Belgium’s semi-privatised postal service Bpost is launching its first ‘crypto stamp’. A ‘crypto stamp’ is a classic postage stamp that also has a digital twin that Bpost hopes will become a collector's item. The first Belgian crypto stamps picture a dragon and are part of a collaboration agreement involving 4 European postal companies.
What exactly is a crypto stamp? Crypto stamps are stamps that consist of two parts: a classic postage stamp that you can stick on a parcel or letter and its ‘digital twin’. The latter is obtained when you scan the QR code on the packaging.
Your copy is then stored in an online blockchain, where you can also register, trade or exchange your stamp. A blockchain is a kind of virtual logbook where every transaction involving the stamp is registered.
Dragon signifies prosperity
The stamp’s illustration by Austrian designer Lisa Filzi was not a random choice. ‘The dragon is a symbol of prosperity and also a popular symbol in the gaming world,’ says Mathieu Goedefroy of Bpost. By launching the crypto stamp the Belgian postal service hopes to involve a new target audience in addition to existing stamp collectors.
The physical stamp has the same appearance every time, but there are 5 different versions of the digital crypto stamp: one in black, green, blue, yellow and a red dragon. Some are rarer than others. The red dragon, for example, only appears on 1 per cent of crypto stamps, so it should become more sought after among collectors.
Four European postal companies collaborated in the issue of these stamps: the Austrian, Dutch and Luxembourg postal services as well as Belgium's Bpost. Austria launched its first crypto stamp in 2019, with the other 2 countries jumping on the cryptocurrency bandwagon in 2022 and 2023.
Bpost now joins the select crypto stamp club. ‘Every year we try to bring new, creative stamps to the market. I think our crypto stamp is a successful example of that,’ says Mathieu Goedefroy.
But are crypto stamps worthwhile? ‘The physical twin allows you to send letters worldwide,’ he explains. ‘The digital visual is a collector's item.’
You can pre-order the stamp from 16 October. A week later it will also be in Bpost’s Filaboetieks. One item costs 9 euros. From 2 items the price falls to 8.64 euros a piece.