American Express just sprinkled some blockchain magic onto your jet-setting adventures.
No more schlepping around physical photos or half-forgotten souvenirs, now every swipe of your Amex card in a new country beams a shiny little NFT passport stamp straight into your digital collection.
It’s called Amex Passport, and it’s here to make your travel memories as tech-savvy as your smart suitcase.
Travel highlights, like a questionable taxi ride in Bangkok
Any time you use your American Express consumer card in over 130 countries, you earn a digital stamp, automatically minted as an ERC-721 NFT on Ethereum’s Layer 2 network, Base.
That’s fancy crypto talk for a unique, non-fungible token that acts like a collectible, showing where you’ve been, when you were there, and letting you add your little travel highlights, think your unforgettable gelato spot in Rome or that questionable taxi ride in Bangkok.
Now, before you start panicking about privacy, relax. American Express has your back.
The NFTs don’t expose your personal info or account details to the blockchain crowd.
Instead, they keep things simple and classy with just the country, a brief description, and the date you earned your digital badge.
Rarity
Why bother, you ask? Well, physical passport stamps are becoming as rare as airline peanuts.
Some even say they’re outdated in the digital age. Amex sees this as a way to keep that sentimental thrill alive, giving travelers a personal, digital scrapbook that actually fits in your pocket (or phone).
Plus, there’s a nifty interactive map in the Amex app that lets you visually retrace your global escapades, and yes, you can flaunt your collection on social media to impress your friends who are still stuck with boring old vacation photos.
New travel trend
But this isn’t just a fun one-time gimmick from a single player. It’s part of a bigger shift where blockchain, crypto, and travel collide.
Countries like Singapore and the UAE are already rolling out the welcome mat for crypto payments, from hotel stays to dinner bills.
American Express wants their cardholders to feel like they’re part of this new travel trend that’s about more than just swiping plastic.
So next time you’re hopping continents, keep an eye on your Amex. Those future-proof NFT stamps are the coolest souvenirs you didn’t know you needed.
Cryptocurrency and Web3 expert, founder of Kriptoworld
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With years of experience covering the blockchain space, András delivers insightful reporting on DeFi, tokenization, altcoins, and crypto regulations shaping the digital economy.
