Man embeds computer chips in hands to store Bitcoin
Man embeds computer chips in hands to store Bitcoin
By implanting 12mm glass computer chips in his flesh
Martijn Wismeijer has been able to store Bitcoins inside his body, create a
personalised alarm clock and will even be able to install keyless doors in his
home. But how painful is the injection?
By Matthew Sparkes, Deputy Head of Technology 3:41PM GMT
10 Nov 2014
A Dutch entrepreneur has had two wireless computer chips
implanted under the skin in his hands to allow him to store digital currencies
like Bitcoin inside his body.
Martijn Wismeijer is the founder of Mr Bitcoin, a company
which installs and operates crypto-currency cash machines in and around his
native Amsterdam and across Europe.
This month he chose to undergo a painful procedure to
embed NFC (near-field communication) chips under his skin. These chips can be
read by a range of devices including smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and
Apple iPhone 6, and can be adapted for a range of uses.
Wismeijer has already experimented with storing
crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin on the chip, but he adds that it is vital to
encrypt them to prevent theft – especially if it’s common knowledge that you
have a chip and tell people where it can be found.
He had used it to store the private keys for his Bitcoin
wallets. In the end he decided that it's not yet secure enough for him to use
permanently, but said that the experiment was a success.
He has also used the chips to program an alarm clock to
only switch off when he places one or both of them against a sensor – forcing
him to wake up on time in the mornings. He also hopes to fit an NFC-enabled
door lock at home so that he can ditch his house keys and instead just touch his
palm to the door frame in order to gain access.
The glass chips he had implanted were xNTi devices which
come pre-installed in syringes to plunge them into the fatty flesh under the
skin. The 2mm by 12mm chips only store 888 bytes, but can transfer that over
short distances when in the presence of an NFC reader.
New models with more memory are currently being designed,
but these will be larger and more painful to install as they will have to be
unfolded under the skin as opposed to just being injected.
“Most doctors will not want to install the implant so a
body manipulation artist (preferably not just tattoo artist or piercer) will be
your next best bet, but make sure they work according to strict hygiene codes
and know what they are doing,” said Wismeijer.
The pain from the injection lasts around a day and then
you can start playing with it.
“Don't be like me: I wanted to try it out even before the
blood dried up but it is like a new mobile phone that needs to be fully charged
before you switch it on the first time. Really you should leave it alone until
it is no longer swollen and healed or you might risk infection and then your
body might reject the implant,” said Wismeijer.
“I found that most older people tend to respond with a
'why?' when I tell them about my implants.”
“The reason I did take the implants is that I have
real-world uses for it today, my phones and tablets are all compatible. I
personally feel that by supporting these bio-hacking developments we can learn
what works and what doesn't and that someday, in the not so distant future we
will be able to implant more functionality like sub dermal glucose sensors or
heart rate monitors and other vital health monitoring devices. Imagine a
normally invisible tattoo on your arm glowing red when you get a heart attack,
swipe your phone and your phone will notify doctor.
“By supporting these bio-hacking initiatives I believe we
are paving the way for social acceptance while at the same time we support the
bio-hacking technology that drives it.”
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