Coinkite
Coinkite has introduced their newest product, Satslink. The under-production system sits on the intersection of many alternative areas of communications and cellular {hardware}, empowering builders to construct an entire slew of various functions.
Reasonably than leaning on an opinionated framework, Satslink leverages open and versatile {hardware} enclosed by the Coldcard Q1’s exterior to carry selection and adaptability to builders. These in possession of this system can select what to do with it, and let their builder mentalities run wild on the numerous completely different potentialities the piece of {hardware} can supply.
At its core, Satslink is a peer-to-peer, hackable multi-purpose system. It incorporates a safe aspect, as typical of Coinkite merchandise, permitting the person to securely retailer non-public keys throughout the system. Whereas it shares the exterior design with the Coldcard Q1, the internals are completely completely different from the corporate’s newest {hardware} pockets. As a substitute of specializing in air gapped safety, the Satslink goals to carry safe communications to the everyday in ways in which few would’ve thought-about potential.
“Being dissatisfied with the related and DIY choices, we felt the necessity to create a greater scorching platform,” NVK, founder at Coinkite, advised Bitcoin Journal. “Bitcoin is increasing scripting/mpc choices and we now have Nostr. Somebody needed to make related and transportable system for builders and fanatic to create the subsequent technology of freedom performance.”
Satslink leverages ESP32-S3, a low-power MCU-based system on a chip (SoC) with built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Power (Bluetooth LE). It consists of high-performance dual-core microprocessor (Xtensa® 32-bit LX7), a low energy coprocessor, a Wi-Fi baseband, a Bluetooth LE baseband, RF module, and quite a few peripherals. Satslink is programmed in micropython, with its supply fully-available, and it’s utterly discipline upgradable with no locked-down ROM areas. Coinkite’s product additionally incorporates a MicroSD slot for information switch.
Coinkite
“The preliminary goal is builders and fanatics,” NVK stated. “However, due to the patron pleasant type issue, they’ll be capable of begin utilizing something the neighborhood creates. Like scorching and sovereign lightning wallets and Nostr shoppers!”
Nostr, the open communications protocol that went viral after Block CEO and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey began endorsing and funding the challenge, is prime of the record of potential use circumstances for Satslink. Given its peer-to-peer communication capabilities, Satslink can be utilized as a Nostr consumer, and since it may well additionally work as a relay, one might ship and obtain messages as Nostr posts with out these ever hitting the web. Think about a localized Nostr made up of many Satslink units speaking to one another by means of a kind of mesh community as a substitute of the open net. That could possibly be potential with this system.
One other fascinating use case that many bitcoiners might relate to is having a sovereign controller for his or her home-based bitcoin stack. As some bitcoiners run bitcoin nodes and generally even self-hosted servers at residence, one might program the Satslink to connect with their residence stack on demand and carry out desired actions remotely and securely given its networking capabilities. Satslink could possibly be used to run a transaction coordinator, as an example, or be used as an entire pockets –– although Coinkite doesn’t suggest utilizing the Satslink as your go-to chilly storage answer for giant bitcoin quantities.
Satslink’s communication options additionally boast NFC and a QR code reader, enabling much more use circumstances for its eventual customers. Notably, this mix paired with Satslink’s versatility and programmability might even be used to show it right into a {hardware} pockets of one other producer. Whether or not that’s fascinating or not, fact is it could possibly be potential to show a Satslink into Blockstream’s JADE pockets or different related DIY {hardware} wallets.
Whereas the chances are limitless, what customers really construct with this product stays to be seen. Coinkite’s system is at present out there to preorder on the corporate’s web site at a $189 price ticket, and it’s nonetheless unclear when the product will begin delivery to consumers.