As I was dipping my toes into the world of crypto - specifically the world of earning free crypto - I stumbled upon the topic of crypto faucets fairly quickly. But are they a worthwhile investment of your time in general? If so, are some crypto faucets better than others?
What Is a Crypto Faucet?
Crypto faucets are websites or other digital platforms that pay out very small amounts of crypto in exchange the completion of certain tasks by the users. These tasks can include a variety of activities, but some of the most common include checking in at certain intervals throughout the day, watching ads, or completing captchas. Some faucets use their own points systems that can be converted into various cryptocurrencies, while others are opportunities to earn a specific crypto token directly. Likewise, many faucets have minimum payout thresholds, though some offer immediate payouts after each claim.
What Do You Need to Use Crypto Faucets?
- Before interacting with crypto faucets, I would highly recommend installing and using an application or browser extension that supports safe browsing to help prevent viruses and phishing attempts. One of the first things I noticed about a variety of the faucet sites I've evaluated is that many of the ads you'll have the opportunity to watch are not very well-vetted. I've seen a rather surprising amount of ads make it onto these platforms that will redirect you to sites that are attempting to steal information, or are infected with malware. I've even run into legit faucet sites that have been infected with malware themselves at times. Personally, I use Kapersky Free antivirus.
- Depending on the faucet(s) you're using, you may be limited to specific wallets to use to withdraw your crypto. Make sure to follow the instructions on each site to make sure you're sending to a wallet that is supported, on the right blockchain, and meets the withdrawal minimum requirements (especially if you prefer to withdraw to an exchange).
- At the end of the day - er, well, days - you'll also need a lot of patience to use crypto faucets. Crypto faucets give out extremely tiny amounts of crypto, so like most other opportunities to earn free crypto, these aren't options that are going to make you a lot of money quickly. But with some strategy and perseverance, they can be a way to collect small amounts of specific tokens that you're interested in adding to your portfolio.
Disclaimer: this post contains some affiliate links which may give a small payout to the author and/or a bonus to new users who may choose to use apps or services mentioned. Please consider using these links to help support this blog series!
Which Crypto Faucets are Worth It?
With all of the above being said, I have found a few faucets that I feel can be worth the time and effort. I've judged these sites on a combination of factors: time commitment, ease of use, payout frequency, and payout minimum. Your experiences may vary depending on how interacting with various faucets fits within with your daily routine.
CoinPayU
CoinPayU is currently my most reliable web-based crypto faucet. I focus primarily on the faucets themselves (the free option allows you to claim four per hour) as well as the Surf Ads and Window Ads, which refresh at 0:00 UTC each day. I usually watch about 40 surf ads and 10 window ads a day, and claim the faucets as I'm able to, which has been resulting in a payout every seven days. (CoinPayU just raised their payout thresholds slightly a few days ago, so my claims will probably be a bit farther apart moving forward.) The interface is easy to use, my time commitment is fairly low, and CoinPayU has one of the largest lists of options of crypto to withdraw. There are varying thresholds and fees attached to specific tokens, so be sure to check their fee list frequently to get the best deal.
Pro-tip: you don't have to withdraw the specific tokens you claim in the four CoinPayU faucets each day. Your earnings can be swapped from one token to another once you meet the minimum amount in each. Personally, I swap all of mine to Bitcoin, which is the only faucet that allows you to transfer your sats to your main balance. By combining all four faucet earnings with my main balance (from ad earnings), I'm able to withdraw one lump sum in any coin I choose.
FaucetCrypto
FaucetCrypto is also a very reliable faucet site that has easily attainable minimums. The faucet claim is active every 30 minutes, and there's usually about a dozen ads or so added each day. I spend a relatively small amount of time on this site, but I'm able to make a claim roughly every three days. FaucetCrypto also has a pretty decent list of options of tokens to withdraw, though some options can run dry fairly frequently.
The major downside to this site is that some of their advertisers' websites have a tendency to pop up when trying to navigate the site or complete captchas. It's especially frustrating when you've finished all the steps in a captcha and then have to start over again because you got redirected to a different site rather than the ad or page you were supposed to be viewing. As irritating as this is, I have to grudgingly admit that I still get more payout for my time here than most other crypto sites I've evaluated.
Global Hive
On the opposite side of the spectrum of time commitments to faucet sites, Global Hive is a great option if you just once to log in once a day to get your immediate payout. Global Hive offers a faucet for ZEC only, but you can claim once a day (with a bonus claim every fifth day), and you get a payout directly to your wallet a few minutes after each claim. Super easy, no ads to deal with, and no need to check back at frequent intervals.
PipeFlare
PipeFlare actually has a whole ecosystems of games and other crypto and NFT projects, but for the sake of this article it's also just a great 'instant gratification' faucet for ZEC. I haven't found an up-to-date payout schedule and/or minimum requirement for PipeFlare, but it appears that I get paid directly to my ZEC wallet about once a week or sooner. PipeFlare also has two other free faucets for MATIC and 1FLR, though both have higher payout thresholds. Still, all in all, you can claim two to three of these faucets each day with barely any effort or irritation.
Conclusion
Are crypto faucets worth the time? That answer is going to vary depending on how faucet claims and other get-paid-to (GPT) offers fit in your daily schedule. For me, as a blogger, I've found a handful of sites that I keep open in a string of browser tabs and check on when I'm taking breaks from my writing. And when I'm working my "real life day job," I have some of them saved on my phone so that I can check in on my breaks. If you're willing to be creative with how you interact with faucets and making smart decisions on how much effort and time you'd like to commit, crypto faucets can be a valid way to add to your crypto balance.
Are there other crypto faucets you use that you'd recommend? Feel free to post your thoughts (and referral links!) below and I'll check them out for possible inclusion in my next evaluation!
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Valdyr is a "crypto-curious" blogger living in Texas with her husband and their ancient dachshund, Henry. When she's not working as an audio/visual technician or stagehand, you'll frequently find her traveling, hiking or enjoying a good craft beer. For more reading, check out www.laurahofford.com/blog/
