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A Dutch Bitcoin entrepreneur loves the virtual currency so much that he actually had digital “wallets” implanted into his hands.
Martijn Wismeijer, the co-founder of MrBitcoin, a company that installs Bitcoin cash distributors, had his hands implanted on Nov. 3, according to AFP. About 1,500 people around the world have joined him in getting the implants since that time.
The microchips, made of biocompatible glass, will allow him to “make contactless payments,” AFP reported. The chips communicate with enabled devices like smartphones and tablets.
“We wanted to do this experiment to push further the concept of the virtual wallet,” Wismeijer said.
He said the microchips are essentially the equivalent of a “savings account,” while your device is more like a debit card that makes the payments.
The chips are available online and are sold with a syringe for $99 by the Dangerous Things company, AFP reported.
Besides storing bitcoins, the chips can also be programmed with a smartphone to do things like open doors electronically or turn an alarm clock on and off.
Unfortunately for Wismeijer, the publicity surrounding his microchips isn’t all good news.
AFP notes that he “has temporarily withdrawn the money from his hands for security reasons.”
