LunarCrush, a notable cryptocurrency company, has revealed its intention to etch the private key to a crypto wallet containing 62 Bitcoins onto a lunar rover bound for the moon on a SpaceX rocket.
The California-based company has partnered with Lunar Outpost, a planetary mobility firm, to launch the first-ever lunar treasure hunt. Lunar Outpost is set to launch a new generation moon rover, MAPP, to the moon in the fall of 2023 on a SpaceX rocket.
This innovative lunar vehicle also serves as a treasure chest, with LunarCrush announcing that it will have the private key etched onto the body of the rover. The lucky humans who set foot on the moon will have the opportunity to discover the 62 Bitcoin worth around $1.5 million today.
“The Bitcoin bounty, dubbed Nakamoto_1, will be unlocked by the first space traveler to reach the moon and obtain the wallet’s private key, which will be etched onto a Lunar Outpost MAPP rover launching into space later this year,” a joint press release read.
“When you put out a seemingly unachievable 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,” LunarCrush CEO, Joe Vezzani, said. “We envision classrooms, groups, companies and even DAOs [decentralized autonomous organizations] coming together to reach the moon and split the treasure chest’s rewards. It’s like Willy Wonka’s ‘golden ticket’ for the Web3 era.”
Earlier this year, the MAPP rover from Lunar Outpost was scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and land near the south pole of the moon.
Once the rover reaches the lunar surface, the treasure hunt will commence, and anyone is welcome to undertake a mission to retrieve the secret key for the 62 Bitcoin. Of course, for now, this is an impossible mission as humans haven’t set foot on the moon in many years.
However, if the price of Bitcoin were to rise significantly, it could potentially inspire a second moon landing and make this treasure hunt a reality.