US companies Dangerous Things and VivoKey have developed a new way to store cryptocurrency. Apex Wallet is implanted under the skin and allows you to securely store and send Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies using NFC and RFID technologies.
Image source: Dangerous Things
The founder and CEO of VivoKey Technologies and Dangerous Things, Amal Graafstra, said that the Apex implantable chip could be used not only to store cryptocurrency, but also to unlock doors or pay for purchases. The chip supports several cryptocurrency wallets of different blockchains, including Satochip, Seedkeeper and Status IM key, reports the Decrypt resource.
Apex Wallet is a capsule-sized hardware device that protects data by storing it under the user’s skin. The chip implantation procedure takes only a few seconds and is carried out using a needle. After installing the chip, the user can manage their cryptocurrency wallet through a mobile application, while private keys and transaction signing occur directly on the chip. “Your phone app serves as an interface, but it doesn’t contain private keys. The private key and the process of signing a transaction in the Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency network takes place on the chip,” explains Graafstra.
Once inspired by RFID chips used on pets, Graafstra personally implanted himself with a chip in 2005 simply to unlock his doors. “The initial motivation for getting the implant was pure laziness,” he said. “I wanted to be able to get in and out of that particular door without a key or having to carry anything.”
He notes that the main obstacle to widespread adoption of this technology so far is the lack of obvious use cases for most people. However, he emphasizes that implanted chips provide a high level of security and convenience, since they cannot be lost or forgotten.
Dangerous Things and VivoKey, launched in 2013 and 2017 respectively, specialize in near-field communications (NFC) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies adapted for installation inside the human body. Notable futurists who have supported Graafstra’s idea include entrepreneur, podcaster and documentarian Briar Prestidge, who documented the process of implanting a Dangerous Things chip into her body.
«The reality is that you have a very secure, efficient hardware wallet that you will never lose, that you will never forget, it is right under your skin,” Graafstra said. However, he also notes that the chip can be replaced or removed. Currently, Apex Wallet is available in the Flex form factor, which is not a very miniature device in appearance, but is very thin. The implantable storage unit costs $349.
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