Cryptocurrency is going mainstream, and everything from legitimate blockchains to pump-and-dump memecoins are getting ever larger amounts of attention.
The original way to earn bitcoin through mining has become exponentially harder than it was even a few years ago – your mobile device or even desktop PC is unlikely to ever mine a bitcoin ($BTC). ASIC mining rigs can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
A chip shortage over the past two years hasn’t helped matters. While some semiconductor companies like Himax (NASDAQ:HIMX)and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) have adapted well to the global chip shortage, they are largely exceptions to the rule.
Mining rigs cost a lot of money to run. Not only that, but local regulations on crypto mining are popping up around the country and world. Yet there are easy ways to earn free crypto by taking advantage of these methods that don’t involve mining or buying it.
1. Learn and Earn Crypto
Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) is one of the most popular crypto markets in the world, and it’s the first to be listed as a publicly traded stock. The company is a popular place to buy, sell, and trade crypto. It also gives away a lot of cryptocurrencies and tokens.
The easiest way to earn crypto is through its Learn and Earn program. If you haven’t already done it, you can collect between $3 and $10 in Stellar Lumens ($XLM), Fetch.ai ($FET), and The Graph protocol ($GRT) among others.
Each lesson takes a few minutes, and you’ll watch three videos (one per lesson) for each token. Successfully answering a question at the end of each lesson grants you free crypto!
Don’t worry about getting the answer wrong – you can continue trying until you get the right answer. New tokens are added multiple times a year. As a result, this has quickly become a way for blockchain startups to gain recognition.
Of course, there’s always the OG of crypto giveaways: the airdrop.
2. Receiving Airdrops
Airdrops are cryptocurrency token distributions that any long-time Ethereum hodler knows well. These free tokens are given away as a promotional marketing tool when launching a new project. Users often have to perform specific actions, like joining a Telegram or Discord server or tweeting a branded hashtag.
The recent airdrop of Ethereum Name Service (ENS) was distributed to users who registered a .ETH domain name. Signing up for these types of Web3 services can get you an early-adopter bonus if they decide to launch an airdrop. Beware that some may cost you high Ethereum ($ETH) gas fees (as many ENS early adopters have lamented on Twitter).
Even popular crypto price tracker CoinMarketCap hosts exclusive crypto airdrops. You can see current and upcoming airdrops on a variety of sites and forums. Simply follow the rules laid out by the date required to claim your free tokens.
And that’s just the start – there are plenty of other easy ways to earn crypto.
3. Using Brave Browser
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has its share of critics – Google Search to Google Chrome have been in the crosshairs of privacy advocates. That has led to competitors like DuckDuckGo advocating for anonymity when searching. Another is Brave Software, a privacy-based browser (albeit based on Chromium) built with Web3 and blockchain in mind.
The Brave Browser earns Basic Attention Tokens ($BAT) for viewing certain websites, and it blocks most ad trackers to boot. Not only that, but it has integrated access to FTX, Crypto.com, Binance, Gemini, and Metamask wallet.
It features private windows use Tor Onion Service to provide a level of anonymity Chrome can’t. Users can browse the deep web, blockchain-based websites, decentralized apps (dApps), and more all from one place while earning free crypto.
Or you can create your own online content.
4. Blogging on Steemit and Hive
Steemit is a blockchain-based blogging platform built on the Steem ($STEEM) blockchain. You publish, curate, and comment on blogs in exchange for Steem tokens and Steem Dollars. On top of this, you also earn TRON ($TRX) rewards since Justin Sun bought Steemit in 2020.
This caused a mass exodus from Steemit to the Hive blockchain ($HIVE), including a fork that is reported to have doubled the holdings of those involved. If you owned STEEM prior to the fork, you also have the equivalent amount in HIVE.
That’s a big boon for anybody who was already a part of it because both blockchains still exist. They also have great domain authority for building a blog, so you’ll do as well as you would on platforms like Medium or Blogspot.
If you’re already a blogger, syndicating existing content onto the blockchain through these sites is a great way to build your own Web3 NFT blog collection. And don’t forget to include affiliate links.
5. Affiliate Referral Programs
Nearly every crypto marketplace has a referral bonus program, including Crypto.com, Coinbase and Binance. So too do WeBull, SoFi, and Robinhood. When you share your referral links on these platforms they can be used to earn a bounty while giving a bonus to your friends.
These platforms can afford to do this as a marketing strategy, much like Dropbox (NASDAQ:DBX) used referrals to propel its meteoric growth. Onboarding new users is worth a lot to these companies, and that means you can make a decent living simply off commission revenue.
And we saved the best for last…
6. Staking/Loaning Crypto
Crypto wallets and marketplaces like Gemini, BlockFi, Crypto.com, Coinbase, and Celsius all let you earn interest by essentially loaning your crypto balances out. You can earn anywhere from four to 12 percent on your Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin ($LTC), Uniswap ($UNI), stablecoins, and more.
Because interest accrues on a weekly basis or even more frequently, the compound interest you earn on crypto savings could likely outperform your traditional fiat savings account.
Of course, the high interest rates available today can change at any moment. There’s also very little regulation on this section of the crypto industry.
This means you’re taking a higher risk for these higher rewards, and there’s always a chance you could lose money. Only invest what you’re willing to lose.
How to Earn Free Crypto: The Bottom Line
Cryptocurrency is expensive to buy and mine. That may be great for those early adopters who HOLDed through the market turbulence, but those jumping in now have additional ways to earn crypto. Thankfully, there are plenty of options to earn free coins and tokens with a minimal (if any) investment.
Most of these options take some time and effort, but they can be worthwhile if you stick to it. Whether hodling a popular token for airdrops or signing up for new platforms and bringing your friends, you have a shot at growing your crypto portfolio without relying on risky memecoin bets.
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