Most people know the 21 Inc company as the group behind the Bitcoin computer. But under the hood, there is a vast open source library waiting to be explored and expanded. As of today, the company has open sourced their entire software package.
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One effort had been initiated in the past to port the 21 Inc proprietary software to different devices. Though that project seemed to work fine, the company had already planned to open source their software package at a future date. As of today, that is the case, and anyone can delve into their library of machine-to-machine Bitcoin payment options.
21 Inc Solves Some Bitcoin Protocol Shortcomings
Installing the 21 software package requires the Docker image or a simple curl command. The installation process itself should take a few minutes, depending on the speed of one’s machine. Once installed, users can get started immediately by setting up a profile, and even claim some free coins from the built-in faucet.
Bitcoin is an excellent tool to create payment solutions for the Internet of Things. Low transaction fees and global availability make Bitcoin very valuable in this regard. But it is well worth exploring automated payment solutions as well, which is why 21 Inc was founded in the first place. The company feels the third web is coming, which focuses on payments between machines.
Imagine the world in which visiting a paywalled website no longer requires manual payments. No more entering credit cards for every transaction, as everything is taken care of automatically. Moreover, using Bitcoin would remove the need to deal with credit cards entirely, and allow for monetizing APIs on a per-request basis.
But there are some caveats, as the Bitcoin protocol does not support all of the necessary functionality out of the box. 21 Inc will help solve these shortcomings, as the software package allows users to get Bitcoin on any device, regardless of its type or location. Obtaining Bitcoin can be done through a variety of ways, including the 21 faucet, buying BTC, mining cryptocurrency, completing micro tasks, or selling machine resources.
Bringing Bitcoin to Any App and Monetizing HTTP Requests
Developers can integrate the 21 software package into any application or web service. Monetizing content has never been easier, and accepting Bitcoin becomes as simple as adding a few lines of code. Developers are invited to write their own bitcoin-payable programs, though. In fact, Bitcoin payments can be integrated with existing key internet technologies, including HTTP and Django.
In the end, the developers and content creators will still need to find people who want to buy their new creations. The 21 marketplace can be of great help in this regard as users can publish their endpoints and monitor earnings. Users of the software can take the power into their own hands, and explore the world of Bitcoin micropayments in whichever way they choose.
Will you be tinkering with the 21 software package? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Medium
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, 21
