21Inc's open-source Bitcoin software for machine payments

Rage Review : Balaji Srinivasan, founder of 21Inc, said at this year's Consensus Conference that he plans to develop a software package to turn all computers into Bitcoin computers. This week, the Bitcoin startup released the source code of the software. The company believes that only by using the borderless nature of Bitcoin can a truly global Internet with machine payments be realized. The software provides computers with a global network for obtaining Bitcoin, which can avoid annoying paywalls and automatically bypass many network barriers.

Translation: Annie_Xu

This week, bitcoin startup 21Inc announced it was releasing the source code for its software, a move that echoes a speech by founder and CEO Balaji Srinivasan at the Consensus conference last month.

The company also detailed its long-term plans to use a developer API to offer micropayments, calling this broad shift the “third generation of the internet.”

The company explains that the term describes the transition from the World Wide Web era of files and hyperlinks to social networks, and the emergence of Bitcoin makes the economy a part of that network.

“Without Bitcoin, you can’t truly have a machine-enabled internet of payments; because the ability of machines to automatically process, send and receive money relies primarily on the properties of Bitcoin private keys as bearer instruments.”

As we reported in May, the software can connect any device to 21Inc’s network and marketplace; previously only 21Inc’s 21 Bitcoin Computer had this capability.

After installing the software, users can obtain Bitcoin on any device in "almost all countries" without a bank account or debit card. Micropayments can be embedded in the app to earn Bitcoin based on HTTP requests.

The third generation of Internet

21Inc also highlighted how its product can be used, and previously released a proof of concept that outlined the program.

The company's latest blog post points out that a machine-payable Internet can help people bypass annoying paywalls, click on links to obtain credit card information, and automatically send digital currency.

As a result, the company believes that Bitcoin is best suited for machine-to-machine payments, allowing developers to obtain paid web services "just by visiting a new website."

A quick guide to the new software packages can be seen on the company's website.