The Best Black Friday 2022 Deals in Bitcoin

Black Friday is usually the best time to purchase discounted items, either to gratify yourself for having kept your low-time preference approach to consumerism throughout the year or to load up on Christmas gifts for your loved ones.

This year, it’s bitcoin itself that’s selling at a discount across all fiat on-ramps and decentralized exchanges – but if you’ve already hoarded enough digital gold and want to purchase some products and services that improve your life, then I’ve put together a list to help you navigate the offers.

I didn’t just choose some offers, but the ones that seriously make me consider spending some of my own BTC. The list of discounted items is significantly longer and there are other publications that cover them in a more exhaustive fashion. But my approach was to pick the items that I’d buy for myself and my loved ones, put together a comprehensive list, and publish it to hopefully help other people narrow down their decisions.

Yes, I do have referral links for some of the products presented here. Some of them will offer you an extra discount, while others will just bring me a small percentage of your purchase. But I’ve only signed up to their referral program because they do a great job with whatever it is that they’re selling. I’d promote Trezor, BitBox02, CryptoSteel and Billfodl even if I didn’t have anything to earn from it. In the cases where referral links are present, I own these items and use them myself.

In some cases, the discount is available for an extended period of time which also covers Cyber Monday. But in regards to the stocks and supply chains, it’s hard to guarantee that the item that you seek will always be available to purchase. I’m not saying that you should FOMO – however, if you really want something you shouldn’t wait for too long either because you never know when your delivery gets delayed for January 2023.

Now that I’ve presented the purpose, methodology and the full disclosure, let’s take a look at my picks for the best Black Friday deals in Bitcoin!

Going forward, I will break down the products and services in categories: Bitcoin miners and nodes, security devices, privacy services, and others (art, domains, educational resources).

A. The best Black Friday 2022 deals for Bitcoin miners and nodes: Embassy One & FutureBit Apollo

To become a first class citizen of the Bitcoin network, you need to validate your own transactions with a full node. Ideally, you should pursue this quest with your own general-purpose home computer and a clean installation of Bitcoin Core. You can also purchase a Raspberry Pi 4B or Raspberry Pi 400, then follow the installation guide for a free open source distribution such as RaspiBlitz, and do everything yourself in a sovereign manner.

But if you’re a beginner who doesn’t want to dive into more technical stuff, or else you want to offer the gift of sovereignty to someone dear, then you also have the option to purchase a “node in a box” solution. Generally, I recommend RaspiBlitz devices from Fulmo – a German company which specializes in promoting the Lightning network. However, this year they don’t have a Black Friday deal.

So my recommendation for a good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal under the full node category is the Embassy One by Start9 Labs. What you get in the box is a Raspberry Pi 4 board with 8 gigabytes of RAM (the best specs you can find for the Pi), with a 1 or 2 terabyte SSD, a well-ventilated case, and an active fan that’s meant to keep the device at optimal temperature.

For $489, you can get the 1 TB version of the device. For another $100, you double the storage. If you’re planning to only run Bitcoin and Lightning for yourself, the lesser expensive version is good enough. But if you’re planning to use the device as a messaging server and cloud storage companion for your pictures, then you will need that extra space.

On the other hand, if you’re going to open up these services to other people (one example includes running a Mastodon server for free open source social media interactions), then you should probably consider purchasing the more powerful Embassy Pro – which is also $200 cheaper than usual. Regardless of which device you pick, you get free shipping in the USA. For orders outside the States, custom taxes may apply.

To learn more about Start9 Labs and their approach to hardware and software, listen to my interview with company CEO Matt Hill.

If you want to extend your first class Bitcoin citizenship towards also writing transactions into blocks, then you should also consider purchasing some mining hardware. The bad news is that Bitmain and WhatsMiner don’t have special discounts for their products. And while you could find some eBay deals for these devices, they are out of the scope of this article which promotes new items that you can buy directly from the manufacturer.

If you want a new miner for your bedroom, then you should consider the Apollo BTC by FutureBit. It’s small, it’s quiet, and it’s energy efficient. Some would say that you can get similar results with an underclocked AntMiner S9, but I can’t vouch for the reliability of hardware that somebody else used before you.

Don’t expect it to replace the heaters around your house (it’s a 200 watts machine) or to make you rich. But it’s good enough to earn a few non-KYC bits by joining a mining pool like Braiins. Also, it comes bundled with a full node device – so you don’t have to spend money on both. It should also be mentioned that if you already own a full node, you can use that one to connect to the FutureBit Apollo BTC.

Normally, the Apollo BTC miner + node bundle costs $899. If you only get the miner and the power supply, the price goes down to $599. But if you use code BLACKFRIDAY22 at checkout, you get a 20% discount on either purchase: so you pay $720 for the miner + node bundle, or $480 only for the miner and power supply.

And yes, FutureBit accepts BTC payments. They even offer an extra 5% discount coupon for these purchases (though it’s unclear if it adds up to the Black Friday offer).

To learn more about mining and profitability, you can read my story about mining on Slush Pool (now Braiins) for a month.

B. The best Black Friday 2022 deals for Bitcoin security devices: Trezor, BitBox02, CryptoSteel & Billfodl

Hardware wallets are useful tools which help you protect your sovereign wealth. They’re a mix between a hot wallet and cold storage which grants you more control over how the money gets spent. Unlike purely software wallets, they add extra steps which make it harder for the bitcoins to get sent to a recipient – which, in many cases, helps you HODL for a longer time.

I’ve spent about 3 years researching these devices and paying attention to the latest developments, so whenever somebody asks me for a recommendation I offer a simple reply: just get a Trezor or BitBox02. They aren’t just great time-tested products, but they are also developed by companies that actually do useful research in the field of security and self-custody.

Generally, you can’t go wrong with a Trezor One and a passphrase. It’s the hardware wallet that started it all, it’s been around for 8 years, and it still receives firmware updates thanks to SatoshiLabs’ philosophy that software reigns supreme. Back in 2014, you would have ordered one of these bad boys for 1 bitcoin each – but during this Black Friday, you can pay $60 instead of $86 – a whopping 30% discount that will definitely make self-custody easier.

If you want something more advanced, which enables Shamir Backups and lets you type all the inputs (including the BIP39 passphrase) on the device via T9 touch screen, then you should go for the more expensive Trezor Model T. Thanks to the Black Friday deal, you can purchase it for $232 instead of $273 – a 15% discount that brings the device closer to the 2017 launch retail price of $119.

Why do I like the “ancient” Trezors so much? I’ve explained my considerations in this article. As a hardcore bitcoiner, you should consider installing the Bitcoin-only firmware on your Trezor. And if you would like to learn more about the philosophy behind the world’s first hardware wallet, listen to my interviews with the two creators Slush and Stick. Lastly, if you would like to support my work, you can use this referral link for your order.

I’m also a fan of ShiftCrypto’s BitBox02: a Swiss-made device which offers support for both computers and mobile phones. For people who travel a lot and feel concerned about physical security of their hardware wallet, the BitBox02 comes with a general-purpose ATEC 608B secure chip. And if you love minimalistic devices with futuristic inputs (the typing on the device is unlike anything you’ve ever seen), then you’re going to love the BitBox02.

Price-wise, this Swiss hardware wallet is in between the Trezor One and the Trezor Model T. And thanks to a 10% discount, you pay only $125 instead of $139. For $62 more, there’s also a Black Friday bundle which adds metal plates, backup cards, and tamper-evident bags. I’ve unboxed them all in this video, so you get to see what these products are all about. To get a special 5% discount on your BitBox02 purchase, use code BTCTKVR at checkout.

On the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast, I’ve interviewed four of the most important people who develop the Swiss-made hardware wallet: Douglas Bakkum and Jonas Schnelli, Stadicus, and Benma. So if you want to understand the philosophy and considerations behind the BitBox02, then give these episodes a listen.

An honorable mention is Blocksteram’s Jade hardware wallet, which is currently getting sold for only $50. What makes it unique is the native support for Liquid sidechain assets – so if you want to better secure your Raretoshi NFTs on it, then you should consider it. I also have an interview with Blockstream engineer and developer Lawrence Nahum, which should help you understand what’s special about the Jade.

And no, I can’t recommend Coldcard since they switched to a non-open source license. But if you’re buying an actually open source Foundation Devices Passport, they’re offering a free t-shirt that’s normally worth $39 when you proceed to checkout. No ref links, just a quick memo.

Now let’s focus on metal plates that help you store your seed phrase, passphrase and/or Shamir backup parts on the kind of format that doesn’t break or burn as easily as paper. Generally, you can’t go wrong with the innovators who built this industry: which is why I recommend the CryptoSteel. They manufacture their metal plates in their factory in Poland, and they’re pretty much the Trezor of the steel plate world – it’s no surprise that the Trezor folks supported and directly advised the project since the early days.

On the CryptoSteel website, you have a good discount for the MotherLode: a box which contains a hardware wallet of your choosing (Trezor One, Blockstream Jade, Ledger Nano S Plus) and a CryptoSteel Capsule Solo. You can pick it up at the price of $213 and it has everything you need in a nice packaging. Use my referral code if you want to support my work, as I’ll get 10% of your purchase.

But what if I told you that you can get a better deal directly on the Trezor website? Thanks to the Black Friday discounts in place, you can get the CryptoSteel Motherlode (minus the box) by purchasing a Trezor One ($60) and a CryptoSteel Capsule Solo ($81). In total, you’ll be spending only $141 for both and it might be the kind of deal that you’re looking for. For $20 more, you can replace the Capsule with a sturdy Cassette. If you want to support my research in Black Friday deals, please use my Trezor referral link above.

On the other hand, if you want to get a good deal on metal plates in the USA then you should consider the Billfodl. It’s essentially a clone of the open source CryptoSteel Cassette, and one that you can get for only $80 if you use the code BLACKFRIDAY2022 at checkout. It’s $1 cheaper than the CrytpSteel Capsule on the Trezor website and in the US you won’t have to pay any import taxes. The 20% discount also applies for other Billfodl bundles. In the shop section of Privcy Pros, you’ll also find other useful items such as Faraday Bags (which are great) and hardware wallets (which are more expensive than on the manufacturer’s website, but might save you some import taxes in the USA).

To better understand what the Billfodl project is all about, listen to my interviews with creators Bryan and Colin Aulds. And if you want to support my work, you can use my referral link.

C. The best Black Friday 2022 deals for privacy services: ProtonMail & ProtonVPN

Privacy is simultaneously a human right and a human fight. It never comes for free, it takes effort, and it requires a good understanding of your adversary (as you can never be completely private against everyone). In this section, I’ve picked a few services that I personally use and recommend.

The first and most important privacy tool that you should use is an e-mail service that doesn’t track you. ProtonMail offers the convenience of Gmail without Google’s characteristic spying behavior. It also makes use of the OpenPGP protocol which Phil Zimmermann created in the 1990s and forever changed the world of cryptography. This means that third parties intercepting your e-mails won’t be able to decrypt them without your key. There’s some pretty complex and geeky stuff that happens in the background whenever you send an e-mail with ProtonMail.

And the best part about this Swiss e-mail service is that it’s free… granted that you only use 500 MB of storage. But if you want a bundle which includes a premium VPN and a Google Drive replacement that doesn’t spy on your files, then Proton Unlimited is the right deal for you. During Black Friday, the Swiss company offers a 40% discount. This means that, for $7.19/month over 24 months ($172.56 in total), you get the complete bundle which makes your everyday internet surfing experience a lot more private.

Ideally, you should make this payment with bitcoin to avoid associating your payment details with your Proton account. The user experience to accomplish this feat is not very straight-forward, though. In the free account you already created, you must “Add Credits” and choose BTC as the preferred way to pay. You will need to send the transaction on chain, as currently there is no Lightning network support. So be careful which UTXO you spend so that you don’t ruin your privacy with coins of known provenance which link to your name (sent from KYC exchanges). For a good privacy tool which obfuscates the origins of your coins, try Wasabi wallet.

In terms of stand-alone VPN services, there are a bunch of them that are on discount for Black Friday: Express VPN, Nord VPN, and Surfshark. However, I can’t recommend them for anything else other than watching Netflix content from other countries, as they all require an e-mail address to create an account that will know your identity and your real IP address.

If you really care about privacy, choose something that never knows who you are and generates accounts consisting of random numbers. So even though the websites will know your IP address, they can’t associate it with your purchase and won’t know who is who. The 3 recommendations that I’m going to make do not benefit from any kind of Black Friday deals – but for the sake of good privacy, I’m going to mention them anyway. They are IVPN, Mullvad, and LNVPN. The two services that accept Lightning payments are IVPN and LNVPN, while Mullvad only lets you send bitcoin on-chain. Nonetheless, they provide the best privacy a VPN can offer.

Proton has an excellent deal for e-mail, but I seriously recommend that you use IVPN, LNVPN, or Mullvad as your daily VPN service. Even if they decided not to offer Black Friday or Cyber Monday discounts.

D. The best Black Friday 2022 deals for Bitcoin art, collectibles, internet domains, and educational stuff

SatoChip smart card-based cold storage solution find themselves at the intersection between security and art. They aren’t quite hardware wallets because they don’t have a screen, which is why I didn’t include them among Trezors and the BitBox02. But they’re running a special Black Friday sale which allows everyone to get a 21% discount using code NOTYOURKEYSNOTYOURCOINS at checkout.

If you’re a fan of the Bitcoin Heads series, then you can grab your favorite designs in the shape of cards that come pre-loaded with the corresponding Bitcoin Counterparty asset. It’s an excellent way to store your Bitcoin NFTs, as you get both security and style. Bitcoin payments can only be made on-chain via CoinGate.

Speaking of art, the illustrated crew of street kids which goes by the name of NoGood is running a promotion which allows anyone to purchase prints at a 20% discount and digital downloads at half price.

If you think that these designs will look nice hanging on your wall, then you can even grab a signed one which bears you favorite number from 1 to 21. And if you’d rather get a cool cypherpunk-themed wallpaper for your mobile phone, these go for only only $3.50. Of course, this is a bitcoin-only store where Lightning is the preferred way to pay. If you want, you can even open a channel with the NoGood crew.

If you’ve missed this year’s Hackers Congress conference at Paralelni Polis (HCPP) and you still don’t own a copy of the BTCTKVR magazine, you can get the best of both world by purchasing this limited edition print which combines the best of both worlds. The cover is designed by the famous artist and Polis co-founder CypherpunkNow, while the contents are printed on 125g paper with 400g glossy covers.

Normally, these magazines are sold for 600 Czech crowns ($25). But thanks to this Black Friday discount, you can get a 33% discount to lower the price to 400 CZK ($18). Only 100 copies were printed, fewer than 30 remain in the Paralelni Polis store!

Bitcoin domains may also be worth a lot of money one day. On Namecheap, you can pay for them in BTC and also get up to 97% discount on your registration for the first year. For example, you can reserve bitcoin-black-friday.com for only $6.98 using promo code NEWCOM698, or you can get a 60% discount on your purchase for the domain bitcoin-black-friday.cash. It’s up to you to find the available domains that may boost your business, and for a limited time you benefit from special Black Friday discounts.

If you want to shop for more general items such as mobile phones, laptops, books, Bitcoin merchandise and books, then you’ll find a really impressive offer on Shopinbit. There’s no rule about the price reduction mechanism, but the items are available at lower prices than usual.

However, keep in mind that some of the non-discounted electronics tend to get sold at a premium (after all, the store buys the goods with fiat and pays some processing fees) – one example being Nintendo Switch games that go for $65 to $70.

On the other hand, you find good deals such as the new Google Pixel 7 Pro which only costs $800 – cheaper than in most electronic stores in Europe. So make sure you scoop good offers that grant you the best possible price and then enjoy paying with Bitcoin on-chain or Lightning.

Last but not least, you can buy more bitcoin from Pocket with 0% fees. Use code blackfriday before proceeding to the bank transfer, and you’ll get one of the best deals on the market. On the plus side, Pocket Bitcoin lets you buy without KYC – thanks to the Swiss jurisdiction, you don’t need passport, verification photo, or any kind of mandatory registration. The bank account number from where they withdraw is enough information for them.

But here’s the bad news: the service is only available in Europe.