American Express Introduces Blockchain Passport Stamps

American Express just moved into new ground with Blockchain by rolling out Passport Stamps that live on Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 built by Coinbase. At first it sounds like a novelty, but the timing is intentional. Physical passport stamps are about to vanish across much of Europe this October, and clearly a lot of travelers are going to miss the ritual of collecting them. For a company like American Express, that nostalgia translates into an opportunity to let cardholders collect Travel Memories in a format that is secure, permanent, and easy to share. Obviously this is not about speculation but about utility, which makes it stand out in a crypto space often driven by hype.

The decision rests on survey data. Roughly 73 percent of travelers said they want better ways to save Travel Memories digitally, and more than half said they actually miss traditional stamps. That is a lot of latent demand, and obviously American Express would not have gone this far without seeing those signals. The broader travel market is fragmented, with most people jumping between three or more sites to book a trip. So pulling this into the existing American Express app also helps centralize the travel experience in a way that feels more modern.

Blockchain Passport Built On Base For Lower Costs

The Passport Stamps are built as ERC-721 tokens, which are the same type of tokens behind most NFTs. But they run on Base, which is cheaper and more scalable than Ethereum mainnet. That means costs drop by a factor of ten, while security still comes from Ethereum. Obviously users never see the complexity, since Fireblocks handles the wallet infrastructure behind the curtain. Cardholders collect Travel Memories without having to think about keys or wallets, which lowers the barrier.

Partnership Model for Blockchain Passport 

Since the companies already collaborated on the Coinbase One American Express card earlier this year, offering crypto rewards. This new step makes the ecosystem feel more connected, and of course more resilient against being seen as just a marketing gimmick.

First Mover Advantage

From a compliance standpoint, American Express has an advantage. The Passport Stamps are non-transferable, which sidesteps regulatory questions about trading or speculation. Obviously this fits within the company’s KYC and AML obligations. Other travel NFT projects often run into legal uncertainty, but here the design keeps things clean. And the timing lines up with the EU rolling out its Entry Exit System this October. It means paper stamps will start fading fast. That gives American Express a real first-mover advantage.

The reception so far has been modest but positive. Shares of American Express went up about 0.8 percent after the announcement, and Coinbase stock inched higher too. Clearly markets see the partnership as credible. For travelers, the launch is already live in the iOS Amex Travel App, with Android to follow soon. Eligible cardholders collect Travel Memories automatically based on international purchases, and the system even backdates two years of travel history. That kind of retroactive benefit is rare and obviously increases the appeal.

Blockchain Passport Signals Enterprise Adoption Trend

Other industries are experimenting with NFTs for tickets or bookings. But, American Express has done something that blends nostalgia, loyalty, and technology into one. Clearly it sets a new bar for how established financial players can step into Web3 without leaning on crypto gains or risky capital tax benefits. Instead it shows how Blockchain can be wrapped into an everyday product that actually solves a customer pain point.

Looking ahead, American Express Digital Labs is already pushing into AI, e-commerce, and other Web3 pilots. The Passport Stamps are an early signal of how they plan to tie these together into a broader travel and payments ecosystem.