Historical Background
The concept of combining space technology with blockchain systems has its roots in the growing need for resilience against global disruptions. Historically, the vulnerability of terrestrial infrastructure to natural disasters, electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), and geopolitical conflicts has driven the push toward decentralized and redundant systems.
Blockchain, introduced through Bitcoin in 2009, has proven to be a revolutionary technology for decentralization and trustless operations. Concurrently, advancements in space exploration, such as reusable rockets and satellite constellations, have opened new frontiers for deploying critical infrastructure beyond Earth.
Pioneering efforts like Blockstream's satellite network have already demonstrated the feasibility of broadcasting Bitcoin's blockchain data from space, enhancing accessibility and decentralization. SpaceChain has launched blockchain-enabled payloads into orbit to develop a decentralized satellite infrastructure for secure data storage and cryptocurrency exchanges. Additionally, Spacecoin XYZ has proposed nanosatellite-based blockchain networks designed to resist Earth-based censorship and attacks. These initiatives have set significant milestones but remain Earth-reliant or limited in scope.
This proposal builds on such milestones by envisioning a robust and independent space-based infrastructure capable of supporting Bitcoin's network during catastrophic events and laying the groundwork for interplanetary commerce. Unlike existing projects, The Permanent Bitcoin Ledger (PBL) emphasizes resilience against global disruptions and aims to pioneer interplanetary financial systems through dedicated space-based Bitcoin Core nodes.
The roots of this proposal trace back to the foundational work of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, whose invention of blockchain technology in 2009 introduced a decentralized and trustless monetary system. Early pioneers like Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, and Adam Back further developed the technological framework that underpins this vision. Existing projects, such as Blockstream’s Bitcoin satellite network, have demonstrated the feasibility of broadcasting blockchain data from space, while SpaceChain and Spacecoin XYZ have explored blockchain-enabled payloads and nanosatellite networks, respectively.
By building on these milestones, the Permanent Bitcoin Ledger takes a decisive step toward creating a robust and independent infrastructure designed to withstand Earth-bound disruptions and support interplanetary commerce.
Executive Summary
This proposal advocates for the establishment of space-based Bitcoin Core nodes and supporting infrastructure as a critical step toward ensuring global financial resilience, technological leadership, and decentralization. This initiative would address existential risks, such as electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks, geopolitical disruptions, and terrestrial environmental risks, while leveraging synergies with existing space operations. Additionally, it positions each recipient as a pioneer in interplanetary commerce and decentralized systems.
Objectives
Enhance Financial Resilience: Establishing Bitcoin nodes in space ensures the continuity of the Bitcoin blockchain in the event of Earth-based disruptions (e.g., EMPs, natural disasters).
Advance Decentralization: Space-based nodes eliminate dependencies on terrestrial infrastructure, protecting the network from centralized control or state interference.
Support Interplanetary Commerce: A Bitcoin backbone in space lays the groundwork for future interplanetary financial systems, aligning with Mars and lunar colonization goals.
Leverage Existing Space Technologies: Integrating Bitcoin infrastructure within Starlink, Blue Origin, and NASA projects creates synergies with existing missions, ensuring cost-effective deployment and operation.
Key Components of the Proposal
Deployment of Space-Based Bitcoin Core Nodes
Hardware Requirements: Radiation-hardened, low-power computing devices capable of running Bitcoin Core software.
Energy Source: Solar panels to provide a continuous power supply, eliminating reliance on terrestrial grids.
Space-based Bitcoin nodes will enable direct transaction processing, earning a share of Bitcoin network transaction fees. These fees will fund ongoing maintenance and expansion, ensuring the network's sustainability and operational longevity.
Orbit Strategy: Deploy in low Earth orbit (LEO) to minimize latency while maintaining resilience against terrestrial disruptions.
Communication: Utilize existing satellite constellations (e.g., Starlink, Kuiper) for blockchain synchronization and global access.
Space-Based Bitcoin Mining
Concept: Deploy ASIC mining rigs on satellites powered by solar energy.
Satellites equipped with ASIC mining hardware powered by solar energy will contribute to Bitcoin mining, generating rewards such as block subsidies and transaction fees. This approach reduces reliance on terrestrial electricity grids and creates a self-sustaining economic model for the network.
Advantages:
Continuous mining enabled by uninterrupted solar energy.
Decentralized mining independent of Earth's infrastructure.
Challenges:
Heat dissipation in space.
High initial deployment costs.
Integration with Existing Missions
Starlink (SpaceX): Provide Bitcoin blockchain access to remote and underserved areas worldwide, supporting financial inclusion.
Blue Origin's Orbital Reef: Integrate Bitcoin nodes as part of commercial space station infrastructure to support future interplanetary commerce.
NASA Missions: Collaborate with NASA's technology development programs to enhance resilience and cybersecurity for blockchain nodes.
Organizations and governments seeking tamper-proof access to blockchain data can leverage the The Permanent Bitcoin Ledger’s guaranteed uptime, low-latency access, and enhanced data security, providing a revenue stream through premium data services.
As human presence expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, the PBL will become the backbone of interplanetary financial systems. This creates unique opportunities for revenue through the provision of financial infrastructure support in extraterrestrial environments.
Existential Challenges, Risks, and Justifications
Radiation and Space Environment
Space-based Bitcoin infrastructure must be designed to withstand cosmic radiation, which poses a serious threat to the operation of satellites and data integrity. This ensures the blockchain's resilience during Earth-bound disruptions.
Cost of Deployment
While initial costs are high, reusable rockets and modular design significantly reduce barriers over time. This investment ensures Bitcoin's continuity in the face of Earth-based infrastructure failures.
Heat Dissipation
Proper thermal management is essential to the long-term functionality of mining hardware. Ensuring efficient cooling systems guarantees sustained Bitcoin operations.
Communication Latency
Synchronizing space-based nodes with Earth ensures that the blockchain remains operational and accessible globally. Strategic placement minimizes delays.
Geopolitical Risks
Ensuring global collaboration and transparency prevents monopolization of space-based Bitcoin systems, preserving the decentralized ethos of Bitcoin.
Protection and Defense Capabilities
The Permanent Bitcoin Ledger faces a unique set of challenges in its operation and security. Space-based infrastructure, though resilient to Earth-bound disruptions, is not immune to potential threats such as satellite collisions, jamming technologies, and cyberattacks on blockchain nodes. Safeguarding this infrastructure is paramount to its success.
The United States Space Force (USSF), with its expertise in orbital security and space-based defense, is uniquely positioned to provide critical protection for the PBL. By leveraging early warning systems, space traffic management, and counter-cyberattack capabilities, the USSF can ensure uninterrupted operation of Bitcoin Core nodes in space. Allied space organizations, including the European Space Agency (ESA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), can also contribute to a robust, cooperative defense framework.
The Permanent Bitcoin Ledger infrastructure itself will be designed with resilience in mind, featuring redundant satellite nodes in multiple orbits to ensure continuity even in the event of partial outages. Blockchain encryption and secure communication protocols will make the system resistant to tampering, while automated recovery systems will minimize downtime.
Finally, partnerships with global organizations such as the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) will ensure The Permanent Bitcoin Ledger remains a neutral, accessible infrastructure for worldwide use, fostering collaboration rather than competition in the development of interplanetary commerce.
Benefits to Key Participants or Primary Beneficiaries
Elon Musk (SpaceX)
Solidifies Starlink's role as a global enabler of decentralized systems.
Aligns with Mars colonization goals by establishing Bitcoin as the foundation for interplanetary commerce.
Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin)
Positions Blue Origin as a leader in commercial space-based financial infrastructure.
Creates synergies with Orbital Reef and other long-term space projects.
Bill Nelson (NASA)
Enhances NASA's leadership in space technology and public-private collaboration.
Demonstrates U.S. innovation in decentralized and resilient financial systems.
Roadmap
Phase 1: Feasibility Study (Year 1)
Assess technical, economic, and regulatory requirements.
Engage stakeholders and form partnerships.
Phase 2: Prototype Development (Years 2–3)
Design and test satellite-based Bitcoin Core nodes and mining rigs.
Conduct trial launches with minimal payloads.
Phase 3: Deployment and Scaling (Years 4–5)
Launch full-scale satellite nodes.
Expand operations to include mining and interplanetary synchronization.
Prepared For
Elon Musk (SpaceX, Starlink) Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin) Bill Nelson (NASA Administrator) Donald J. Trump Eric Trump Donald Trump Jr. Michael Saylor OpenAI European Space Agency (ESA) Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Leading Bitcoin Research Academic Institutions
MIT Digital Currency Initiative (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) University of Nicosia (Blockchain and Digital Currency Programs) Stanford Blockchain Research Center Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (University of Cambridge) Berkeley Haas Blockchain Initiative (University of California, Berkeley) Cornell Blockchain (Cornell University) Princeton University (Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Research)
Contact:
Arthur Porcher @arthurporcher
Why Me?
My background in Business Management and Psychology has given me a deep understanding of the limitations within centralized systems. Growing up in Satellite Beach, Florida before NASA was formed and during the Space Race, I was inspired by the advancements in space technology and the potential for innovation. My early involvement in the computing industry since 1983 and active participation in accounting, cryptology, and blockchain technology communities have equipped me with the skills to bridge blockchain and space technology. While I may not be widely recognized, my dedication to fostering resilience and advancing interplanetary commerce drives my work on the Permanent Bitcoin Ledger.
Access the Proposal:
https://permanentbitcoinledger.org
The proposal is accessible at the supporting domain: https://rocketphewl.github.io/Permanent-Bitcoin-Ledger/
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This initiative builds on foundational work in blockchain and space technology, ensuring resilience against global disruptions and advancing interplanetary commerce. We recognize the contributions of projects such as Blockstream’s Satellite Network, SpaceChain, Spacecoin XYZ, LunarCrush, Starlink, and Blue Origin, as well as initiatives like NASA’s Blockchain Initiatives and IBM’s Satellite Blockchain Projects. Additionally, we acknowledge the insights provided by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change's paper, "Blockchain for Space Governance"; Jason Lowery's thesis, "Softwar: Bitcoin as Non-Lethal Warfare"; @peterktodd's article, "Peter Todd Argues Space Mining for Bitcoin Is Within Reach"; and Javier Gil's article, "Bitcoin in Space: Can Cryptocurrencies be used in Space Commerce?" These and many other's efforts have established essential infrastructure and methodologies that support the development and formalization of the Permanent Bitcoin Ledger.