Id rather give out gifts that actually have meaning and thought put behind it. I think handing out gold, gift cards, or bitcoin shows a bit of laziness to be honest.
You're right, but I find that this can be a good idea for people you usually give cash or gift cards (because there are some, always).
However I remember reading someone on the forum that did so a year ago, and it wasn't a big success. For geeks like us it can be fun, but maybe it's still a bit early for "normal" people