Bitcoin Could Reach Mars in Just Three Minutes

Developed by Jose E. Puente and Carlos Puente, the system uses relays like satellites and lunar stations to “stamp” transactions as they travel through space, ensuring accountability and speed when paired with the Lightning Network. Building on past space-based Bitcoin milestones and aligning with Elon Musk’s vision for a multi-planetary monetary system, PoTT is designed to be planet-agnostic and could eventually support payments across the Moon and beyond.

Bitcoin Set for Interplanetary Use

Bitcoin may soon transcend planetary boundaries. A new proposal suggests that it could take just three minutes to send a Bitcoin transaction from Earth to Mars using technology that already exists today. 

The idea is called Proof-of-Transit Timestamping (PoTT), and was unveiled in a recent white paper by tech entrepreneur Jose E. Puente and his colleague Carlos Puente. The system works by routing a Bitcoin or Lightning Network transaction through a series of relays — like satellites, ground antennas, or even a lunar station — with each stop “stamping” the transaction like a passport before it continues its journey to the Red Planet.

Jose E. Puente and Carlos Puente’s white paper

Puente explained that PoTT functions as a “receipt layer” for Bitcoin by relying on optical links developed by NASA, SpaceX’s Starlink, or other providers. He said that if a stable Earth–Mars link were available, the technology could already be tested today, with Lightning transfers reaching Mars in as little as three minutes and no longer than 22 minutes in the worst case. To solve the blackout period that occurs every 26 months when Mars is hidden behind the Sun, Puente proposed rerouting transactions around the solar obstruction using relay satellites.

The concept builds on earlier milestones in space-based Bitcoin activity. In 2018, Blockstream connected Bitcoin to satellites orbiting Earth. In 2020, Spacechain carried out the first Bitcoin transaction from the International Space Station. While a true Mars transaction will still require a human or AI presence to receive it, Puente sees PoTT as the next step in building Bitcoin into an interplanetary monetary system.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to reach Mars by 2026, and Musk himself acknowledged the need for a standard, neutral currency for multi-planetary civilization. He has raised concerns about Bitcoin’s 10-minute block times, but Puente argued that Lightning, combined with PoTT, provides the kind of fast, accountable settlement Musk envisions. Blue Origin already began accepting crypto payments for its near-space flights.

Puente explained that PoTT is designed to be planet-agnostic. This means that it could support Bitcoin transfers not just to Mars, but also to the Moon or any habitable-zone planet. For now, Earth-to-Mars is the most realistic case study. Puente believes Bitcoin’s future as the first interplanetary currency could be closer than we think.