Venezuela develops solution to use bitcoin without Internet

by in Cryptocurrency News

Venezuela Locha Blockchain

The Venezuelan development team is preparing a new solution for BTC operations without an Internet connection. The solution is a mesh network called Locha. The developers are also working on two devices that will allow users to connect to the BTC blockchain using long-range waves. This was reported by Cointelegraph.

Related: Maduro announces crypto casino to relief Petro

The first, dubbed Turpial, is a simpler version of a radio transmitter that works at distances of 1-2 km in urban areas. The second, Harpia, is a limited radio module for small computers. It is reported that in the future the solution can be integrated with any other blockchain, as well as messaging and file transfer systems such as IPFS.

Users with satellite dishes can also act as gateways and relay data. Randy Brito, head of the project said that they are creating a solution for cases where there is no Internet, for example, due to lack of infrastructure or targeted censorship, as well as to ensure anonymity. It is expected that the development of devices will be completed by the second quarter of 2020. However, how much time will be required for further production is still unknown.

The project will be open-source so developers can use it later to create similar solutions.

Recall that Venezuelans have long been in search of alternative ways of transferring cryptocurrencies. In March last year, during a massive power outage, Venezuelan residents sent bitcoin via SMS.

Venezuelans' interest in the blockchain has especially grown over the past two weeks. President of Venezuela Maduro proclaimed the founding of a new crypto casino in a beaten country where betting rooms have all but gone dead. Also, during his speech on the Constituent Assembly on January 14, Nicholas Maduro vowed to renew the country's flunked crypto coin for everything from federal payments to oil purchases.