Spacecoin challenges Starlink with successful blockchain data transmission via satellite

US startup Spacecoin announced that it had successfully transmitted encrypted data through space in a landmark test, positioning itself as a decentralized alternative to Starlink’s satellite internet.

The test, conducted with microsatellite partner EnduroSat, sent blockchain-based data across more than 7,000 km from Chile to the Azores, entirely bypassing terrestrial internet infrastructure.

This experiment aimed to prove that data integrity can be preserved even when information is relayed via orbiting satellites.

Unlike Starlink’s centrally controlled architecture, Spacecoin envisions a decentralized network where various participants—including developers, telecom firms, and NGOs—can operate nodes or contribute to the infrastructure.

Its blockchain system is designed so that any data altered or tampered with would be automatically rejected.

At present, Spacecoin has one nanosatellite in low Earth orbit, launched in December 2024.

It plans to launch three additional satellites before the end of 2025 to expand its coverage and capabilities.

Spacecoin is targeting regions with poor, censored, or expensive internet access, arguing that its model can provide connectivity where traditional networks fail.

While still small compared to Starlink’s estimated fleet of ~8,000 satellites, this test marks an important proof-of-concept in satellite-based blockchain communication.

If successful, the approach could reshape how secure communications and data transfers happen in remote or restricted regions—especially where reliance on ground infrastructure has proven a vulnerability.