Bitcoin on Mars? Scientists Say Interplanetary Payments Are Already Theoretically Possible

Moon5labs
BTC2,57%

Paying rent to a friend on Mars? It may sound like science fiction, but researchers claim the technology is practically ready. A new concept called Proof-of-Transit (PoTT) could make Bitcoin the first currency to function not only on Earth but across planets.

How It Would Work Tech entrepreneur Jose E. Puente and his colleague Carlos Puente outlined a mechanism where Bitcoin transactions would travel through ground antennas, satellites, and even lunar relays before reaching their destination on Mars. At each stop, the transaction would receive a digital “stamp” – much like a passport at border crossings – creating a transparent record of its journey all the way to the Red Planet. According to Puente, the technology is essentially ready. Once a stable connection between Earth and Mars exists, PoTT could handle Bitcoin transfers in as little as three minutes (and up to 22 minutes in worst-case scenarios).

Challenges and Solutions One obstacle is the two-week Mars blackout, which occurs every 26 months when the planet passes behind the Sun. Puente suggests a fix: relay satellites orbiting the Sun to maintain the signal during outages. He describes PoTT as an extension of Bitcoin’s classic timestamping – only expanded beyond Earth.

Bitcoin Has Already Reached Space 🌌 PoTT isn’t the first attempt to link Bitcoin with space: 2018 – Blockstream broadcast Bitcoin through five satellites.2020 – Spacechain completed the first Bitcoin transaction from the International Space Station (ISS). On Mars, however, there would need to be someone – or something – to actually accept the payment. For now, only robotic landers and rovers operate there.

Musk and the Need for a Standard Martian Currency Elon Musk has made it clear he aims to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars by 2026. He also agrees that a standard, neutral currency will be necessary for an interplanetary civilization. According to Puente, the Lightning Network could address Musk’s concerns about Bitcoin’s 10-minute block times. With PoTT, people could enjoy local transaction speed combined with global settlement – even across planets.

Looking Ahead Puente believes Bitcoin is the most suitable candidate for an interplanetary currency: It is open, neutral, and independent.It can operate across planets within a star’s habitable zone.It ensures value transfer with accountability over vast distances. “Imagine it’s the year 2050,” Puente says. “You send money to a friend on Mars, watching your transaction hop from Earth, through the Moon, and finally to him. Bitcoin could become the first truly interplanetary currency.”

#bitcoin , #mars , #CryptoInnovation , #CryptoNews , #ElonMusk

Stay one step ahead – follow our profile and stay informed about everything important in the world of cryptocurrencies! Notice: ,The information and views presented in this article are intended solely for educational purposes and should not be taken as investment advice in any situation. The content of these pages should not be regarded as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. We caution that investing in cryptocurrencies can be risky and may lead to financial losses.“

Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to Disclaimer.

Related Articles

BTC rises 0.64% in 15 minutes: long-position amplification combined with spot fund inflows drives the move

2026-04-17 12:45 to 2026-04-17 13:00 (UTC), the BTC price fluctuated within the 75720.6 to 76256.6 USDT range, and the return rate within 15 minutes reached +0.64%, with a range of 0.71%. During this period, market attention stayed high, trading activity increased, short-term volatility intensified, reflecting a rapid market move driven by concentrated capital. The main driving force behind this anomaly is that the long-position structure has been significantly amplified on coin-margined perpetual contracts, along with rapid inflows of funds into the long direction. Data shows that in the 12:45–13:00 window, the long contract positions for BTC surged from 8M to 11.4M, accounting for 57% to 77%. Short-term long funds concentrated into the market, and buy-side strength rose markedly, forming a direct impetus for price upside. At the same time, net inflows of ETF funds in the spot market increased, with holdings in major ETF products rising; institutional buying became more active, and the coordination strengthened spot price support. In addition, on-chain active addresses remained at a high level, trading volume expanded significantly, and BTC net inflows on mainstream trading platforms on April 17 also rose—together indicating increased market participation. Meanwhile, BTC broke through a key historical price range ($75,000), and technical buying as well as momentum-chasing funds entered in line with the move. Besides structural factors, global macro environmental risks remain elevated. Some capital is inclined toward BTC as a safe haven, and in the short term, multiple factors have converged, jointly pushing up the market’s volatility. In the near term, with the share of long positions and trading volume rising, if there is an unexpected news event or a reversal in sentiment, it is likely to trigger a rapid pullback. Key risk focus points include: changes in capital flows on mainstream trading platforms, the strength of support in the $75,000 range, and how macro events evolve. Users should be alert to short-term risks during periods of high volatility, monitor key on-chain and macro indicators in real time, and stay on top of more market updates.

GateNews37m ago

American Bitcoin (ABTC) to Release Q1 2026 Earnings on May 6

American Bitcoin (ABTC) will release its Q1 2026 earnings report on May 6, 2026, after U.S. market close, followed by a live earnings call and webcast at 4:30 PM ET.

GateNews53m ago

Solv Protocol and Utexo Launch Bitcoin-Native Yield Infrastructure

Solv Protocol has integrated with Utexo to launch a bitcoin-native yield infrastructure that uses the RGB protocol and Lightning Network to enable direct, atomic swaps between bitcoin and USDT. Key Takeaways: Solv Protocol and Utexo integrated to launch native BTC yield with atomic swaps for $2 b

Coinpedia1h ago

Zonda Exchange CEO Blames Missing Founder for $336M in Lost Bitcoin

Zonda CEO Przemysław Kral has attributed the exchange's loss of access to 4,500 BTC, valued at $336 million, to missing founder Sylwester Suszek's failure to transfer private keys. Amid allegations of bankruptcy and intensified withdrawal requests, Kral insists Zonda remains solvent and will pursue legal action while searching for Suszek, who disappeared in 2022.

GateNews2h ago

BTC drops 0.52% in 15 minutes: Whale inflows to exchanges combined with insufficient liquidity amplify sell pressure

From 2026-04-17 10:15 to 2026-04-17 10:30 (UTC), the BTC price rapidly fell within the 75214.3 – 75725.9 USDT range. The cumulative return over 15 minutes was -0.52%, and the amplitude reached 0.68%. During this period, market sentiment shifted from cautious to bearish, volatility on the board increased, mainstream trading pairs saw an increase in主动 sell-side volume, buy-side acceptance became constrained, and overall trading activity declined significantly. The primary driver behind this unusual move is that large holders (whales) concentrated their short-term inflows into exchanges. On-chain data shows that net inflows to addresses holding more than 1000 BTC per address changed from a steady state to a positive value, directly boosting exchange balances over the short term. Historical data indicates that whale inflows to exchanges are highly correlated with sell pressure in the medium to short term. In the same period, order book snapshots reflected a significant increase in the volume of主动 sell orders, and the成交价梯度 shifted downward, highlighting that weak market absorption capacity caused a short-term drop in price. In addition, in the derivatives market, the long/short positioning structure tilted toward shorts. The number of主动 sell contracts exceeded that of buys in a short time, and rising pressure to close long positions further intensified the downtrend. Market liquidity overall was relatively weak; the number of active addresses over the past 10 minutes was only about 42k, and both fees and the mempool were near their lowest levels of the recent month. Against a backdrop of insufficient capital absorption, the marginal impact of large sell orders was amplified. On the macro front, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy tightening and industry media repeatedly downgraded BTC’s near-term expectations led investors’ risk appetite to generally decline, creating a resonance at the level of market sentiment. In the short term, it is still necessary to stay alert to liquidity risk and the price impact of one-way large transactions in specific trading pairs. Going forward, focus on key developments such as changes in whales’ on-chain holdings, exchange balances, and rebounds in activity metrics, as well as the potential impact of macro policy direction on risk assets. Relevant users should primarily guard against the risk of sharply amplified short-term price volatility and promptly track more market information.

GateNews3h ago
Comment
0/400
No comments