Raspberry Pi-powered briefcase converts loose change into bitcoin

Hackers at the Defcon hacker conference in Las Vegas were recently seen offering bitcoin for sale via a robotic briefcase. People could simply walk up and put their loose change into the coin slot and in return they received a QR code printed on till receipt paper that they could use to redeem their bitcoins.

The hacker minding the briefcase, going by the name Garbage, spoke to The Verge and told them that the bitcoin-serving briefcase had been made to increase awareness of bitcoin. The briefcase itself reportedly cost $250 to build and was driven by a Raspberry Pi computer, with a mobile 4G modem, and was powered from a mains socket on the outside of one of the convention buildings.

The briefcase offered an easy way for passers-by to get involved in digital currency, without having to make a major or time-consuming investment. The machine checked the current rate on Mt. Gox before processing the transaction.

The briefcase represents a similar notion to Lamassu's Bitcoin ATM, which was seen at the Bitcoin London event earlier this year. Zach Harvey, co-founder of Lamassu, believes that the kind of physical and real-world experience the bitcoin briefcase offers is important for newcomers to bitcoin. "Experiencing a bitcoin transaction is significantly more powerful than theorising the political and financial advantages of the digital currency," he said.

"The amount itself is less important for the experience, so being able to insert a virtually worthless dime is a great negligible-risk start for the bitcoin-curious."

Photo credit: Joey Devilla