Brazilian Entrepreneur Develops Bitcoin-Powered Coffee Machine

Ricardo Reis, a Brazilian entrepreneur, has developed a Bitcoin-powered coffer machine recently, in an effort to prove the dominant cryptocurrency can be used in various ways as actual “programmable money.”

At first, a video of the coffee machine in use was shared with a Bitcoin-focused group on Facebook and became viral on social media. The machine is active with a certain amount of bitcoin that is sent to a wallet connected to it.

As demonstrated in the video, the machine has a QR code that makes it possible for potential users to send over the funds and pay for some coffee. The payment, according to Reis in a blog post, warns an internet-connected device that activates the machine’s engine.

Reis went on to explain that on a professional level, he does not operate with cryptocurrencies, but he is a bitcoiner who has been “using the flagship cryptocurrency as an investment since 2016.” He noted that the coffee machine was developed so he could discover more.

Reis was quoted as saying:

“I developed a device that powers the coffee machine with Bitcoin transactions to study and have fun. Dealing with technology, for me, besides work, is a hobby. My intention was not to create something to explore commercially, I wanted to simply explore the technology’s capability and show other people how BTC is ‘programmable money’.”

The machine on its own does not use bitcoin’s Lightning Network (LN) but Reis confirmed he is set on developing one using the technology. He stated, nevertheless, he has a website through which it’s possible to use it to pay for coffee and other products so he can try the LN.

Reis explained that he makes use of a Raspberry Pi processor and codes the machine using PHP. The invention occurs at a time when the crypto market is trying to recover following the SEC’s clarification of bitcoin and ethereum as not securities.