Will cryptocurrencies colonize Mars?

Maciej Zieliński

23 Jan 2021
Will cryptocurrencies colonize Mars?

Why did Elon Musk, announce that the Mars economy could be based on cryptocurrencies?

The founder of such technology giants as SpaceX, Tesla and PayPal hopes to send the first humans to Mars in early 2024. His ultimate goal is to build a self-sufficient city there as soon as possible. The project has been generating keen interest from the public, which is regularly fuelled by Musk's high social media activity.

In late December, the internet was in an uproar when the billionaire, in response to a tweet by entrepreneur and AI researcher Lex Fridman, announced that "the Mars economy will run on crypto". Interestingly, the cryptocurrency with the name mentioned in the thread: Marscoin, has already been created. The project was launched in 2014 precisely with the expansion of the red planet in mind. Launched on the Nova Exchange, it saw a brief surge in popularity during the cryptocurrency bull market in late 2017 before its price plummeted and the coin was soon withdrawn from Nova. 

Musk, currently the richest man in the world, has been speaking out more and more on the topic of cryptocurrencies lately. Last month he publicly pondered the idea of whether Tesla should invest billions of dollars in BTC as suggested by the Microstrategy CEO. However, the American's interest seems to go much further than Bitcoin itself. His single tweet was enough:  "One word: Dodge", for the value of this cryptocurrency to increase instantly by a third. Interestingly, until recently his Twitter description proclaimed " Former CEO of Dogecoin." Many observers indicate that it is in Dodgecoin that the billionaire sees the future currency of Mars. 

Why are cryptocurrencies on Mars a good idea?

Musk's intentions for the time being remain probably only a subject of speculation, although the recent decision of SpaceX to respect international law on Mars may be extremely helpful in explaining them. Last October, the company stirred up controversy by announcing that the city they would build on Mars would not be subject to the laws of any Earth state. Instead, the company is to follow a set of "self-governing principles" that will be defined at the time of settlement on Mars. In this context, a decentralised currency independent of Earth's governments and banks seems a natural solution. 

The future of cryptocurrencies 

The billionaire himself admits that 2024 is an optimistic date and it is much more likely that we will wait for the first manned mission to Mars until 2027. However, everything points to the fact that the beginning of the decade will bring the biggest breakthrough in the history of interplanetary missions that humanity has ever witnessed. What does this mean for cryptocurrencies? Nothing is certain yet, but for now the future seems to be extremely bright.

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Blockchain for Creators: Secure and Sustainable Infrastructure

Miłosz Mach

07 Nov 2025
Blockchain for Creators: Secure and Sustainable Infrastructure

In today’s digital creative space, where the lines between art and technology are constantly blurring, projects like MARMALADE mark the beginning of a new era - one where creators can protect their work and maintain ownership through blockchain technology.

For Nextrope, being part of MARMALADE goes far beyond implementing features like screenshot blocking or digital watermarking. It’s about building trust infrastructure - systems that empower creators to thrive in the digital world safely and sustainably.

A new kind of blockchain challenge

Cultural and educational projects come with a completely different set of challenges than typical DeFi systems. Here, the focus isn’t on returns or complex smart contracts - it’s on people: artists, illustrators, educators.

That’s why our biggest task was to design secure yet intuitive infrastructure - lightweight, energy-efficient, and accessible for non-technical users exploring Web3 for the first time.

“Our mission wasn’t to build another financial protocol. It was to create a layer of trust for digital creators.”
— Nextrope Team

Security that stays invisible

The best security is the kind you don’t notice.
Within MARMALADE, we focused on making creators' protection seamless:

  • Screenshot blocking safeguards artworks viewed in browsers.
  • Dynamic watermarking helps identify unauthorized copies.
  • Blockchain registry ensures every proof of ownership remains transparent and immutable

“Creators shouldn’t have to think about encryption or private keys - our job is to make security invisible.”

Sustainability by design

MARMALADE also answers a bigger question - how to innovate responsibly.
Nextrope’s infrastructure relies on low-emission blockchain networks and modular architecture that can easily be adapted for other creative or cultural initiatives.

This means the technology built here can support not only artists but also institutions, universities, and educators seeking to integrate blockchain in meaningful ways.

Beyond technology

For Nextrope, MARMALADE is more than a project — it’s proof that blockchain can empower culture and creators, not just finance. By building tools for digital artists, we’re helping them protect their creativity and discover how technology can amplify human expression.

Plasma blockchain. Architecture, Key Features & Why It Matters

Miłosz Mach

21 Oct 2025
Plasma blockchain. Architecture, Key Features & Why It Matters

What is Plasma?

Plasma is a Layer-1 blockchain built specifically for stablecoin infrastructure combining Bitcoin-level security with EVM compatibility and ultra-low fees for stablecoin transfers.

Why Plasma Blockchain Was Created?

Existing blockchains (Ethereum, L2s, etc.) weren’t originally designed around stablecoin payments at scale. As stablecoins grow, issues like congestion, gas cost, latency, and interoperability become constraints. Plasma addresses these by being purpose-built for stablecoin transfers, offering features not found elsewhere.

  • Zero-fee transfers (especially for USDT)
  • Custom gas tokens (separate from XPL, to reduce friction)
  • Trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge (to allow BTC collateral use)
  • Full EVM compatibility smart contracts can work with minimal modifications

Plasma’s Architecture & Core Mechanisms

EVM Compatibility + Smart Contracts

Developers familiar with Ethereum tooling (Solidity, Hardhat, etc.) can deploy contracts on Plasma with limited changes making it easy to port existing dApps or DeFi, similar to other EVM-compatible infrastructures discussed in the article „The Ultimate Web3 Backend Guide: Supercharge dApps with APIs".

Gas Model & Token Mechanism

Instead of forcing users always to hold XPL for gas, Plasma supports custom gas tokens. For stablecoin-native flows (e.g. USDT transfers), there is often zero fee usage, lowering UX friction.

Bitcoin Bridge & Collateral

Plasma supports a Bitcoin bridge that lets BTC become collateral inside smart contracts (like pBTC). This bridges the security of Bitcoin with DeFi use cases within Plasma.
This makes Plasma a “Bitcoin-secured blockchain for stablecoins".

Security & Finality

Plasma emphasizes finality and security, tuned to payment workloads. Its consensus and architecture aim for strong protection against reorgs and double spends while maintaining high throughput.
The network launched mainnet beta holding over $2B in stablecoin liquidity shortly after opening.

Plasma Blockchain vs Alternatives: What Makes It Stand Out?

FeaturePlasma (XPL)Other L1 / L2
Stablecoin native designusually second-class
Zero fees for stablecoin transfersrare, or subsidized
BTC bridge (collateral)only some chains
EVM compatibilityyes in many, but with trade-offs
High liquidity early✅ (>$2B TVL)many chains struggle to bootstrap

These distinctions make Plasma especially compelling for institutions, stablecoin issuers, and DeFi innovators looking for scalable, low-cost, secure payments infrastructure.

Use Cases: What You Can Build with Plasma Blockchain

  • Stablecoin native vaults / money markets
  • Payment rails & cross-border settlement
  • Treasury and cash management flows
  • Bridged BTC-backed stablecoin services
  • DeFi primitives (DEX, staking, yield aggregation) optimized for stablecoins

If you’re building any product reliant on stablecoin transfers or needing strong collateral backing from BTC, Plasma offers a compelling infrastructure foundation.

Get Started with Plasma Blockchain: Key Steps & Considerations

  1. Smart contract migration: assess if existing contracts can port with minimal changes.
  2. Gas token planning: decide whether to use USDT, separate gas tokens, or hybrid models.
  3. Security & audit: focus on bridge logic, reentrancy, oracle risks.
  4. Liquidity onboarding & market making: bootstrap stablecoin liquidity, incentives.
  5. Regulation & compliance: stablecoin issuance may attract legal scrutiny.
  6. Deploy MVP & scale: iterate fast, measure gas, slippage, UX, security.