LunarCrush Launches Bitcoin Treasure Hunt on Lunar Outpost Rover to Earth’s Moon

Social Intelligence company LunarCrush is sending a treasure chest of 62 Bitcoin (currently worth ~$1.5 million) to Earth’s moon. The Bitcoin prize, called Nakamoto_1, will be unlocked by the first space traveler to reach the moon and receive the wallet’s private key, which will be etched onto a Lunar Outpost MAPP Rover launching into space later this year.

LunarCrush teamed up with global leader in commercial planetary mobility Lunar Outpost, to send this lunar treasure chest to the moon. Animation studio Golden Wolf, and Bitcoin developer tools company Hiro partnered with LunarCrush to bring Nakamoto_1 to life. The technology and design partners created and will sell an NFT collection to raise money for the Bitcoin prize. The goal of this Web3-powered space race is to inspire the next generation of interplanetary exploration.

“When you set a seemingly unattainable goal, the innovation that happens can be incredible. Our goal is to inspire people to build communities that will unlock a new era of exploration,” said Joe Vezzani, CEO of LunarCrush. “We envision that classrooms, groups, companies and even DAOs come together to reach the Moon and share the treasure chest’s rewards. It’s like Willy Wonka’s ‘golden ticket’ to the Web3 era, and we couldn’t be more excited to see how it all plays out.”

The process of engraving the private key attached to the rover will be fully documented, providing transparency and ensuring that no one, including the contributing teams, has access to the private keys. When the Lunar Outpost’s MAPP Rover lands on the moon, anyone on Earth can make a plan to reach it and unlock the gift of digital gold. The rover will be taken to the moon in the fourth quarter of this year via a SpaceX rocket, but for security reasons the exact date has not yet been announced.

“What may sound strange to some will open up new frontiers that have not been explored outside the mind for a long time. Future generations will look to us as pioneers in interplanetary exploration and adventure,” said Dr. Forrest Meyen, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Lunar Outpost. “As the Google Lunar XPRIZE launched the commercial lunar rover industry, we see Nakamoto_1 as an opportunity to inspire the next generation to overcome challenges in space travel and exploration. LunarCrush uses modern blockchain technology to deliver a treasure instead of organizing a prize committee. This structure encourages exploration while unlocking the best of human ingenuity. Lunar Outpost is proud to provide our first commercial lunar surface transport to innovative projects such as Nakamoto_1.

To fund the Bitcoin bounty, LunarCrush will be selling a special collection of Bitcoin-backed NFTs starting March 28 at lunarcrush.com/nakamoto1. Twenty-five percent of the sales of the NFTs will go toward funding the Treasury and twenty-five percent of the sales will go toward funding a “Community Marketing Wallet,” which will go toward funding Bitcoin core development and STEM education-related causes. The NFTs will be priced at $250 USD. Secondary NFT sales on the Gamma.io market, along with any contributions to the public wallet, will further increase the value of the treasure chest sent to the Moon. Additionally, teams will enter some of the NFT concept art as Ordinals and include them in the treasure chest.

Golden Wolf, an award-winning creative studio known for design and animation, was contracted to create stunning NFTs and visuals ranging from static images to heavily animated collectibles that help set the tone for the project.

“We loved the idea that the art could inspire a new generation of young people to look to the stars, like a modern version of an Apollo 11 poster on a bedroom wall,” said Ingi Erlingsson, founder and CEO of Golden Wolf. “We wanted the aesthetic to feel modern and unique, with a touch of vintage sci-fi art.”

Bitcoin was chosen as the currency of choice for the treasury because it is the most long-lasting, secure and future-proof form of money. Hiro provided technical support for the creation of the Bitcoin-backed NFTs that will fund the treasury.

“We are excited to inspire a new generation of astronauts as they take the next small step for the world,” said Alex Miller, CEO of Hiro.