Share this article
Gyft gift card app lets buyers use bitcoins
California-based Gyft, a digital gift card platform serving the US, announced it has partnered with BitPay to accept bitcoin payments from customers.
Updated Sep 10, 2021, 10:43 a.m. Published May 9, 2013, 6:22 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Plastic gift cards are so 2012, but going mobile and digital with your gift-card purchases isn't enough anymore. Now you can pay for gift card apps with bitcoins.
California-based Gyft, a digital gift card platform serving the US, announced today that it has partnered with BitPay to begin accepting bitcoin payments from customers.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
While Gyft offers both an iPhone app and an Android app, the bitcoin option will be available only on Android. The app itself is free.
By enabling bitcoin payments for gift cards, the Gyft-BitPay partnership essentially opens the door to let bitcoin fans indirectly spend the digital currency at numerous stores that don't currently accept bitcoins themselves.
"By using our existing network of retailers, we are able to offer bitcoin consumers the ability to instantly spend their bitcoins at hundreds of merchants," said Vinny Lingham, co-founder and CEO of Gyft.
Gyft supports gift card purchases from such retailers as American Eagle, Brookstone, Burger King, Gamestop, GAP, Lowes, Marriott, Nike and Sports Authority, among others.
"Any shopper in a participating retail store, with bitcoins on their Android device, can easily convert bitcoins into a store gift card and pay for their purchase," said Tony Gallippi, co-founder and CEO of BitPay. "The whole process takes less than one minute and can be done on a single mobile device."
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Here’s why bitcoin’s is failing its role as a 'safe haven' versus gold
Bitcoin behaves more like an "ATM" during uncertain times, with investors quickly selling it to raise cash.
What to know:
- During recent geopolitical tensions, Bitcoin lost 6.6% of its value, while gold rose 8.6%, demonstrating bitcoin's vulnerability in times of market stress.
- Bitcoin behaves more like an "ATM" during uncertain times, with investors quickly selling it to raise cash, contrary to its reputation as a stable digital asset.
- Gold remains the preferred hedge for short-term risks, while bitcoin is better suited for long-term monetary and geopolitical uncertainties that unfold over years.
Top Stories
