Bitcoin enthusiast gets digital 'wallets' implanted in his hands

A Dutch Bitcoin entrepreneur was so enamored with the virtual currency that he got it injected into his hands. Yes, Martijn Wismeijer, the co-founder of MrBitcoin, a company that installs Bitcoin cash distributors, had his hands implanted with the digital "wallets" on Nov. 3.

The microchips, made of biocompatible glass, will allow him to "make contactless payments," thanks to near field communication (NFC), according to AFP. The chips use NFC to communicate with enabled devices, including Android smartphones and tablets.

"We wanted to do this experiment to push further the concept of the virtual wallet," Wismeijer told AFP. He explained that the microchips are "savings accounts," and while the devices are used to make payments, the funds are transferred out of the chips.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Latest Videos From

Watch full video here:

The microchip injection hasn't been entirely positive for Wismeijer, though — AFP notes that the chips have "garnered so much publicity that he has temporarily withdrawn the money from his hands for security reasons."