https://news.yahoo.com/maybe-theres-crypto-155442266.html One of the most frequent questions asked by crypto skeptics is: What can you actually do with crypto, besides financial speculation and crimes? It’s a tough question to answer, in part because most of the successful (and legal) uses of cryptocurrency so far have been in finance or finance-adjacent fields. There are plenty of crypto exchanges, nonfungible-token trading platforms and video games that involve buying and selling crypto tokens. But so far, not many crypto projects have had what I’d call “normie utility” — solving problems that exist for people outside the crypto world, that aren’t primarily about buying or selling digital assets, and that would be impossible to solve with normal, noncrypto technology.
Recently, though, I discovered one that does.
It’s called Helium. And while it’s not the most attention-grabbing crypto project out there — no cartoon apes or copies of the Constitution are involved — trying it out has helped me understand how crypto can be quite useful in solving certain types of problems.
On a basic level, Helium is a decentralized wireless network for “internet of things” devices, powered by cryptocurrency
Recently, though, I discovered one that does.
It’s called Helium. And while it’s not the most attention-grabbing crypto project out there — no cartoon apes or copies of the Constitution are involved — trying it out has helped me understand how crypto can be quite useful in solving certain types of problems.
On a basic level, Helium is a decentralized wireless network for “internet of things” devices, powered by cryptocurrency.
-The network is made up of devices called Helium hot spots, gadgets with antennas that can send small amounts of data over long distances using radio frequencies. These hot spots, which cost roughly $500 apiece and can reach 200 times farther than conventional Wi-Fi hot spots, share their owners’ bandwidth with nearby internet-connected devices — like parking meters, air-quality sensors or smart kitchen appliances.Anyone can use the Helium network, although most of its users so far are companies like Lime (which has used Helium to keep tabs on its connected scooters) and the Victor mousetrap company (which uses it for a new line of internet-connected traps). More than 500,000 Helium hot spots are in use around the world, with thousands being added to the network every day.
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Jim Bell' comment:
This Helium network looks very interesting. I foresee a time when in which a self-selected person will be somewhere, ready to do something, at a moment's notice. But he will want to take credit, somewhat anonymously, so he will prove his entitlement to a large reward.
So, he will want to transmit a packet of data, encrypted and/or possibly hashed. The data might include latitude and longitude, time, nearby WiFi spectrum information. Also may be included hashed video and audio information.
He will want to transmit this information, and he may want to wait until there is a return confirmation that the encrypted information has been published on a specific website.