If you’re in the market for a cryptocurrency-earning credit card, your choices are relatively slim. The Fold Bitcoin card, issued by Celtic Bank, is one of just a handful of options on the market. (Fold is a financial technology company, not an insured bank or credit union.)
At first blush, the Fold Bitcoin card looks like a top contender because of its high rewards earning potential. However, to earn the card’s highest rates, you must lock up a sizable amount of assets with Fold.
If you’re not all-in on crypto, the Fold Bitcoin card may not offer enough guaranteed value for the amount of risk that’s inherent in cryptocurrency.
Here’s what to know about the Fold Bitcoin credit card.
» MORE: Best crypto credit cards
1. There aren’t many fees
The Fold Bitcoin credit card doesn’t charge an annual fee, foreign transaction fee or penalty APR, which other cards may impose for late payments.
Of course, you’ll want to avoid late payments if possible, as they can cause your credit scores to drop.
2. Rewards are earned in Bitcoin
As its name suggests, the Fold Bitcoin card earns rewards in the form of Bitcoin, at a baseline of 1.5% back on all purchases. Rewards at that rate aren’t capped.
To earn more than the base 1.5% rate, you need a Fold Reserve account. But that’s where things get more complicated — and expensive.
3. Biggest rewards rates are tied to big balances
According to Fold, Fold Reserve isn’t a bank or investment account but a “closed-loop stored value program.” Your Fold Reserve balance may be used to buy Bitcoin and gift cards, and it determines your ultimate rewards rate. There’s no fee to have a Fold Reserve account.
Assets held in Fold Reserve | Rewards rate | |
|---|---|---|
No Fold Reserve account | Less than $4,999 | 1.5% |
Tier 1 | $5,000 | 1.5% + 0.25 for bill pay |
Tier 2 | $15,000 | 1.75% + 0.5% for bill pay |
Tier 3 | $25,000 | 2% + 1% for bill pay |
Tier 4 | $50,000 | 3% + 1.5% for bill pay |
Tier 5 | $75,000 | 4% + 2% for bill pay |
Tier 6 | $100,000 | 5% + 3% for bill pay |
As the table illustrates, the highest rewards rates are only attainable if you tie up several thousands of dollars in a Fold Reserve account, which plenty of people can’t or won’t want to do.
Another caveat: Rewards earned above the 1.5% base rate are capped at $5,000 in monthly spending.
It’s also possible to earn bonus rewards by setting up bill pay from a Fold checking account. The same spending cap applies to additional rewards earned for paying bills with Bitcoin.
Say you had $25,000 in your Fold Reserve account and had set up bill pay from your Fold checking account, putting you at Tier 3 in the table above:
That qualifies you to earn an additional 0.5% on purchases (up from the baseline 1.5%, to a rate of 2%) on up to $5,000 spent per month. After that, you'll drop back down to the 1.5% rate for the rest of the month.
Additionally, because you've also set up bill pay, you'll earn 1% on the first $5,000 in monthly bill payments.
If that seems complicated — and if you're not interested in having to store tens of thousands of dollars in a Fold Reserve account — consider the Gemini Credit Card® instead. It earns up to 4% back in certain categories, and in a cryptocurrency of your choice (from a list of about 50). And those rewards rates aren't tied to any specific balance threshold with Gemini.
4. Redemption options are limited
Rewards may be redeemed for Bitcoin or gift cards. Your rewards account balance must be at least 30,000 sats in order to redeem. (A sat — short for "satoshi" — is the smallest unit of Bitcoin.)
5. The card can be used immediately
If you’re approved for the Fold Bitcoin card — and you have Apple Pay or Google Pay — a virtual version of the card will be automatically added into your digital wallet, enabling you to use it right away.
As of October 2026, this capability was not yet enabled for Samsung Pay.
