bitcoin since 2013, and has since expanded its payment options with Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Dash.

Expedia, BTCtrip.com, Destinia.com, Japan’s Peach Aviation, Claifornia’s Surf Air, and Latvia’s airBaltic are also crypto-friendly alternatives.

As far as booking accommodation goes, giants Airbnb and Booking.com are still reluctant, but there are other alternatives you can resort to.

CryptoCribs is one of those. The service works the same way as Airbnb, but you can pay in Bitcoin or Ethereum. Needless to say, there are other blockchain-powered booking services, but some of them might require you to buy their token first – and frankly, that’s a hassle. With CryptoCribs, you can simply use the Bitcoin and Ethereum you already have.

Wining and dining

Now that your travel arrangements are all taken care of, you probably want to grab a bite – and perhaps mix it with a beverage of your choice.

Unfortunately, buying food with cryptocurrency is much more difficult than booking trips. While you will find small and medium businesses accepting coins everywhere in the world, these are far and few between. You can check out CoinMap for such locations, but you might have to compromise in the end – and just use hard cash.

If you do indeed end up needing some cash, you can consult with CoinATMRadar for the closest cryptocurrency-enabled cash point around you.

There is also the option to use cryptocurrency gift cards and coupons, but we wouldn’t recommend that method considering how wildly unregulated this whole sub-space is.

Gifts for your loved ones

It might be annoying, but you will also have to think about getting some Christmas presents for your loved ones.

The good thing is that, since most stores don’t accept cryptocurrency payments yet, you won’t have to waste hours browsing for appropriate gifts – and simply pick what’s available. If someone complaints about your crappy gift choices, tell them the truth: “It’s the gesture that matters.”

Anyhow, online retailer Overstock supports payments in Bitcoin – and if you get really lucky, you might even make some profit by using their service. There are also tons of Shopify merchants who will be willing to take your cryptocurrency too.

And if you’re struggling to find the right present, you can always give your loved ones the gift of porn – and get them a premium subscription to Pornhub. Everyone watches porn (though it turns out nobody really pays for porn with cryptocurrency).

Decorations

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real crypto-Christmas unless you adorn your entire apartment (or hotel room) with blockchain-themed ornaments.

Etsy has got you covered tho. The online retailer has tons of merchants offering blockchain swag you can repurpose as Christmas decorations.

A good alternative for the lazy blockchain purists would be to visit your local hardware store and buy some chains to use as garlands – no better way to let your neighbors know you’re a real block(chain)head.