Without the internet, there will be no more bitcoins or cryptocurrencies, some would say. But it should be noted that these assets do not deserve the status of “liberating technology” if they are limited to a single channel. Of course, during a total collapse Internet, you can always make bitcoin transfers, where you are, even disconnected from the web.
A history of bitcoin transaction via radio waves
In March 2019, Coindesk highlighted the success of an international Lightning payment by amateur radio network. This had been initiated by two developers working in different countries. They are Rodolfo Novak, co-founder of CoinKite, and Elaine Ou, a columnist and blockchain engineer.
Why are we talking about an international transaction? The two were, in fact, separated by several thousand kilometers: the first lived in Toronto (Canada) and the other San Francisco (California).
And what makes this action unique? In fact, the two did not use the internet for sending bitcoin lightning payment. They only needed one amateur radio network.
A news that confirms our presentation on the future of bitcoin in the absence of the internet. Next to satnodes and mobile text messages is, indeed, radio technology. If you are used to using it to listen to music or radio broadcasts, this new power of the radio will amaze you.
Bitcoin Archive, which was surprised by the existence of this alternative, received an unflattering comment by _qc_ on Twitter.
” Want to be blown away?
Payment in Bitcoin / LN can be sent any wireless communication medium. Bluetooth, radio, WiFi, GPS, infrared, laser…
We just need a blockchain-connected wallet to lock the sub-ledgers periodically.
The next step is to create a multi-channel portfolio. »
A bitcoin that will survive an internet blackout
Apparently, this sending of bitcoins via radio waves had made the joy of these two interlocutors.
” It was a fun demo, but obviously unrealistic, because we coordinated everything online before sending the radio signals exulted Mrs. Ou.
” The equipment is currently the most difficult part: you need a radio that supports these frequencies. The cheapest way is a software-defined radio, which costs around $200 for something that can transmit low-power signals, or thousands for a high-power transmitter. “, she added.
Note that they could not have succeeded in such a transfer of bitcoins without Nick Szabo, the father of the smart contract. Elaine Ou and this one had, two years earlier, worked together to strengthen the resistance of the Bitcoin network against partition attacks. The idea was presented at the Scaling Bitcoin conference held in San Francisco in 2017.
Thus, if the Internet were to be censored, or even dissolved, bitcoin like other cryptocurrencies will not stop.
Novak also praised this successful BTC payout on the real Lightning Network via radio waves.
Amazed by the speed of communication, he commented:
” Radio waves travel at the speed of light in air 300,000 km/s, via copter would be 5% slower. »
All in all, this LN bitcoin transaction based on an amateur radio network has shown that even amateur rulers of centralization will not be able to do anything against cryptocurrencies. And if the world is afraid of a possible sabotage of the European Internet by Putin, these can always be used for something. Admittedly, such a situation is not desirable, but you never know what our leaders are up to.
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