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Bitcoin in Space: Sending BTC to Mars Becomes Feasible
Bitcoin may soon go where no currency has gone before—to Mars—and possibly in just a few minutes, thanks to a new protocol called Proof-of-Transit Timestamping (PoTT).
Sending Bitcoin Across Planets
Late last month, tech entrepreneur Jose E. Puente and his colleague Carlos Puente published a white paper introducing PoTT—a system designed to enable Bitcoin and Lightning Network transactions across planetary distances.
Speaking to Cointelegraph, Puente described PoTT as the “receipt layer” for Bitcoin, using available technologies like NASA’s optical links, Elon Musk’s Starlink, and other satellite networks.
“The technology is essentially ready. The moment there’s a stable Earth–Mars link, PoTT can ride on top, making Bitcoin the first currency to operate cleanly across planets,” Puente explained.
How It Works: Timestamped Hops
The concept works like this: when a Bitcoin transaction is sent to Mars, it hops through a series of ground stations, satellites, or lunar relays. At each stop, the transaction is timestamped, tracking its path—like a passport being stamped at each border.
“Imagine it’s 2050 and you’re sending money from Earth to your friend on Mars to help pay for their rent,” Puente said. “At each station, the message is stamped with arrival and departure times. By the time it reaches Mars, you can see the full path and timing of the transaction.”
Transfers via the Lightning Network could reach Mars in as little as three minutes, or up to 22 minutes in a worst-case scenario. Even the known two-week Mars communication blackout could be mitigated, Puente said, by routing transactions around the Sun using relay satellites.
Building on Previous Space-Based Bitcoin Projects
PoTT builds on Blockstream’s 2018 satellite integration with Bitcoin and Spacechain’s 2020 transaction from the International Space Station—proving Bitcoin can operate beyond Earth.
Still, Mars needs a recipient. So far, only NASA rovers and orbiters have reached the Red Planet—no humans or AI residents to accept Bitcoin yet.
Crypto Adoption in Space Is Growing
Blue Origin, backed by Jeff Bezos, started accepting cryptocurrencies last month—including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and stablecoins—though their missions have only crossed the Kármán line (100 km from Earth).
Meanwhile, SpaceX aims to reach Mars by 2026. Elon Musk has previously expressed interest in a standard interplanetary currency, though he once voiced concern about Bitcoin’s 10-minute block time.
