Revolut launches special crypto card with LEDs

Revolut has started issuing a special debit card to its customers in Germany that emits “light” when used. The card itself has two LED panels built into it, which, when held against a contactless (EMV) terminal, illuminate the eyes of a dog figure printed on the case. Although the card connects to the system as a standard Mastercard debit card, Revolut promotes it primarily as a dedicated crypto card in its app.

When ordering, users are required to link it to one or more cryptocurrencies, although there is also the option to link it to a traditional cash account later. The price of this special edition is approximately 30 euros, plus any shipping costs.

The card does not need its own battery to operate these lights. Power is supplied wirelessly via the contactless EMV protocol used by the POS terminal. This signal usually only powers the built-in chip and antenna, but it creates enough excess energy to easily power smaller LEDs. This technology has been successfully used in test NFC cards for many years. Similar solutions are also known from public transport in some Asian capitals, where subway tags flash and beep when passing through doors.

It is not yet confirmed whether Revolut will offer a wider range of LED cards in the future. The company is well known for regularly releasing unique and limited edition cards, some of which fetch quite high prices, with the heavy metal versions costing almost a hundred cents in retail.