SpaceAI to attempt world-first crypto transaction from space in upcoming TLON launch

SpaceAI has announced that it will attempt the first-ever cryptocurrency transaction conducted from space, during an upcoming launch with aerospace company TLON Space.

The mission is expected to launch on Saturday 11th April from Malacara Spaceport in Necochea, Argentina, with the launch window opening on Friday 10th April.

The demonstration will take place aboard Aventura-1, a launch vehicle developed by TLON Space, whose mission aims to expand access to space through lower-cost launch technologies. Together, the mission will test how distributed computing infrastructure can operate across launch systems, ground networks and orbital environments.

The mission will see SpaceAI’s NIO computing node integrated directly into the rocket’s onboard systems, working in combination with SpaceAI’s distributed ground station network architecture.

NIO is SpaceAI’s modular distributed computing stack, combining onboard compute, communications and data processing to enable systems in space to operate autonomously and in coordination with ground infrastructure.

Together, the ground station network and onboard nodes form a distributed cluster capable of communicating with assets in space and executing tasks across Earth and orbit.

During the flight, SpaceAI will execute a blockchain transaction using Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 network.

The transaction will involve minting a unique NFT of an artwork by renowned Argentinian artist Eugenio Cuttica, which is physically painted onto the second stage of the rocket. The artwork - a recurring figure in Cuttica’s work known as Luna - will be minted and then offered for sale while the rocket is in Low Earth Orbit.

The transaction will be supported by SpaceAI’s distributed processing file system and ground station network, operating alongside onboard computing nodes to form a unified system. The process will utilise IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) from Protocol Labs to manage the asset, with the transaction executed into a Base wallet.

The mission brings together a number of leading technology partners, including the Ethereum Foundation, NVIDIA, and Lime Microsystems, reflecting the collaboration required to enable distributed computing infrastructure in space.

SpaceAI is developing a network of modular computing nodes deployed in orbit, enabling satellites and space systems to process data, run AI workloads and coordinate communications directly in space rather than relying solely on ground-based infrastructure.

As satellite networks grow and autonomous systems become more common, sending large volumes of data back to Earth for processing introduces latency and bandwidth constraints. By placing computing capabilities closer to where data is generated, SpaceAI aims to enable real-time intelligence, faster decision-making, and more autonomous space systems.

The upcoming launch represents the first in-orbit demonstration of SpaceAI’s NIO stack integrated into a launch system.

While the NFT transaction represents a world-first milestone, the demonstration is designed to validate something much larger: the ability for autonomous systems in space to exchange value, data and instructions directly, without relying solely on terrestrial networks.

This capability could support future applications including autonomous satellite coordination, secure data exchange between space assets, machine-to-machine transactions in orbit, and distributed space infrastructure and services.

Diego Favarolo, Founder and CEO of SpaceAI, said: “This mission represents an important early demonstration of what the next generation of space infrastructure will look like. Space systems cannot rely indefinitely on sending all data back to Earth before anything can happen.

By placing computing and intelligence directly into orbit, we enable faster, more autonomous systems that can operate at the scale the space economy will require.”