Cryptocurrency: Expert discusses success of Bitcoin
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Earlier this year, SpaceX chief Elon Musk said he planning to put a “literal Dogecoin” on the surface of the Moon, courtesy of his SpaceX. Now, in a bid to boost the bitcoin agenda, one company is planning on sending a physical coin of the leading cryptocurrancy to the Moon too.
Crypto-exchange platform BitMEX has said it will send a bitcoin to the Moon later this year.
The company will place a bitcoin inside a rocket from space robotics company Astrobotic Technology – a private space company which is delivering scientific equipment to the Moon for NASA in November 2021.
The “one-of-a-kind” minted coin will remain on the surface of the Moon “until any enterprising soul goes to collect it”, according to the mission statement from BitMEX and Astrobiotic.
BitMEX said on its website: “One Dogecoin protagonist / EV car innovator / space enthusiast recently laid down the gauntlet in saying he plans to send Doge to the Moon.
“We’ve nothing against Dog Money, we felt it was only right to help bitcoin get there first.
“As long-term supporters of bitcoin and to underline the faith we have in the resiliency of its protocol, we wanted this world-changing cryptocurrency to be a part of this historic moment.
“BitMEX will mint a one-of-a-kind physical bitcoin, similar to the Casascius coins of 2013, which will be delivered to the Moon by Astrobotic.
“The coin will hold one bitcoin at an address to be publicly released, underneath a tamper-evident hologram covering.”
BitMEX CEO Alex Höptner said: “My day job is to help explore the potential of crypto beyond fiat currencies, so it’s hugely exciting to be a part of a project to explore human space presence beyond Earth.
“For all the talk of bitcoin going to the Moon, we’re actually going to do it.
“We couldn’t be more happy to be supporting Astrobotic’s attempt to put its commercial lander on the Moon.”
Bitcoin has taken a bit of a pummelling recently since Mr Musk and his Tesla announced that they would no longer accept the cryptocurrency as payment.
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At the beginning of May, bitcoin stood at around £41,000 but in the five weeks since it has almost halved.
Mr Musk himself has plans to put a cryptocurrency on the Moon – and welcomed the competition from BitMEX.
SpaceX will send a physical Dogecoin to the Moon in 2022.
On BitMEX’s announcement, Mr Musk posted on Twitter: “A new space race has begun!”
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