Author: Sandy Carter
Translation: Block unicorn
Abstract
Blockchain technology is democratizing space by shifting control from traditional institutions to public participation through decentralized ownership and governance.
Key projects include SpaceCoin, which is building a satellite-based blockchain network (DePIN), and Copernic Space, which is tokenizing real-world space assets and lunar domain names.
The TON blockchain has pioneered "space democracy" by electing civilian astronauts for Blue Origin flights through on-chain voting, allowing the global public to participate in space travel.
Introduction
From Bitcoin's first space transaction to tokenized lunar domain names, blockchain is driving a new decentralized space race, democratizing access and ownership.
As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut. I dreamed of floating in a zero-gravity environment, watching the Earth spin below me, and perhaps one day walking on the moon. Although I never went to space, my life took a fulfilling turn when I worked at AWS, where I helped the "Rover" land on Mars with a partner.
That experience made me realize there are many ways to explore new frontiers, and today, one of the most exciting ways is not through rockets, but through code. Blockchain, a technology that started with digital currency, is now expanding into space orbit.
Space has always inspired human imagination. For decades, it has been the exclusive domain of governments, billionaires, and aerospace giants.
Today, a quiet revolution is bringing blockchain into everyone's daily life. Blockchain is transcending the financial sector and entering space orbit, laying the foundation for a decentralized space economy.
What is Decentralized Space?
Decentralized space is the fusion of blockchain and space exploration. It leverages smart contracts, tokenization, and decentralized governance, allowing anyone with a digital wallet to participate in the space economy.
Decentralized space no longer relies on a few large institutions but allows communities, creators, and investors to co-own and co-govern assets such as satellites, payloads, and even lunar missions. It brings transparency and inclusivity to a long-exclusive domain, creating an open network that extends access and ownership beyond Earth.
It combines space technology with the principles of transparency, inclusivity, and verifiable ownership from Web3, creating an open network where anyone can contribute to humanity's journey beyond Earth.
According to PwC's predictions, space will become the first new trillion-dollar asset class of the 21st century and the first asset class that can exist natively on-chain.
Why is Decentralized Space Related to Bitcoin?
The origins of decentralized space can be traced back to Bitcoin. In 2019, SpaceChain's blockchain node was launched into space aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. This node enabled multi-signature Bitcoin transactions in space, marking the first transaction of blockchain and Bitcoin in space orbit. Bitcoin recently hit an all-time high before retreating, just like a rocket!
This milestone demonstrated that blockchain can operate beyond Earth and does not rely on terrestrial infrastructure. It sparked a series of projects exploring how digital assets and decentralized systems can support future space missions.
What began with Bitcoin has now expanded into a complete ecosystem where tokens, domain names, and smart contracts connect people to space in unprecedented ways.
Three Pioneering Projects Leading This Transformation
SpaceCoin is creating a blockchain infrastructure that operates through satellites.
Copernic Space is tokenizing space assets and digital domain names related to lunar missions.
The Open Network (TON), the blockchain behind Telegram, supports on-chain voting to select real astronaut seats on Blue Origin flights.
Together, they showcase how the future of space can be shared by more people.
SpaceCoin and DePIN in Space Orbit, Not Just Bitcoin
The vision of SpaceCoin is simple yet radical. Its goal is to create a satellite network that directly transmits blockchain transactions through space without relying on Earth's internet. In a recent test, SpaceCoin successfully achieved intercontinental data transmission solely through satellite links. This data is not just a signal but a blockchain record transmitted across orbits.
This concept belongs to a new category called Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN). These projects use blockchain to drive real-world infrastructure rather than purely digital systems. SpaceCoin's network can serve remote areas, censored regions, and space devices that require secure communication without relying on terrestrial internet.
SpaceCoin demonstrates how DePIN operates in space at Token 2049 - Sandy Carter
The impact is significant.
At the Token 2049 conference, when I spoke with SpaceCoin founder and CEO Taekyung Oh, he told me, "Space is the ultimate frontier of decentralization. With DePIN, we turn satellites into nodes of a global network where connection, computation, and coordination transcend borders and even Earth."
If blockchain can operate in orbit, transaction, identity, and governance systems will no longer be limited by Earth. Space-based blockchain can achieve global connectivity, resist censorship or natural disasters, and prepare for the era of interstellar communication. Although there are still many challenges, such as satellite costs, regulatory issues, and reliability, the concept of blockchain truly reaching the stars is no longer science fiction.
From Bitcoin to the Moon: Copernic Space and the Tokenized Space Economy - Sandy Carter
From Bitcoin to the Moon: Copernic Space and the Tokenized Space Economy
If SpaceCoin provides the infrastructure, then Copernic Space offers ownership and financial infrastructure to power this new economy. The company connects real-world space assets with global capital markets through blockchain technology, pioneering the tokenization of missions, payloads, and even digital identities, transforming how space assets are represented, financed, and traded.
Did you know? Copernic Space has partnered with SpaceChain to create a commercial marketplace for tokenized space assets. This collaboration builds on SpaceChain's early work, which demonstrated that blockchain technology, represented by Bitcoin, can operate beyond Earth.
Recently, Copernic Space collaborated with Unstoppable Domains (my employer) to launch the .LUNAR domain extension, the first domain linked to real space missions. Each .LUNAR badge will be sent to the moon during the scheduled missions in 2026-2027. This makes each domain a tokenized real-world asset related to space. Owning a domain means holding a verified digital identity that will truly fly beyond Earth.
Copernic Space has already demonstrated how this model works in practice. Its commercialized rockets and the first lunar mission earlier this year sold out, with over 2,000 tokenized payloads, including individuals and companies landing on the moon, generating revenue and providing returns for early participants.
In a conversation with Copernic Space CEO Grant Blaisdell, he told me, "Decentralization has returned space to humanity. For the first time, people around the world can own a small but meaningful share in the space endeavor. By combining blockchain with space missions and projects, we are creating a transparent, participatory ecosystem where the next great discovery belongs to everyone, not just a few institutions."
Grant Blaisdell, CEO of Copernic Space, a pioneer of decentralized space - Grant Blaisdell
Copernic Space positions itself as a platform for buying, selling, and investing in tokenized space projects. This model opens the door for individuals to participate in the space economy through blockchain-based ownership. Its vision is to turn space into an open, accessible market where anyone can participate. It redefines our understanding of digital property. Instead of owning a website, one can own a domain representing a rocket, satellite, or lunar mission payload.
But it’s not just limited to collectibles. By allowing partial ownership of real missions and infrastructure, Copernic Space makes participation in the space economy more transparent, liquid, and inclusive. While regulations around space ownership are still evolving, the shift is already underway.
For the first time, space is becoming a market that belongs to everyone, not just governments and large corporations.
TON, SERA, and the New Space Democracy
While SpaceCoin focuses on infrastructure and Copernic Space on assets, TON is dedicated to opening direct access to space. The TON Foundation, the organization behind the Telegram blockchain, has partnered with the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to launch a mission control center.
This initiative utilizes blockchain to select real civilian astronauts for Blue Origin flights through an on-chain voting system.
SERA has secured six seats for the upcoming New Shepard mission in 2026. Five of these seats are reserved for citizens from underrepresented countries such as India, Nigeria, Brazil, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The sixth seat will be awarded to a global participant selected through voting on the TON blockchain. Participants earn points and vote using the built-in TON wallet in Telegram. Each vote is recorded on-chain, ensuring transparency and fairness.
Max Crown, Chairman and CEO of the TON Foundation, a pioneer of the next generation of decentralized space
"SERA is not just an ordinary cryptocurrency project; it is a truly unique initiative. It is more like an experiment exploring the sparks that arise from the collision of cryptocurrency with experience-driven, participatory culture," said Max Crown, President and CEO of the TON Foundation. "They are actually taking people into space, and as long as you have Telegram and a wallet, you can participate. It's crazy. I have always believed that people are not just focused on how technology works, but on what technology can do for them and how it makes them feel. That is what matters most. We are not talking about using technology to change lives, but about truly practicing it. This is the moment when blockchain transforms from a mere technology into an experience."
This initiative is historically significant. It marks the first time that blockchain technology directly influences who can access space. The program no longer relies on government committees or corporate sponsors but is open to the global public. TON calls it "space democracy," where users can earn opportunities for space travel by participating in a transparent tokenization process.
Its significance goes beyond a single mission.
It demonstrates how blockchain can extend inclusivity from financial systems to space exploration. The integration of TON with Telegram gives it a vast audience, bringing billions closer to their dreams of space. This is not just about technology; it is about participation.
Future Prospects of Decentralized Space with Bitcoin and Blockchain
The road ahead is not without challenges, and regulation remains the biggest unknown.
There are currently no clear answers regarding who will manage tokenized lunar assets and how responsibilities will operate in orbit. Technical barriers such as satellite lifespan, launch costs, and communication delays will test every innovation.
Market adoption also depends on proving real utility beyond the hype.
This also involves ethical considerations. Space must not become another arena of inequality or exploitation. If blockchain opens up participation in space, it must be done fairly and sustainably. The emerging industry needs to strike a balance between ambition and responsibility.
Despite the challenges, the direction is clear.
The space economy is rapidly expanding, and blockchain is becoming part of its infrastructure. SpaceCoin, Copernic Space, and TON are demonstrating how decentralization can make this final frontier more open and inclusive.
This is important because it signifies a shift in power and possibility. The technology that once made finance more inclusive is now bringing about the same changes for exploration and discovery.
As these projects develop, we may soon witness the first blockchain transaction from orbit, the first domain name to land on the moon, and the first astronaut elected entirely through decentralized voting.
The distance between cyberspace and outer space is shrinking. The blockchain and Bitcoin revolution has officially left Earth's orbit.
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