Bitcoin literally “to the moon”

“To the moon” is one of the slogans popular with those who believe that in the future the market value of Bitcoin may explode and skyrocket.

But there is one initiative in which “to the moon” referred to Bitcoin takes on a whole other, literal meaning instead.

Bitcoin “to the moon”: what happens?

It is an initiative of LunarCrush, i.e., a company that analyzes data and information about cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and social media actions.

As the official press release published a few days ago reveals, LunarCrush wants to send a 62 Bitcoin “treasure chest” to Earth’s natural satellite, namely the Moon.

Right now 62 BTC have a market value of about $1.7 million.

The “treasure chest,” named Nakamoto_1, will be opened by the first space traveler to reach the Moon and retrieve the private wallet key engraved on a Lunar Outpost MAPP Rover that will be launched into space by the end of 2023 by a SpaceX rocket. For security reasons, the exact launch date has not yet been revealed.

Once the Lunar Outpost MAPP Rover lands on the Moon, anyone can go to it to read the private key engraved on it, and thus unlock the 62 Bitcoin “treasure chest.”

This initiative has been made possible through a partnership with Lunar Outpost, which will physically take care of sending the rover to the Moon.

Lunar Outpost is a company founded in 2017 that focuses on commercial space robotics, lunar surface mobility, and in-situ resource utilization. Lunar Outpost’s flagship rover is indeed MAPP (Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform), which is expected to be the first commercial rover to reach the lunar South Pole.

The initiative also involves collaboration with animation studio Golden Wolf and Bitcoin developer tools company Hiro, which partnered with LunarCrush to bring Nakamoto_1 to life.

The mission will be funded through the sale of a specially created collection of NFTs.

The process of engraving the private key on the rover will be fully documented, so it will be transparent and ensure that no one, including the teams working on the project, will be able to acquire it prematurely.

The NFT collection

To fund the entire initiative, LunarCrush will sell a special collection of NFTs secured by Bitcoin: 25% of the sales will go to fund the treasure chest and another 25% will go into a “community marketing wallet that will go to fund grassroots development on Bitcoin.

NFTs will be priced at $250 each. Any sales of these NFTs on the Gamma secondary market will further increase the value of the treasure chest sent to the Moon.

As is evident, this is an advertising initiative, and indeed those who will benefit the most will be the astronaut who can read on the lunar rover the private key to the address on which the 62 BTC will be deposited.

Golden Wolf CEO Ingi Erlingsson said:

Comments on the initiative

“We loved the idea that the art could inspire a new generation of young people to look to the stars, like a contemporary version of an Apollo 11 poster on a bedroom wall. We wanted the aesthetic to feel modern and unique, with a hint of vintage sci-fi art.”

LunarCrush CEO Joe Vezzani said:

“When you put out a seemingly unachievable goal, the innovation that happens can be incredible. Our goal is to inspire people to build communities that will unlock a new era of exploration. We envision classrooms, groups, companies, and even DAOs coming together to reach the Moon and split the treasure chest’s rewards. It’s like Willy Wonka’s ‘golden ticket’ for the Web3 era, and we couldn’t be more excited to see how it all unfolds.”

Lunar Outpost co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Forrest Meyen added:

“What may sound outlandish to some will open new frontiers that haven’t been explored outside the mind in a long time. Future generations will look to us as pioneers of interplanetary exploration and adventure. As the Google Lunar XPRIZE kickstarted the commercial lunar rover industry, we view Nakamoto_1 as an opportunity to inspire the next generation to overcome challenges in space travel and exploration. LunarCrush is using modern blockchain technology to deliver a treasure instead of organizing a prize committee. This structure incentivizes exploration while unlocking the best of human ingenuity. Lunar Outpost is proud to provide our first-in-history commercial lunar surface transportation to innovative projects like Nakamoto_1.”