Will Bitcoin and blockchain drive a new decentralized space race?

Major 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.

Written by: Sandy Carter

Translated by: Block unicorn

Summary

Blockchain technology is democratizing space by enabling decentralized ownership and governance, shifting control from traditional institutions to mass participation.

Major 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 pioneered "space democracy" by selecting civilian astronauts for Blue Origin flights through on-chain voting, allowing the global public to participate in space travel.

Preface

From bitcoin's first space transaction to tokenized lunar domain names, blockchain is driving a new decentralized space race, making access and ownership more widespread.

As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut. I dreamed of floating in zero gravity, watching Earth spin below me, and maybe one day walking on the moon. Although I never made it to space, my life took a fulfilling turn while working at AWS, when I helped a partner land the "Rover" on Mars.

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 began with digital currency, is now expanding into space orbits.

Space has always inspired human imagination. For decades, it was the exclusive domain of governments, billionaires, and aerospace giants.

Today, a quiet revolution is bringing blockchain into everyone's daily life. Blockchain is moving beyond finance and into space orbits, 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 to allow anyone with a digital wallet to participate in the space economy.

Decentralized space no longer relies on a handful of 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 field, creating an open network that extends access and ownership beyond Earth.

It combines space technology with Web3 principles of transparency, inclusivity, and verifiable ownership, creating an open network where anyone can contribute to humanity's journey beyond Earth.

According to PwC's forecast, space will become the first new trillion-dollar asset class of the 21st century, and the first asset class that can natively exist 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 orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This node enabled multi-signature bitcoin transactions in space, marking the first time blockchain and bitcoin transactions occurred in orbit. Bitcoin recently hit an all-time high, then pulled back—just like a rocket!

The origins of decentralized space can be traced back to bitcoin. (Image provided by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

This milestone proved that blockchain can operate beyond Earth and does not rely on ground infrastructure. It inspired a series of projects exploring how digital assets and decentralized systems can support future space missions.

The endeavor that 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 blockchain infrastructure that operates via 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 demonstrate how the future of space can be shared by more people.

SpaceCoin and DePIN in Orbit: More Than Just Bitcoin

SpaceCoin's vision is simple yet radical. Its goal is to create a satellite network that transmits blockchain transactions directly through space, without relying on Earth's internet. In a recent test, SpaceCoin successfully achieved intercontinental data transmission solely via 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 power real-world infrastructure, not just digital systems. SpaceCoin's network can serve remote areas, censored regions, and space devices that require secure communication without depending on terrestrial internet.

SpaceCoin demonstrates how DePIN operates in space at Token 2049 - Sandy Carter

The impact is enormous.

At the Token 2049 conference, I chatted with SpaceCoin founder and CEO Taekyung Oh, who told me: "Space is the ultimate decentralized frontier. With DePIN, we turn satellites into nodes of a global network, where connectivity, computation, and coordination transcend borders—even Earth itself."

If blockchain can operate in orbit, transactions, identity, and governance systems will no longer be limited by Earth. Space-based blockchains can enable global connectivity, resist censorship or natural disasters, and prepare for the era of interstellar communication. Although many challenges remain, 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, Copernic Space provides ownership and financial infrastructure to power this new economy. The company connects real-world space assets to global capital markets through blockchain technology, pioneering the tokenization of missions, payloads, and even digital identities, changing 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 proved that blockchain technology, represented by bitcoin, can operate beyond Earth.

Recently, Copernic Space partnered 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 on 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 travel beyond Earth.

Copernic Space has already demonstrated how this model works in practice. Its commercialized rockets and the first lunar mission earlier this year have sold out, with over 2,000 tokenized payloads, including individuals and companies landing on the moon, generating revenue and returns for early participants.

In a conversation with Copernic Space CEO Grant Blaisdell, he told me: "Decentralization gives space back to humanity. For the first time, people around the world can own a small but meaningful share in space ventures. 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, 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. The idea is to turn space into an open, accessible market that anyone can join. It redefines our understanding of digital property. Instead of owning a website, you own a domain representing a rocket, satellite, or lunar mission payload.

But this is not limited to collectibles. By enabling fractional 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 transformation is underway.

For the first time, space is becoming a market for 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 US Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to launch a mission control center.

This program uses blockchain and an on-chain voting system to select real civilian astronauts for Blue Origin flights.

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 go to a global participant selected through voting on the TON blockchain. Participants earn points and vote using the TON wallet built into Telegram. Each vote is recorded on-chain, ensuring transparency and fairness.

Max Crown, Chairman and CEO of the TON Foundation, pioneer of next-generation decentralized space

"SERA is not just an ordinary crypto project, but a truly unique initiative. It's more like an experiment exploring the collision of crypto with experience-driven, participatory culture," said Max Crown, President and CEO of the TON Foundation. "They're actually sending people into space. As long as you have Telegram and a wallet, you can participate. It's crazy. I've always believed that people don't just care about how technology works, but what it does and how it makes them feel. That's the most important thing. We're not just talking about changing lives with technology, but actually doing it. This is the moment when blockchain shifts from pure technology to experience."

This initiative is historic. It marks the first time blockchain technology has directly influenced who can go to space. The program no longer relies on government committees or corporate sponsors but is open to the world. TON calls it "space democracy," where users can win a chance to travel to space by participating in a transparent, tokenized process.

Its significance goes beyond a single mission.

It demonstrates how blockchain can extend inclusivity from financial systems to space exploration. TON's integration with Telegram gives it a massive audience, bringing billions of people closer to the dream of space. It's not just about technology—it's about participation.

The Future Outlook of Decentralized Space with Bitcoin and Blockchain

The road ahead is not smooth, and regulation remains the biggest unknown.

There are still no clear answers to questions about who will manage tokenized lunar assets or how responsibilities in orbit will work. Technical obstacles such as satellite lifespan, launch costs, and communication delays will test every innovation.

Market adoption will also depend on proving real utility beyond the hype.

There are also ethical issues. Space must never become another arena for inequality or exploitation. If blockchain opens up space participation, it must do so fairly and sustainably. The emerging industry needs to balance ambition with responsibility.

Despite the challenges, the direction is clear.

The space economy is expanding rapidly, 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 matters because it marks a shift in power and possibility. The technology that once made finance more inclusive is now bringing the same change to 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 selected entirely through decentralized voting.

The distance between cyberspace and outer space is shrinking. The blockchain and bitcoin revolution has officially left Earth's orbit.