Australia Post unveils blockchain Lunar New Year stamps

Australia Post has announced its first 'DigiStamp', a collectable that pairs a physical postage stamp with a digital token accessed via a QR code.

The format sits alongside Australia Post's annual Lunar New Year stamps and collectables range, which this year focuses on the Year of the Horse. The physical stamp issue is available at participating Post Offices and online.

Digital collectable

The DigiStamp includes a traditional stamp presented on a card, with a QR code on the back. Scanning the code activates a digital collectable recorded on a blockchain.

After activation, the token appears online as a unique collectable. No app download or digital wallet is required.

DigiStamps are priced at $15 each, and collectors can register interest ahead of release.

Three designs

The launch includes three horse designs: Plum Blossom Fire Horse, Fire Lantern Horse and Longevity Knot Fire Horse.

Each design has 100 special DigiStamps. The rare versions will be randomly packaged and available through in-store and online purchases.

The broader Lunar New Year stamps and collectables range was designed by Sydney-based artist Chrissy Lau. Australia Post has used the program in previous years for themed stamp releases and related collectables.

Collecting shift

The DigiStamp launch marks a shift for a postal operator with a long-established stamp-issuing program. Australia Post called it a milestone in its 216-year history and linked it to changing ways collectors engage with postal memorabilia.

The offering keeps a physical item that can be stored and displayed in traditional formats, while adding a digital token tied to the same purchase. Activation is handled through a QR code rather than a dedicated app.

Using blockchain places DigiStamps within a broader category of digitally verifiable collectables that have emerged across sport, art and entertainment in recent years. Australia Post did not provide technical specifications for the blockchain system or name an external technology supplier.

Kayla Le Cornu, General Manager Retail Product and Supply Chain at Australia Post, described the DigiStamp as part of a longer pattern of stamp collecting reflecting the times.

"Stamps have always captured the spirit of their era, and with the launch of our first 'DigiStamps' it marks a defining moment in the history of collecting. By blending a centuries-old tradition with digital innovation, 'DigiStamps' are a tangible example of how Australia Post continues to modernise as a 21st-century, digitally enabled postal operator," said Kayla Le Cornu, General Manager Retail Product and Supply Chain, Australia Post

Le Cornu said the release aims to appeal to both established collectors and newer audiences who expect digital interaction alongside physical ownership.

"This evolution builds on our long legacy while reimagining how collecting can look today, opening the door for a new generation to discover the joy of collecting, while giving long-standing stamp enthusiasts new ways to engage," said Le Cornu.

The DigiStamp release is part of Australia Post's wider collectables business, which sells limited-edition stamp issues, themed products and philatelic accessories through its retail network and online store. Australia Post said its network includes more than 4,000 Post Offices nationally.

The Lunar New Year stamp issue is available now, while DigiStamps are scheduled to go on sale in March.