Spacecoin Achieves First Secure Blockchain Data Transmission via Satellite

U.S.-based startup Spacecoin announced on Wednesday that it has successfully transmitted secured blockchain data through a satellite, marking a pioneering accomplishment in the satellite internet industry. This milestone highlights the company's efforts to provide an alternative to established providers such as SpaceX's Starlink.

Spacecoin's founder, Tae Oh, explained that the company aims to serve regions where internet access is unreliable, heavily censored, or prohibitively costly. Unlike Starlink, which operates a centralized network controlled by a single entity, Spacecoin is developing a decentralized infrastructure that allows open participation. This system facilitates payments and data storage without the need for traditional service intermediaries.

The recent test involved sending blockchain-verified data over 7,000 kilometers, traveling via satellite from Chile to the Azores. The mission was conducted in collaboration with Bulgarian microsatellite manufacturer EnduroSat. Oh emphasized that the experiment was designed to demonstrate that encrypted blockchain data could leave Earth, be routed through an orbiting satellite, and return without alteration.

"Our target market extends beyond end users to include developers, telecom operators, non-governmental organizations, and infrastructure collaborators," Oh stated in an email. He further added that transactions on Spacecoin's network undergo automatic verification against previous blockchain records, rejecting any inconsistencies.

"For internet users, this ensures that data or payments sent through our network cannot be falsified, tampered with, or intercepted by malicious actors," Oh remarked.

The satellite internet sector continues to expand rapidly amid rising demand for broadband access. While J.P. Morgan has previously explored blockchain-enabled payments between satellites, Spacecoin claims to be the first to successfully complete a blockchain transaction entirely without relying on terrestrial internet infrastructure.

Despite this breakthrough, Spacecoin remains a relatively small player compared to Starlink, which operates a constellation of roughly 8,000 satellites. Currently, Spacecoin's fleet consists of a single nanosatellite launched in December 2024 aboard a SpaceX Falcon rocket. The company plans to deploy three additional satellites by the end of this year. These satellites orbit in low Earth orbit (LEO) at altitudes up to 2,000 kilometers.

This achievement underscores the growing innovation within the satellite communications industry, highlighting new approaches to secure and decentralized internet connectivity.