Internet shutdowns have become a tool for subversion in times of unrest. So far in 2026, Iran and Uganda both enforced severe internet blackouts to stifle dissent. Iran’s near-total shutdown masked a violent crackdown on inflation protests, while Uganda blocked access during its general election.
Now US outfit Spacecoin is working on a decentralised low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network that isn’t – and can’t – be controlled by a single entity and where user access cannot be blocked. Spacecoin recently signed an agreement with the Midnight Foundation aimed at building a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer messaging system on top of Spacecoin’s decentralised satellite network to ensure secure communications.
“The collaboration will investigate how programmable, cryptographic privacy can be applied to messaging systems operating beyond traditional internet infrastructure, eliminating both content surveillance and metadata collection while reducing reliance on centralised networks that can be monitored, censored or shut down,” Spacecoin and Midnight Foundation said in a statement earlier this month.
Spacecoin is a decentralised physical infrastructure network that combines blockchain technology with a constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellites. The Space token – the company’s own cryptocurrency – serves as the network’s economic engine, allowing users and internet service providers to purchase data for connectivity. Since parts of the network can be owned by different operators, excess capacity is sold to others in the network using Space tokens.
Spacecoin was founded by Carnegie Mellon University alumnus Tae Oh. Oh founded Spacecoin parent company Gluwa in 2012, which also houses the cryptocurrency lending platform Creditcoin, founded in 2017.
Decentralised satellite networks are based on the same cellphone towers in space concept fuelling the direct-to-mobile push by LEO satellite network operators such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon Leo. A key difference is that Spacecoin plans to use a fleet of much smaller – and therefore cheaper – nanosatellites that can be built and deployed by any individual, government or corporation to add to the network.
Direct to mobile
Their use of direct-to-mobile technology also reduces the need for expensive ground stations. However, communities can come together and build local and regional ground stations to enhance network connectivity should they choose to.
“Spacecoin’s network will operate with minimal reliance on ground stations through inter-satellite links, which allow our satellites to exchange data directly with each other in space,” said Spacecoin.
In 2024, Spacecoin launched the CTC-0 nanosatellite to test its decentralised architecture. A second nanosatellite, CTC-1, was launched in November 2025. CTC-1 was built in collaboration with Near Space Launch and launched with Arrow Science and Technology.
Read: Kuiper no more: Amazon Leo steps up to challenge Musk’s Starlink
Jens Langenhorst, vice chairman of the Wireless Access Providers’ Association, said that while the technology shows a lot of promise, devices capable of receiving direct-to-device transmissions “may still be a long way away”.
Even so, decentralised satellite networks hold the promise of being a boon where privacy is paramount. Populations going through periods of civil unrest could, in theory, also be shielded from forced internet shutdowns by governments wanting to subvert protest action. Access to decentralised networks is “permissionless”, meaning no single entity can restrict access to the network.
These benefits are, however, counterbalanced by drawbacks like those seen in the cryptocurrency space where the same tools that allow for greater freedom and anonymous transactions are exploited by criminals.
“How do you judge who is good and who is evil in a hidden network? Freedom requires perspective; protestors may urgently need to get their messages and videos to the world to hear their plight while their government may perceive it as an attack on their sovereignty, national security and maintaining social order. Neither is wrong from their own perspective,” said Langenhorst.
Like any network, Spacecoin’s decentralised offering will have to acquire operating and spectrum licences before commencing operations in any jurisdiction. When asked by TechCentral if governments may be discouraged to grant these licences to decentralised network operators where control is limited, Spacecoin said its discussions with regulatory authorities centre on benefits such as enhanced network security and resilience that governments could use to their advantage.
“We show governments that our network’s resilience is a powerful asset for them. Along with being censorship-resistant, a decentralised network is also resistant to disruptions from natural disasters, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure or technical glitches. It provides a robust and reliable communications backbone that ensures economic and social continuity during a crisis,” said Spacecoin.
Spacecoin aims to target rural connectivity and plans to use internet-of-things technology to serve precision agriculture and maritime use cases. Commercial deployments are planned for later in 2026, with markets such as Kenya, Cambodia, Nigeria and Indonesia expected to be among the first to get access to the service.
Read: Mupita: LEO satellites here to stay – but rules must keep up
“The power of our decentralised, permissionless network is that any satellite operator meeting our technical standards can join and provide coverage. This fundamentally changes the deployment model from a monolithic, centrally owned constellation to a collaborative, open ecosystem. Our strategy is to expand region by region, validating performance in orbit, and allowing the network to grow organically as more operators join,” said Spacecoin. – © 2026 NewsCentral Media
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