Bitcoins to the South Pole!

[Sword Smith]

Polar Expedition - Bitcoin Fundraising
Support Faysal Hanneche's mission to the South Pole


Update (2015)
Success!



Update (2013): Due to a knee injury, Faysal had to cancel his expedition. He did manage to take some pictures of the Bitcoin flag on Antarctica and a bitcoin transaction was made from Antarctica! The first one ever perhaps? He will attempt again!




Bitcoin transaction made from the Antarctica:
https://blockchain.info/tx/f87eaa6f7870ae3b7f677cb0929c69d1b7b2bcdf0a5e33a033aef8b05f6f68ac



Faysal Hanneche is a French adventurer and a personal friend who completed a solo expedition to the North Pole this April and is going on a solo expedition to the South Pole this November. On his South Pole expedition, he will seek to promote Bitcoin in these three following ways:

• 1. Carry Bitcoin sticker on sled.
• 2. Purchase Pizza when on the South Pole.
• 3. Plant Bitcoin flag on South Pole.

1) The sticker has been designed and printed and is now in Faysal's possession. My company Sirius Money has donated 6.8 BTC (EUR 1000) to Faysal's mission.

Design is by Mel Warn (whitetoo on this forum).



2) Faysal has 300 mBTC on a Bitcoin wallet on an Android device which has an internet connection via satelite. His goal is to transfer 300 mBTC to me and then I will make the arrangement such that a pizza and a large coke is delivered to him at his hotel in Chile when he has returned to civilization.



3) I need help on this one if it is to succeed. Faysal is in Cape Town, South Africa at the moment and someone down there needs to get him a flag. If 15 BTC is collected, he has agreed to plant a flag on the South Pole. Faysal leaves from Cape Town on November 4th so someone needs to be very quick! He is staying on the Radisson Waterfront in Cape Town and the flag can be delivered there. But it has to be there by the afternoon on Monday November 4th. It can be delivered in the reception. Flag is now in Faysal's hands and 15 BTC have been collected. Great job and thanks for all the support! Donations are still accepted since this is a very expensive expedition for Faysal.


Update: Faysal is now on Antarctica and he has begun skiing towards his goal: The South Pole. He is currently expected to arrive there at the end of December.
See the latest posts on his website: http://transantarctic.wordpress.com/

On donations there is no refund if any or all the stated goals fail. This mission costs EUR 60'000 and much of that has been raised through other sponsors and these conditions apply to all the sponsors.


Donate to Faysal Hanneche on:
1Gt1anYr6gEuiNgacFouhy4RUNQFH3YY9Y

(Signed message below)

15 BTC collected and moved to cold storage (pun intended) whilst Faysal is in Antarctica. Donations still graciously accepted. Upon Faysal's request some of these money will be used to pay back people Faysal has borrowed money from to finance the expedition. Thorkil Værge AKA Sword Smith administrates this. For any enquiries on this, please PM me.




Latest Time Schedule

• Departure from South Africa to Antarctica: November 8-10.
• Arrival at the South Pole, bitcoin transaction and picture of flag: end of December - if all goes well pictures will be uploaded here.
• Return to civilization (Chile): End of January/start of February.

Remember that these are only estimates.




Background Information:
Coindesk article:
http://www.coindesk.com/adventurer-make-first-ever-bitcoin-transaction-south-pole/


The mission to the north Pole was about 400 km of walking with nothing but his skies to move him forward. The mission to the South Pole will be 3500 km and he will use kites and sails while on skies to carry him forward when the wind allows it. This is not possible on the North Pole since there are cracks and icy hills in the way all the time.

If Faysal manages to go solo to the South Pole, he will become the first to visit both poles in one year on a solo mission.

This is how you cross Antarctica:
http://youtu.be/FNHJPCTA36g - Insanely cool footage of Faysal
(was made in 2011 where he unfortunately did not manage to get enough support for his expedition)

Video from North Pole expedition: http://youtu.be/33n5fIXBrSA

Evening news of the biggest channel in France, TF1:
http://videos.tf1.fr/jt-we/2013/apres-le-pole-nord-il-part-a-la-conquete-du-pole-sud-8294890.html

Other French feature. Also some cool footage
http://youtu.be/uSNqC0gFylw

Short article:
http://www.globalpost.com/taxonomy/term/48773 (English)

Camp settlement during training:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb-cb1yQpnE

Portrait in French:
http://www.unmondedaventures.fr/faysal-hanneche-portrait/

Feature and portrait in French:
http://rhone-alpes.france3.fr/2013/08/26/faysal-hanneche-aventurier-bi-polaire-307179.html
http://www.directmatin.fr/sport/2013-04-22/il-veut-rallier-seul-les-deux-poles-en-moins-dun-447381



Signed Messages



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Donate to Faycal Hanneche on:
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15 BTC moved to cold storage
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South Pole transaction details (to be revealed):
SHA-256:
caccfcf5832ef5237562cd1e69db5954bcb7d5044282a89e6d3cfc43a4da547c

Revealed:
1PLoYDmRWExWMr1uBgE5dcpJVRHMv1La9L 300 mBTC to 114aEAENMDwNzcaqsw6jmPpbBV1qPCkjbC salt:6fjn93251lf9vbdfaupwlfjg31097djancFHS

[Sword Smith]

I am pledging 6.8 BTC:
Transaction:
https://blockchain.info/tx/52534586b9fd6605e520555caeea413d7528b100e3205a96a2c02814aff6d46c

[Phinnaeus Gage]

I don't know who the OP is, but it's hard to trust a guy that doesn't have any grammatical errors in his posts.

Seriously, assuming the bitcoins could be raised (not outside the realm of possibilities), how likely is that an emblem can be produced and placed on his sled given that his departure date is fast approaching?

[Sword Smith]

I don't know who the OP is, but it's hard to trust a guy that doesn't have any grammatical errors in his posts.

Seriously, assuming the bitcoins could be raised (not outside the realm of possibilities), how likely is that an emblem can be produced and placed on his sled given that his departure date is fast approaching?

Thank you for your compliments regarding my grammar. I am actually Danish. This is me:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=49654480

And thi is my website: Sirius Money.


I agree that this is late but the guy is in Norway now and I could get things sent to him with one or two days notice. I have some bitcoin bumber stickers which may be usable but I am very open to suggestions.

[LiteCoinGuy]

unfortunately its only a short time that we have left...

with more planing and time it would be possible...

isnt there a cheaper and faster solution? why 2000 bucks for a flag? you can do it cheaper and have the same advertising-effect. and then: you can pay it with your own pocket.

[Sword Smith]

isnt there a cheaper and faster solution? why 2000 bucks for a flag? you can do it cheaper and have the same advertising-effect. and then: you can pay it with your own pocket.

True. But he is not a convinced bitcoiner like us - it seems to me that he might be one soon, though. He has only heard of the technology and that is what he charges for advertisement.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

I don't know who the OP is, but it's hard to trust a guy that doesn't have any grammatical errors in his posts.

Seriously, assuming the bitcoins could be raised (not outside the realm of possibilities), how likely is that an emblem can be produced and placed on his sled given that his departure date is fast approaching?

Thank you for your compliments regarding my grammar. I am actually Danish. This is me:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=49654480

And thi is my website: Sirius Money.


I agree that this is late but the guy is in Norway now and I could get things sent to him with one or two days notice. I have some bitcoin bumber stickers which may be usable but I am very open to suggestions.

I see what you did there! You can't get nothin' passed me. 

[davinchi]

rocket push and raise !

[Sword Smith]

What about the first bitcoin transaction from the South Pole? Could that be possible do you think? I guess they have internet on the Amundsen-Scott Base (OT: Amundsen was 1st to reach the South Pole so he should get the most credit).

[allthingsluxury]

Interesting idea none the less. Best of luck to your friend.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

What about the first bitcoin transaction from the South Pole? Could that be possible do you think? I guess they have internet on the Amundsen-Scott Base (OT: Amundsen was 1st to reach the South Pole so he should get the most credit).

I came here to specifically ask YOU that question.

If possible, what would he buy? I'm thinking pre-ordering a pizza scheduled to coincide when he gets home.

Did somebody already mention planting a Bitcoin flag?

[Phinnaeus Gage]

I'm going to be honest and say that I have had a plan for about 1.5 years now to go to the South Pole with crypto (needed time and funds I now personally made). I have a 50% chance of doing it this March or so. I really wanted to be the first but if he gets there and does it, congrats.

I see you put a lot thought into this, Goat. March, eh? Care to guess why this guy's going in November?

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Antarctica's tourist season is short, just five months, from the beginning of November through the end of March.

Makes sense, bud. Ironically, I think, it's best to trek to the North Pole during the winter since it's just a giant ice mass that may not exist during the summer months.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Antarctica's tourist season is short, just five months, from the beginning of November through the end of March.

Makes sense, bud. Ironically, I think, it's best to trek to the North Pole during the winter since it's just a giant ice mass that may not exist during the summer months.

i have to do early march as I cant go sooner cuz my second child is on the way.

also pretty sure part of the north pole is there in the summer still

And the part that remains is claimed as a sovereign nation by the first guy to get there yearly.

[Sword Smith]

Did somebody already mention planting a Bitcoin flag?

A flag could be amazing! But who has one? Does one exist?

The deadlines are November 1st for a delivery in Norway and November 4th for a delivery in South Africa.

[TheButterZone]

http://bitflag.org/

Embroidery costs would be INSANE.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Did somebody already mention planting a Bitcoin flag?

A flag could be amazing! But who has one? Does one exist?

The deadlines are November 1st for a delivery in Norway and November 4th for a delivery in South Africa.

the BTC logo on a stick would work as a flag.

but honestly im not going to support some random guy to be the first user of crypto in antartica. if he does it, cool. he beat a true crypto fan. but having some guy do it for money seems like fail to me.

If I'm not mistaken, the guy's selling advertising on his sled to help fund the expedition. A Bitcoin flag and purchasing something via Bitcoin while at the South Pole are afterthoughts.

[bg002h]

http://www.coindesk.com/adventurer-make-first-ever-bitcoin-transaction-south-pole/
1Gt1anYr6gEuiNgacFouhy4RUNQFH3YY9Y

I'm in.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=323580.msg3465428#msg3465428

We need a flag ASAP!

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Yeah me too. Ill send him a btc.


edit 1 btc sent.

also he only needs 5 more, im sure we can get this done!

Believe I just saw it hit, Goat.

I'm committed to paying for standard expedient shipping cost to get a flag in his hands before the deadline. If we had a design and know the size and of what material it should be made of, we can get Jason King of Sean's Outpost to embroidery one.

~TMIBITW