Bitcoin NFTs
Mar 25, 2025
In a recent episode of The Leather Lounge, host Sean Longstreet welcomed back Joe Vezzani, the founder and CEO of LunarCrush, to talk about about Nakamoto1, an ambitious interplanetary treasure hunt that has successfully placed Bitcoin, crypto, and NFTs on the moon. This project, a collaboration between LunarCrush, Lunar Outpost, and the Stacks ecosystem, blends blockchain technology with space exploration. What began as a wild idea has evolved into a tangible mission that not only showcases human ingenuity but also inspires future generations to dream big.
The Genesis of a Lunar Dream
The story of Nakamoto1 began four years ago when Joe received a message from Forrest, a friend and the mind behind Lunar Outpost, a company developing a lunar rover destined for the moon. Forrest’s initial outreach, as Joe recalls, was casual yet visionary: “Hey, we’re gonna send this thing up to the moon, it’s gonna happen in the next three to six months.” That timeline stretched to four years due to the complexities of space missions, but the seed was planted. Joe brought the concept to his team at LunarCrush, and during a brainstorming session, team member Ian Tidwell proposed a treasure hunt. “We all just were like, yep, treasure hunt it is,” Joe said, reflecting on the moment the project took shape. The idea was simple yet audacious: send a private key containing Bitcoin and other digital assets to the moon aboard a SpaceX rocket, etched onto the Lunar Outpost rover, creating “humanity’s treasure chest on the moon.”
From Vision to Reality: The Logistics of Sending Crypto to Space
Executing Nakamoto1 required meticulous planning and innovative problem-solving. The team faced the challenge of securely transferring a private key to the rover without compromising its integrity. To achieve this, they orchestrated a live-streamed event with multiple camera angles to ensure transparency. They used a rudimentary CNC engraving machine with no memory to etch the key onto metal, minimizing digital vulnerabilities. After the process, they destroyed the laptops used—twice, in fact, after discovering a brief moment in the first stream where the key was partially visible. “We had to go get a brand new laptop, reload everything, and re-stream another 50 minutes,” Joe recounted, underscoring their commitment to security.
The rover, carrying two Bitcoin, Stacks tokens, NFTs, and other digital assets, launched in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX rocket as part of Intuitive Machines’ second lunar lander mission. However, the mission hit a snag: the lander tipped over in a crater, landing on its solar panels and rendering it powerless. “There’s no reason for anyone to go back to it, unless there’s enough Bitcoin on there that makes it worthwhile,” Joe mused, likening it to an “insurance policy” for space projects. With the current value hovering around $225,000, the treasure chest’s worth could skyrocket as Bitcoin’s price climbs, potentially justifying a future retrieval mission.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Beyond its technical feats, Nakamoto1’s true legacy may lie in its inspirational power. Host Sean Longstreet, an artist with NFTs on the rover, shared a personal anecdote: “During the recent lunar eclipse I was looking at the moon and realizing, I have art up there… I couldn’t even process it.” Joe echoed this sentiment, recalling his own awe: “Something that I was a part of is on that thing.” He hopes the project sparks curiosity in young minds, perhaps a student who “starts to think about what a world would look like where they can send their own rover up there to get it.”
Sean suggested a practical application: “If there are arts programs anywhere in the world, they could so easily do a school art project to mint NFTs and send them to the moon, showcasing to the community their commitment to cutting-edge technology and innovation.” This accessibility (anyone can contribute to the treasure chest by sending assets to its address) ensures Nakamoto1 remains a dynamic, participatory endeavor. Joe envisions it evolving into a media platform, amplifying space companies’ stories and leveraging Stacks’ sBTC to shepherd marketing efforts in the ecosystem.
The Future of Nakamoto1
As the value of Nakamoto1’s treasure grows, so does its potential. Joe speculates that as the price of Bitcoin rises, the idea of a retrieval mission will become more realistic and could draw mainstream attention.
For now, LunarCrush’s small team of five is bootstrapping this vision, seeking community support to spin Nakamoto1 into a standalone entity. “We’re really leaning on the community to make this something even greater,” Joe said, inviting collaboration. With its bold mix of creativity, technology, and "out of this world" thinking, Nakamoto1 stands as a testament to what’s possible when blockchain innovation meets human imagination.
Explore more at @Nakamoto1 and @LunarCrush on X, and check out the full episode, Leather Lounge Ep #44, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
