The common pitch for cryptocurrency is the asset’s potential to become a decentralized medium of exchange. The famed story of an early Bitcoin adopter spending 10,000 Bitcoins on pizza in its early days has proved the coin’s viability. No Bitcoin holder would agree to that type of deal now since you could get a lot more with 10,000 Bitcoins. Even if you have a fractional Bitcoin, you can use it to buy goods and services. We will outline some of the things you can buy with cryptocurrency and how to get you started.
Are There Any Companies That Accept Crypto as Payment?
Thousands of merchants have accepted Bitcoin and other payment methods in recent years. These merchants range from small businesses to corporations. Home Depot, Shopify, and Microsoft are some of the companies that accept crypto payments for some or all of their business segments.
How Can You Use Crypto to Make Purchases?
Online stores accepting crypto payments will provide their crypto wallet address. You can use this address to send a payment from your digital wallet to the company’s crypto wallet. You can also use a crypto debit card to make purchases with crypto. Debit cards let you tap into your existing holdings, but you can get overdraft fees if you spend more than the available funds in your account.
What Can You Buy with Cryptocurrency?
You can buy many goods and services with cryptocurrencies. For example, you can use digital currency to buy the following items:
A Car
Some car dealers let you use crypto as payment. While Elon Musk made headlines for briefly accepting Bitcoin as a payment for Teslas, he’s not the only one who invited people to use crypto. As a result, you can buy luxury cars and basic vehicles if you find the right dealer.
A Private Jet
Not everyone accumulates enough crypto for a private jet, but some private jet companies will work with you if you have the funds. PrivateFly is one of several companies that lets you buy a private jet or flights with cryptocurrencies.
A Yacht
Cryptocurrencies have made some people millions of dollars. Some early adopters sitting on substantial holdings may opt to buy a yacht. Merchants like Denison Yachting and Rosenberg Atelier allow wealthy individuals to purchase yachts with Bitcoin.
Real Estate
You don’t have to rely on fiat money to buy real estate. Instead, you can use a virtual crypto asset to buy a tangible asset like real estate. Some crypto lenders let you use cryptocurrencies as collateral for a property. These entities may also let you use crypto as collateral for auto loans and other financial products.
Food and Drinks
Some vendors accept crypto payments for food and drinks. Food and drinks won’t cost as much as the other items listed, making them easier to purchase. Fun fact: the first item ever purchased with Bitcoin was a pizza!
Clothes
BitPay connects users with merchants that accept crypto for various items, including clothing. If a merchant doesn’t accept crypto, you can use crypto to buy a gift card. You can then use the gift card to purchase your favorite clothing. The gift card route requires extra steps, but you can find several merchants that don’t require the loophole. These merchants will happily accept crypto payments and ship the clothing. Consumers using the gift card route should consider the BTC exchange rate before selling their crypto. You should also consider capital gains since you will get taxed on the proceeds. Investments showing net losses can lower your tax bill.
Event Tickets
Some events let you pay in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. If the event organizer doesn’t accept crypto, you can buy one of their gift cards with crypto. Then, you can use the gift card to purchase the event tickets.
Artwork
You can use crypto to buy physical or digital artwork. Some people prefer to decorate their homes with artwork and use physical artwork. Other people prefer buying NFTs, which give them ownership over a piece of digital art. The NFT is unique, making it more valuable, but the NFT marketplace has plenty of speculation. Some NFTs provide intrinsic value. A great example of an NFT’s intrinsic value is musicians and singers who sell their albums via NFTs. You get digital art and access to the playlist.
Electronics
You can buy electronics from merchants that accept Bitcoin or buy a gift card using your crypto proceeds. Newegg is the best place to find electronics you can buy with crypto.
Travel/Vacation
Vacation costs vary for each trip, and tracking your expenses can help you save money. While many travelers pay with fiat currencies, you can also use Bitcoin to fund your vacation. Hotel chains have been accepting Bitcoin, and Airbnb is looking into accepting Bitcoin payments this year. Some airlines also let you buy tickets with crypto. If your preferred choices don’t accept crypto, you can see if they offer gift cards. You can use crypto to buy a gift card and then use the gift card for your traveling expenses.
Internet Services
Internet service fees add up, but crypto can help. Some providers accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. The internet can go through significant changes in the future as more people consider blockchain technology. Blockchain can decentralize the internet and keep data safer from big tech. Some people who feel disgruntled about big tech selling their sensitive data may like this option if it becomes more established.
Donations
You can support a great cause and get a tax write-off with your crypto holdings. Many donors accept crypto as a donation.
Anything You Can Buy with PayPal
PayPal recently let its users buy, sell, and hold crypto. You can set up a Bitcoin wallet through PayPal and use crypto for any of your PayPal purchases. In addition, many merchants let you pay with PayPal, and during that process, you can select crypto as your payment method.
