Gyft Unveils New Tech for Blockchain-Powered Gift Cards

Gyft has partnered with Chain to create Gyft Block, a digital gift card trading platform, as part of its drive towards 'gift cards 2.0'.

AccessTimeIconJun 16, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 11, 2021 at 11:43 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Gyft and bitcoin API developer Chain have partnered to create Gyft Block, a trading platform aiming to make gift cards easier to exchange.

Announced at Belfast's MoneyConf, the news marks Gyft CEO Vinny Lingham's latest step in transitioning his mobile gift card company from one of bitcoin's most active merchants to a more direct supporter of its underlying technology.

is part of Gyft's broader mission to digitize gift cards so that they can be securely traded using bitcoin's public ledger, the blockchain. Termed 'gift cards 2.0', the ambitious project was first revealed at SXSW in March and followed Lingham's own involvement as an advisor and investor in so-called 'crypto 2.0' firms, including Koinify and Trustatom.

A statement from Gyft implied that the platform could solve real problems for the $100bn gift card market:

"Consumers can redeem different forms of digital value in a single transaction: for example, a consumer can buy a cup of coffee by combining a gift card, branded reward point, and coupon, since all blockchain-based digital assets operate on the same open standards."

In an accompanying white paper, Gyft's head of special projects Guillaume Lebleu suggests Gyft Block would seek to establish a common API for gift card issuers that more closely replicates those of credit and debit networks.

New white paper

Lebleu's follow-up provides an overview of the technological building blocks on which gift cards have been based, and how Gyft believes migrating these attributes to the blockchain could be beneficial.

"Credit and debit cards require a standard infrastructure between thousands of financials institutions and millions of merchants ... A gift card, on the other hand, is a singular instrument typically redeemed only with the merchant who issued it," he explains.

In the post, Lebleu goes on to describe the ways in which Gyft Block will allow providers to issue gift cards on the blockchain that can be programmatically compliant with local laws.

For example, multisig technology would allow the keys to a bitcoin wallet for a gift card asset to be distributed among multiple parties including the issuer, the cardholder and a third-party to help enforce necessary rules.

"The co-signing program manager is trusted to enforce the terms and regulations of the assets, including daily spending limits and unauthorized transfers, by rejecting any non-compliant transactions," he continues.

The costs of issuing gift cards on the blockchain are also favorable to the cost of printing plastic gift cards, Lebleu says.

His post concludes:

"Ultimately, intelligent wallets will be able to connect to marketplaces, identify arbitrage opportunities and perform in the background complex chains of trade that maximizes the consumer’s purchasing power without compromising their privacy or control."

Shopping image via Shutterstock

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.