5. Juli 2021

Crypto stamp 3.0 - Full Q&As from the live event

Live event with active community and exciting questions

101 participants, 159 questions and 70 minutes was not quite enough time to answer every one individually – at the Crypto Live Event on 21 June. To ensure you don’t have to view the entire 70 minutes once again, we have summarised the questions, put them into groups, and are pleased to present the answers from our experts here.

“The Crypto stamp – a product that brings the topic of crypto closer to you”

This quote from E-Commerce expert and digital process design pro Clarissa Lehner is a fitting start to our blog post. Ulrike Christ, Head of the Future Lab of Österreichische Post AG’s IT department, was also a “crypto newbie” until a year or so ago. But after a weekend of intensive research on Crypto stamp 2.0, she became a fan. “Even if you are relatively new and finding it hard to navigate the jungle of crypto concepts, the community is unbelievably helpful and so supportive”. These were not the only two experts on hand to answer questions at our live event. Our expert right back from day 1, Andreas Petersson, Managing Director of Capacity Blockchain Solutions, was also on the panel.

Austrian Post in the crypto world since 2017

Georg Pölzl, CEO of Österreichische Post AG, introduced the event. “The topics of Blockchain and cryptocurrency are not novel concepts for the Austrian Post. After all, back in 2017 the Austrian Post started selling Bitcoin and other digital cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dash at all of our 1,800 branches. There is no end in sight for the crypto journey and we are proud to have now launched our third Crypto stamp. A product that makes the crypto world richer and broader as well as lowering the threshold for those that want to access it”.

The haptic or tangible form, i.e. the postage stamp itself, is what makes the Crypto stamp a genuine entry-level product to the crypto world. And yet it became clear from the questions posed by those participating in what is now the 3rd version of the Crypto stamp that the stamp has long since been adopted into the inner circle of the crypto experts as well.

Experts of the live event

The questions have been grouped into the following categories:

General questions on the Crypto stamp

How can I get a Crypto stamp 3.0 that’s outside of a Collection into a Collection?
The option of adding a Crypto stamp 3.0 to a Collection will be available from the end of June. After that, it will also be possible for the Crypto stamp 2.0.

How can I get the physical stamp, regardless of whether it is in or outside of a Collection? Do I have to request every stamp separately?
Requests can be made in “batches”. This option will be activated for Crypto stamp 3.0 from 28 June 2021.

Are there any plans to create a platform for trading physical Crypto stamps?
Ideas have been put forward, but none that have come to fruition so far;)

Are any efforts being made to program an app that would open up further options for the community and eventually also produce a Governance Token?
There are a lot of ideas, but at present we are unable to disclose any additional info.

Will there be an album where all the physical postage stamps can be collected? How about digitally?
In future we will launch several attractive products related to the Crypto stamp. Sign up for the newsletter at crypto.post.at to make sure you are the first to know all the latest news.

Do I have to transfer the Crypto stamp to a Wallet or can I do that later without suffering any disadvantage?
The Crypto stamp can be transferred to a Wallet at any time.

Kudos, onchain works really well. How are things looking with the Achievements?
We can’t reveal any info about that at the moment. Stay in touch, refresh, and sign up for the newsletter. ☺

In future, will the Crypto stamp still be sold in the online shop or only on the onchain shop?
Crypto stamps are and will be sold via the following channels:

Online and onchain at crypto.post.at
In branches of the Austrian Post (not including Post Partners)
In the philately shops and sales points of the Austrian Post
Via the Collectors’ Service of the Austrian Post

Why has xDai and not, for example, Polygon been chosen as a sidechain? Polygon has OpenSea integration and more network than xDai.

On the Ethereum network there is an ERC20 token whose price is linked to the US dollar using an algorithm. This token is called DAI. xDai is a native unit used on the Ethereum sidechain xDai in place of Ether. Transactions on the xDai chain are significantly cheaper than on Ethereum as the total traffic of transactions is lower making the flow rate of transactions higher.
The fact that it is tied to the USD makes it easier to get an overview of the transaction costs.
Just like with Ethereum, it is possible to deploy Smart Contracts. That’s why we set up corresponding contracts for the presale of Crypto stamp 3.0. Redeeming a token can also be done on xDai.

Hello, I am completely new to the crypto scene. I have bought a few stamps onchain with xDai. Now I see my stamps outside a Collection. Do these stamps now belong to me or do I have to move them to a different Wallet? I bought them via metamask, xDai. Can I leave them in the Post Wallet?

The stamps belong to the user. If you bought them on xDai, you don’t have to put them in a Collection.
Crypto stamps that have been bought onchain can be viewed in the Crypto stamp 3.0 Wallet (post.at). You can move them to a different Wallet from there.
The option to add both the Crypto stamp 3.0 and Crypto stamp 2.0 to a Collection will be available by the end of June. Sign up for the newsletter and be the first to know.

Will there be a limited-edition Whale like the Golden Unicorn?
Our lips are sealed! The excitement is palpable. Sign up for the newsletter and be the first to know! 😊

H@llo, I have loaded my Crypto stamp 3.0 to my Metamask Wallet for Crypto stamp 2.0 and I can’t wake the Whale 🐳. Could this be because it’s an eth wallet rather than a dai?

xDai and ETH have the same address. You should change the network in Metamask from ETH to xDai.
You don’t need an ETH/xDai Wallet to wake the Whale.
Can I order a physical stamp for every digital stamp like with 2.0?
Yes, every digital Crypto stamp once again has a physical pendant.

On the webpage there is a Wallet address and then below a link for transferring Crypto stamps to the Wallet. Are the stamps safe in a Wallet or do I have to transfer them?
Keeping your Crypto stamp with us is safe and secure. Collectors can choose the destination when claiming their presale stamps or purchasing in the onchain store. This can be an existing Collection or a simple Wallet. For those who are primarily interested in reselling their stamps rather than establishing their own collection, the Wallet option is cheaper.

Can I attach the stamp to artwork I have made myself and put it on various platforms like Opensea or Wax as an NFT?
At the moment, epor.io works best for Crypto stamp 3.0. WAX is unlikely to be supported, while Opensea probably will be in the future.

"Your Crypto stamps are outside of a Collection". How can I add them to my Collection?
The option of adding your Crypto stamp 3.0 to a Collection will be available from the end of June.

Hello! I didn’t manage to get any new stamps even though I went promptly to a branch. Is there any other way of getting a new innovative stamp?
We have sold out online and onchain but some Crypto stamps 3.0 can still be found in a few of our branches. Simply call our Collectors’ Service on 0800 100 197. They will let you know the branches that have any remaining stamps.

Regarding how the stamps can be used. Can they be used not only to send letters but also parcels? A nominal value of €9.90 is not insignificant, especially when compared to CS2.0, which was just €7.00. Also, can the stamps be used to send multiple items?
Yes, CS 3.0 can be used to send letters and some parcels. Simply visit post.at/tarifrechner for the rate calculator.
One postage stamp can unfortunately not be used to send multiple items.

Functions & features

When will new ones be released?
Attentive readers already know the answer to this: Simply sign up for the newsletter and be the first to know! 😂

There are two ways of determining how rare the stamp is, correct? The colour and the number of digits – are there any other ways? / Can you elaborate on the rarity of the 5 digits? / How rare are the 5 digits and what is the breakdown of the colours?
The greatest marker of rarity is the colour. NFC provides a guarantee of authenticity. There are also new security features for the physical stamps (black paper, security label)
The community itself has developed new features on its own, like the number of digits or Crypto stamps with only capital or small letters for example.

Can you say anything more about the colour upgrades?

Black: 52,333 stamps
Green: 26,667 stamps
Blue: 13,333 stamps
Yellow: 6,667 stamps
Red: 1,000 stamps

Is it possible to wake the Whale in ten years rather than now? 😀
As long as the project is running and the website is online, the Whale can be “woken” at any point in the future and the other functions can then be used. Should that no longer be the case, then this can be done directly on the xDai Blockchain if it is still running.

Why could only 25 stamps be purchased at a time in the online shop? Will there be a new contingent sold via the online shop?
The high demand means that it is important for as many people as possible to have the chance to buy their Crypto stamps. That’s why sales were limited to 25 per person in the online shop and 20 per person in the onchain store.

I am not a tech freak, but rather a decades-long philatelist – can one find out the colour of the Crypto stamp using a laptop?
Of course you can discover the colour of the stamp via a laptop. Simply type code A into the search box at crypto.post.at.

When is the upgrade function expected and how will it affect the distribution of colours?
Simply check out the FAQs at crypto.post.at and don’t hesitate to sign up for the Crypto stamp newsletter. 😊

Is there a secondary market directly with the Austrian Post? That would be an exciting complement to the Album...
There is no secondary market directly with the Austrian Post.

In the Crypto Stamps area outside of a Collection I can already see the colours of the individual stamps – are these fixed or can they change once other stages in the chain are activated?
Yes, the colour is fixed.

Can CS1 and CS2 also be kept on xDai? What charges are incurred?
Yes, you can move the Crypto stamp 2.0 from ETH to xDai with the aid of a Bridge. The information will be published on our website in the Q&A section in the coming weeks (or simply sign up for the newsletter! 😊)

Is the validation of authenticity processed by the Austrian Post and is the Blockchain used for this purpose?
No, the Blockchain is not used. Authenticity is verified via the NFC chip.

Is there a detailed guide to selling Crypto stamps online? For example on OpenSea?
There is no detailed guide on how to sell Crypto stamps online. Crypto stamp 3.0 can be transferred and traded on any marketplace that supports xDai. Examples include Unique.one and unifty.io. OpenSea will also potentially provide native support for xDai, making it more appealing for Blockchain users.

The xDai Blockchain is compatible with Ethereum, although it is not actually linked to Ethereum. “Bridges” are produced for certain projects to provide a link between the Ethereum chain and the sidechain.

Are any charges incurred?

Which charges are incurred if you want to transfer the stamps into an ERC20 Wallet?
When a collector initiates a purchase transaction in the onchain store, they specify all of the parameters (price, transaction fee). If certain parameters change between sending the transaction and confirmation – such as the number of calculation steps needed – then the transaction may fail to go through. The purchase price will be refunded. However, the collector still pays a transaction fee for this failed transaction. This fee is incurred for any kind of operation in the Blockchain network and is credited to the Blockchain miners. Österreichische Post AG has no influence over this nor does it derive any benefits from it.

Please note! If you manually overwrite the maximum gas consumption in your Wallet before making a purchase, there is a high chance that your transaction will fail and you will lose the transaction costs entirely to the miner. These are non-refundable.

Problems with usage/support

Does the NFC check work with every smartphone? Do iPhones have problems reading it?
NFC should work with both Android and iPhone. The smartphone has to be unlocked to use NFC. Simply place the Crypto stamp 3.0 behind the device and it should work. Sometimes a telephone case or covering may prevent recognition of the NFC. Of course NFC also works with iPhone. But there it is double scanned and the iPhone doesn’t have good support for the app browser.

How can I join the Telegram group?
There are several Crypto stamp groups on Telegram but there is no official Austrian Post group.

Miscellaneous questions

Is it possible to return the Crypto stamp if it doesn’t work?
You can find all of the information on the product and your right of return in the Terms & Conditions.

Really cool, my dear Post... But next time please make sure the “Q&A” session doesn’t clash with the Euro football championships ;)... such a grave error!
Next year is the World Cup, so we’d better consider that this year in our autumn planning! 😎

Are you looking for reinforcements to your Crypto stamp team?
Not at the moment, but if we have an open position, then the info will be available immediately at karriere.post.at! :)

We also received some compliments!

I don’t have a question, just a quick compliment to the entire team of the Austrian Post and partners! Great job & great product!
Huge praise to ACL and the whole Austrian Post team! :-)
Very innovative. Keep it up :D

And for this we have to thank you, our crypto community! We have reached the end of our Q&As and would like to thank everyone on behalf of the whole Crypto stamp 3.0 team for taking part in this exciting exchange!