by Balaji S. Srinivasan (@balajis)
Today we’re announcing a new kind of device for sale: the 21 Bitcoin Computer, the first computer with native hardware and software support for the Bitcoin protocol. With this pocket-sized device, if you are an entrepreneur or developer, you can now instantly buy or sell digital goods and services at the command line using Bitcoin.
For example, you can use the 21 Bitcoin Computer to:
- instantly mine Bitcoin from the command line
- sell API calls for Bitcoin, like English-to-Chinese translation or file conversion
- set up your own personal iTunes-like digital goods store
- reward peers for posting your links on social media
- make any IoT hardware Bitcoin-rentable, from smart locks to 3D printers
The reason you can do these things so quickly is because the 21 Bitcoin Computer includes a built-in 21 mining chip (so you can easily buy things for Bitcoin) and a built-in 21 micropayments server (so you can easily sell things for Bitcoin), all accessible from the 21 command line interface.
You can use the 21 Bitcoin Computer as a standalone machine (it’s a full Linux box), or you can leave it plugged into the wall to provide a steady stream of Bitcoin for an existing Mac, Windows, or Linux machine. We’ve bundled everything you need to get started, including a WiFi adapter, RPi 2, power supply, USB-to-laptop cable, and 128GB SD card. And for those interested in the security of the Bitcoin network, you can even use the 21 Bitcoin Computer as a full node, as it comes with a factory-installed copy of the Blockchain.
There’s a lot of technology under the hood that makes all this possible: a custom mining chip, a large datacenter backend, and the 21 Bitcoin OS — the first Linux distribution that includes both the device drivers to generate a constantly replenished source of Bitcoin and a suite of programs written to natively consume it.
But the technology is ultimately just a tool. Our long term goal is to return economic power to the individual. Specifically, we want to make it possible for you to turn your bright idea into passive income by selling Bitcoin-payable goods, games, and services over the Internet through a 21 Bitcoin Computer. And we want to use the success of the 21 Bitcoin Computer to help make Bitcoin the next fundamental system resource, available by default on every new computer. That journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. If you are a developer or entrepreneur, and you want to help us reach that destination, please go ahead and get a 21 Bitcoin Computer now.
