Company starts selling bitcoin computer
A startup company has started selling the 21 Bitcoin Computer. This small system contains a mining asic and a central component is the bitcoin protocol. The aim is for developers to use it to create programs and services that support micropayments via bitcoin.
The company behind the bitcoin computer, 21 Inc., says it wants to provide a complete infrastructure for bitcoin to make the cryptocurrency commonplace. However, with the 21 Bitcoin Computer, the company is still targeting developers. The computer can be ordered from Amazon for 400 dollars, converted and with VAT that is 432 euros. Delivery starts November 15.
Central part of the bitcoin computer is an asic that 21 Inc. has developed itself and which is optimized for mining bitcoins. Earlier, 21 Inc. the strategy of embedding this chip in as many devices as possible to allow background mining to serve as a kind of protocol for micropayments, authentication and machine-to-machine payments. The asic is said to have an efficiency of 0.16 joules per gigahash and can mine 50 to 125 gigahash per second.
The bitcoin computer with the chip can run independently as a Linux system, but can also be connected to a Windows, Linux or Mac computer via USB. The system is built around a Raspberry Pi 2, contains a WiFi adapter and comes with a 128GB memory card. The card contains the blockchain and the computer will sync with the network after plugging in, after which it can run as a full node.
“The 21 Bitcoin Chip is an asic that is specially designed to provide a constant stream of bitcoins to your computer as a system resource”, it is called in the words of 21 Inc.. The stream of bitcoins should be used for trading and not for the direct sale of the bitcoins after mining. The intention is that users will demand and spend small bitcoin amounts for services and software, with the flow of coins supplied by the bitcoin computer serving as a basis for everyone. The company lists storage as a comparable resource: “If you buy a laptop, it’s not lucrative to sell the storage as a product. If you use that storage to make a movie script or business plan, you can make a lot of money.” 21 Inc. mentions selling an api or renting a 3d printer as examples.
Update, 10.40: Clarified last paragraph.