Are Bitcoin And Blockchain Powering A New Decentralized Space Race?

From Bitcoin’s first space transaction to tokenized lunar domains, blockchain is powering a new decentralized space race that makes access and ownership universal.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. I dreamed about floating in zero gravity, watching Earth spin beneath me, and maybe one day walking on the moon. While I never made it to space, life came full circle later while at AWS, when I worked with a partner who helped Rover get to Mars.

That experience reminded me that there are many ways to explore new frontiers, and today, one of the most exciting isn’t through rockets but through code. Blockchain, the technology that started with digital money, is now expanding into orbit.

Space has always captured human imagination. For decades, it was the realm of governments, billionaires, and aerospace giants.

Now a quiet revolution is bringing it within reach of everyone. Blockchain is moving beyond finance and into orbit, building a foundation for a decentralized space economy.

What Is Decentralized Space?

Decentralized space is the merging of blockchain with space exploration. It uses smart contracts, tokenization, and decentralized governance to open participation in the space economy to anyone with a digital wallet.

Instead of relying on a few large institutions, decentralized space allows communities, creators, and investors to co-own and co-govern assets such as satellites, payloads, or even lunar missions. It brings transparency and inclusivity to a domain that has long been exclusive, creating an open network where access and ownership extend beyond Earth.

It merges space technology with Web3 principles of transparency, inclusivity, and verifiable ownership which creates an open network where anyone can contribute to humanity’s journey beyond Earth.

According to PWC, Space will be the first new trillion-dollar asset class of the 21st century and the first that can exist natively on-chain.

Why Is Decentralized Space Linked to Bitcoin?

The roots of decentralized space trace back to Bitcoin. In 2019, SpaceChain launched its blockchain node into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. That node enabled Bitcoin multi-signature transactions from space, marking the first-ever blockchain and Bitcoin transaction in orbit. Bitcoin just recently hit an All Time High and then went down again, much like rocketships do!

That milestone proved that blockchain could function off-planet and be independent of terrestrial infrastructure. It inspired a wave of projects exploring how digital assets and decentralized systems could support future space missions.

What began with Bitcoin has now expanded into a full ecosystem, where tokens, domains, and smart contracts connect people to space in ways never before possible.

Three pioneering projects are leading this transformation

1. SpaceCoin is creating a blockchain infrastructure that works through satellites.
2. Copernic Space is tokenizing space assets and digital domains linked to lunar missions.
3. The Open Network, or TON, the blockchain behind Telegram, is enabling on-chain voting for real astronaut seats on a Blue Origin flight.

Together, they show how the future of space can be shared by many.

SpaceCoin and DePIN, Not Just Bitcoin, in Orbit

SpaceCoin’s vision is simple but radical. It aims to create a network of satellites that transmit blockchain transactions directly through space instead of relying on Earth’s internet. In a recent test, SpaceCoin successfully transmitted data between continents through satellite link alone. That data was not just a signal; it was a blockchain record sent across orbit.

This idea belongs to a new category called Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, or DePIN. These projects use blockchain to power real-world infrastructure rather than purely digital systems. SpaceCoin’s network could serve remote regions, censored areas, and space-based devices that need secure communication without dependence on terrestrial internet.

The implications are enormous.

In chatting with Taekyung Oh, Founder and CEO of SpaceCoin, at Token 2049, he told me that “Space is the ultimate decentralized frontier. With DePIN, we are turning satellites into nodes of a global network where connectivity, computation, and coordination happen beyond borders and even beyond Earth.”

If blockchain can operate from orbit, transactions, identities, and governance systems become independent of Earth’s limitations. A space-based blockchain could enable global connectivity, resilient to censorship or natural disasters, and ready for the era of interplanetary communication. The challenges remain significant such as satellite costs, regulatory issues, and reliability, but the concept of a blockchain that literally reaches for the stars is no longer science fiction.

From Bitcoin to the Moon: Copernic Space and the Tokenized Space Economy

If SpaceCoin provides the infrastructure, Copernic Space brings ownership and the financial infrastructure that powers this new economy. Connecting real-world space assets to global capital markets through blockchain technology, the company is pioneering the tokenization of missions, payloads, and even digital identities to transform how space assets are represented, financed, and traded.

Did you know that Copernic Space partnered with SpaceChain to create a commercial marketplace for tokenized space assets? This partnership built on SpaceChain’s earlier work proving that blockchain starting with Bitcoin that could operate off-planet.

And recently, in collaboration with Unstoppable Domains (my employer), Copernic launched the .LUNAR domain extension, the first domain to be tied to real space missions. Each .LUNAR badge will be sent to the Moon on a scheduled mission in 2026-2027. That makes every domain a tokenized real-world asset linked to space. Owning one means holding a verified piece of digital identity that will literally travel beyond Earth.

Copernic Space has already demonstrated how this model works in practice. Its already commercialized rockets and its first Moon Mission earlier this year sold out with over 2,000 tokenized payloads of individuals and companies landing on the Moon, generating revenue and delivering returns to early participants.

In chatting with Grant Blaisdell, CEO of Copernic Space, he told me that “decentralization gives space back to humanity. For the first time, people everywhere can own a small but meaningful stake of what happens beyond Earth. By combining blockchain with space missions and ventures, we are creating a transparent, participatory ecosystem where the next great discoveries belong to everyone, not just a few institutions.”

Copernic describes itself as a marketplace for buying, selling, and investing in tokenized space ventures. 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 and accessible market that anyone can take part in. It redefines how we think about digital property. Instead of owning a website, you might own a domain that represents a payload on a rocket, a satellite, or a lunar mission.

But this goes beyond collectibles. By allowing 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 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 builds infrastructure and Copernic focuses on assets, TON is opening direct access to space. The TON Foundation, the organization behind the blockchain that powers Telegram, has partnered with the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to launch Mission Control.

This program uses blockchain to select real civilian astronauts for a Blue Origin flight through an on-chain voting system.

SERA has secured six seats on the upcoming New Shepard mission, planned for 2026. Five are reserved for citizens from underrepresented countries such as India, Nigeria, Brazil, Thailand, and Indonesia.

The sixth seat will go to a global participant chosen through voting on the TON blockchain. Participants use the TON wallet integrated in Telegram to earn points and cast votes. Every vote is recorded on-chain for transparency and fairness.

“SERA isn’t another crypto project launch, it’s truly a one-of-a-kind initiative. It feels more like an experiment in what happens when crypto collides with an experience-driven, participatory culture,” said Max Crown, President and CEO of TON Foundation. “They’re literally putting people into space, and if you’ve got Telegram and a Wallet, you can be part of it. It’s wild. I’ve always believed that people don’t connect with how tech works. They connect with what it does, and how it makes them feel. That’s what matters. We’re not talking about using tech to change lives. We’re actually doing it. This is the moment blockchain shifts from just being technology to becoming an experience.”

This initiative is historic. It marks the first time that blockchain technology will directly influence who gets to travel to space. Instead of government committees or corporate sponsors, access is being opened to a global audience. TON calls it “space democracy,” where users earn their chance to go to space by participating in a transparent, tokenized process.

The significance goes beyond one mission.

It demonstrates how blockchain can extend inclusion from financial systems to space exploration. TON’s integration with Telegram gives it a vast audience, bringing the dream of space closer to billions of people. It is not just about technology; it is about participation.

What’s Ahead for Decentralized Space With Bitcoin And Blockchain?

The path forward is not without obstacles. Regulation remains the biggest unknown.

Questions about who governs tokenized lunar assets or how liability works in orbit have no clear answers. Technical hurdles such as satellite lifespan, launch cost, and communication latency will test every innovation.

Market adoption also depends on proving real utility beyond hype.

There are ethical questions as well. Space must not become another venue for inequality or exploitation. If blockchain opens space participation, it must do so fairly and sustainably. The emerging industry will need to balance ambition with responsibility.

Despite the challenges, the direction is unmistakable.

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 the final frontier more open and inclusive.

This matters because it signals a shift in power and possibility. The same technologies that once made finance more inclusive are now doing the same for exploration and discovery.

As these projects evolve, we may soon witness the first blockchain transaction from orbit, the first domain that lands on the Moon, and the first astronaut chosen entirely by a decentralized vote.

The gap between cyberspace and outer space is closing. The blockchain and bitcoin revolution has officially left Earth’s orbit.