Santa put Bitcoin in my stocking

December 18, 2025

By Kim Komando

I read that 45% of GenZers want crypto for Christmas. I’ve taken a few calls on my show asking the best way to do it. Buying crypto as a Christmas gift sounds complicated. It’s not, if you take it step by step and skip the hype. 

Let’s start with the easiest option.

🔐 1: Buy on Coinbase

Step 1: Create a Coinbase account
Go to Coinbase and sign up. You’ll need to verify your identity and link a bank account or debit card. This is standard practice to help prevent fraud.

Step 2: Buy a well-known cryptocurrency
Search for Bitcoin or Ethereum. These are the most established and beginner-friendly. Choose Buy and enter the dollar amount you want to gift. You don’t need to buy a full coin.

Step 3: Give the gift
For Christmas, give a card or note saying you bought them crypto and will help them set it up. You can print out your crypto account screenshot.

Step 4: Help the recipient create their own Coinbase account
After Christmas, sit down together and help them sign up for Coinbase and complete the verification steps.

Step 5: Transfer the crypto
Open your Coinbase app, tap Send, choose the crypto you bought, enter their Coinbase email address and confirm. The transfer usually takes minutes.

Step 6: Cover the basics
Show them where their crypto lives, and explain one critical rule. Never share passwords, verification codes or recovery phrases with anyone.

🖥️ 2: Use a hardware wallet

Step 1: Buy a hardware wallet
Purchase a wallet like Ledger (50% off, $75) or Trezor (30% off, $55). Never buy used or from a third-party seller on Amazon.

Step 2: Set it up carefully
Follow the setup instructions. You’ll receive a recovery phrase. This is the master key. If the wallet is lost, damaged or replaced, the recovery phrase is the only way to get access to the crypto. If that phrase is lost, there is no customer support line and no reset button. The crypto is gone forever. Write it down on paper, and store it somewhere safe. Don’t save it on your phone or computer.

Step 3: Buy crypto on Coinbase
Use Coinbase to buy Bitcoin or Ethereum.

Step 4: Transfer the crypto to the wallet
Send the crypto from Coinbase to the wallet’s receiving address. Double-check the address before sending.

Step 5: Give the gift with guidance
When you give the hardware wallet, explain that the wallet itself is a key, not the crypto. The crypto lives on the blockchain, and the wallet is what lets them access it. Show them how to connect the wallet to a computer or phone using the manufacturer’s app. Once connected, they can see the crypto balance and manage it, like checking an account.

Crypto gifts work best when they come with education. When you keep it simple and safe, you are not just giving digital currency. You are giving confidence and understanding.

Share this intel. I want people to give crypto the right way and not get taken. Remember, the first three letters in crypto spell cry. 😭

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