Collectors and investors purchasing a limited edition “crypto stamp” issued by Austrian Post will soon be able to authenticate their purchase by scanning an NFC chip embedded in the packaging of the physical version of the postage stamp with their smartphone.

Crypto stamp 3.0 is the third in the postal service provider’s series of stamps that come in both physical and blockchain-enabled digital form and is the first to incorporate NFC authentication.

“Every Crypto stamp 3.0 has a digital twin that is stored in the blockchain,” Austrian Post explains. 

“There it is in the ‘wallet’ that only the owner has at his disposal. If the digital version of the stamp is transferred from one wallet to another, the transaction is fully documented in the blockchain — a clear, digital certificate of authenticity.

“For the first time, NFC technology is also being used on an Austrian postage stamp: the Crypto stamp 3.0 is based on an NFC-supported authenticity check and is cryptographically encrypted. 

“If you hold a smartphone with NFC function on the packaging or on the stamp pad, you can tell whether you are holding a real Crypto stamp 3.0 in your hands.

“By reading out the NFC chip, both the authenticity and the digital twin can be revealed.”

“The Crypto stamp 3.0 has a face value of €9.90 and can be used as a standard postage stamp for franking letters and parcels,” Austrian Post adds.

The Crypto stamp 3.0 has a circulation of 100,000 and is scheduled to go on sale next month. Pre-orders are being taken now.

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