Can bitcoin be sent, received or traded (used) without the internet?

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

I'm from Nigeria and as you all know, Nigeria is a developing country and when it comes to internet connections we're not there yet. I live in the city area but travelled to my village few days ago for an occasions. On the way, I got a call from a friend requesting to buy $550 worth of bitcoin, I tried sending the coins to his wallet (he's a regular buying so I already have his wallet) but the transaction refused to go through because their was no internet connection. When I finally got to my village the transaction went successfully because we had internet.

After this experience I thought about other remote villages in Nigeria and African countries that don't have the Internet 24hours if they were to use Bitcoin (cryptocurrency in general) for day to day transaction can this be done without the internet?

I tried searching the web but couldn't find any post that gives me a satisfying answer, so decided to contact forum user.


Edited: 04|10|2018 Can anyone verify this information, how accurate is it?.

Good timing on posting this question now.  Some recent advancements have just been made in this area.  The latest version of Bitcoin Core has implemented 'Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions', or PSBT for short.  It will effectively enable users to send transactions while offline in some circumstances.

Also just saw a post on facebook saying


The writer went forward to explain, 'The mesh network works for every 4miles until it gets to the nearest access to the internet. That's to say you can send bitcoin through the mesh network from one mesh to another within 4miles until you get the nearest access to the internet".

[CryptoDamon]

Bitcoin is transferred after initiation from the sender of the transaction through the internet.
The sender isn’t required to be connected to the internet to sign the transaction, but he is required to be connected to the internet to declare his transaction to the network so that they can record it. A transaction even signed, if not recorded within the blockchain is equivalent of it having never occurred.
In order for the transaction to complete, it has to be recorded on the blockchain and consensus should accept it.

The receiver does not have to remain connected to the internet as the transaction happens since the sender pays the transaction fee and gets the transaction recorded in the blockchain. Once the transaction is recorded, the wallet is free to sync with the blockchain and display the funds received. Even if the person isn’t connected to the internet, the blockchain explorer shall display that the funds have been transferred to the appropriate account. Whenever the receiver needs to spend the money within their wallet for a secondary transaction, they may sign the transaction offline, but whenever their transaction is broadcasted to the network, the miner verifies that there are funds allocated or present in the wallet to initiate the transaction.

To conclude, the receiver does not need an active internet connection to eventually receive the money, but however they do need an active internet connection if they wish their wallet to reflect the funds that they’ve received. They are required to have an active internet connection to broadcast their transaction after having received bitcoin to make a secondary transaction as well.

- Min Park, Blockchain Marketing Consulting

https://www.quora.com/Does-the-receiver-of-bitcoin-need-an-active-internet-connection-to-eventually-receive-the-money

[kzozenberg]

I'm from Nigeria and as you all know, Nigeria is a developing country and when it comes to internet connections we're not there yet. I live in the city area but travelled to my village few days ago for an occasions. On the way, I got a call from a friend requesting to buy $550 worth of bitcoin, I tried sending the coins to his wallet (he's a regular buying so I already have his wallet) but the transaction refused to go through because their was no internet connection. When I finally got to my village the transaction went successfully because we had internet.

After this experience I thought about other remote villages in Nigeria and African countries that don't have the Internet 24hours if they were to use Bitcoin (cryptocurrency in general) for day to day transaction can this be done without the internet?

I tried searching the web but couldn't find any post that gives me a satisfying answer, so decided to contact forum user.

Hello my friend, I do not think that without the Internet it is possible to make a transaction, but I heard that there were tests of bitcoin transmission via satellite.

[franky1]

yes

physical bitcoins. also known initially as casascius coins or paper wallets

as long as you trust the seal and that the original holder(s) do not have or know the private coins because its sealed within the physical bitcoin. then you can swap them hand to hand

[gantez]

I think your question once again exposes one of the big weakness of cryptocurrency. It is generally called digital currency because it involves usage with internet gadget. However, it is even better that the receiver need not be connected to the internet to facilitate the transaction. It would have been nice if there was an option of internet usage and manually. Maybe internet being for faster transaction and manual for those who don't mind waiting  

[pixie85]

I think your question once again exposes one of the big weakness of cryptocurrency. It is generally called digital currency because it involves usage with internet gadget. However, it is even better that the receiver need not be connected to the internet to facilitate the transaction. It would have been nice if there was an option of internet usage and manually. Maybe internet being for faster transaction and manual for those who don't mind waiting  

I don't see it as a weakness. The Internet is everywhere and without it the world would probably plunge into chaos. Think about all those social media addicts not being able to log in, people unable to send email, millions of companies unable to work, what would happen to the richest people in the world who built their fortunes on computer software and online stores? The Internet is here to stay.

[mensahkkofie]

I don't think it is possible to conduct transactions with bitcoin without the use of the internet. Who knows maybe in the near future when technology advances, transactions could be conducted without the use of the internet.

[DooMAD]

Good timing on posting this question now.  Some recent advancements have just been made in this area.  The latest version of Bitcoin Core has implemented 'Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions', or PSBT for short.  It will effectively enable users to send transactions while offline in some circumstances.

Nearly all the articles I can find on the subject are outdated now, but you can still read them to get a better idea of it:

https://bitcointechweekly.com/front/bip-174-psbt-partially-signed-bitcoin-transactions/
https://bitcoinnews.com/bitcoin-improvement-proposal-for-offline-transactions-published/
https://ethereumworldnews.com/bitcoin-improvement-proposal-bip174-offline-btc-transactions/

[Aponkye1]

No Bitcoin nor any other cryptocurrency can be sent without the use of the internet because to send cryptocurrencies you need the full access of the internet to do that. The issue of constant internet supply has been a hindrance in the acceptance of bitcoin as a payment method because some countries in Africa don't have the best of internet supply.

[Ucy]

It should be possible in the future... some developers are currently working on something like that. https://github.com/MuleTools/MuleTools
Not sure how far they have gone .


I read somewhere that you can broadcast transaction via text messages without the Internet but don't remember how exactly. Try Googling: "send Bitcoin via text" maybe you will find something useful.


You should try a wallet app called Samourai https://samouraiwallet.com . I think they support transactions via text messaging. Not sure if the feature works in every country.

[gentlemand]

No mention of this yet? https://blockstream.com/satellite/

I know it's going slightly in the wrong direction of this thread, but it might give the potential for something cheap and easy in future. As it stands I think you have to lash up various receivers and so on and it's receive only. Perhaps one day all you'll need is a box from the local market.

[LoyceMobile]

You could send a raw transaction by post, pigeon, fax or even over the phone. If you can use any of this to reach a working internet connection, the transaction can be broadcasted. And broadcasting isn't possible without internet.

[hadveach]

I think, for while, you will not be able to send, receive and trade bitcoin without the internet. internet is a very important aspect in the crypto world.

but I heard that cointext makes gadgets that have services to transact without internet. cointext uses the sms protocol. and today is being tested in several countries such as in England, Sweden, Netherlands, and others.

maybe you can try using that gadget.

[gentlemand]

I think, for while, you will not be able to send, receive and trade bitcoin without the internet. internet is a very important aspect in the crypto world.

but I heard that cointext makes gadgets that have services to transact without internet. cointext uses the sms protocol. and today is being tested in several countries such as in England, Sweden, Netherlands, and others.

maybe you can try using that gadget.

Where in the world do you have SMS but no internet?

Africa has basically ignored landlines and gone straight to mobile telephony including internet. If you can SMS then 3 or 4G should be available to you as well. In many areas they have better coverage than supposedly first world areas.

[btcluisdiki]

I believe you had observed that yourself that without internet connection, transaction may not be feasible as internet is the only tool for the cryptocurrency transactions. I think that your government may soon consider internet connection such that the people in your country could also benefit the cryptocurrency technology.

[rodskee]

The sender need internet connection to sent bitcoin
The reciever need also an internet to verify the bitcoin transfering their wallet came from blockchain
So simple to elaborate bitcoin is made from the new technology using internet and computer without this bitcoin is useless

[OSEIBOATENG]

Yes BTC can be transferred or sent without the internet. We have a wallet known as the paper wallet which does that job but it depends on how you trust the sender before you can use it.

[JennetCK]

I'm from Nigeria and as you all know, Nigeria is a developing country and when it comes to internet connections we're not there yet. I live in the city area but travelled to my village few days ago for an occasions. On the way, I got a call from a friend requesting to buy $550 worth of bitcoin, I tried sending the coins to his wallet (he's a regular buying so I already have his wallet) but the transaction refused to go through because their was no internet connection. When I finally got to my village the transaction went successfully because we had internet.

After this experience I thought about other remote villages in Nigeria and African countries that don't have the Internet 24hours if they were to use Bitcoin (cryptocurrency in general) for day to day transaction can this be done without the internet?

I tried searching the web but couldn't find any post that gives me a satisfying answer, so decided to contact forum user.

There is way to transfer bitcoin without the internet, using paper wallet. But, in that way, it will just take the transaction longer. What if your transaction is across the globe? Who would want to carry a sealed paper on a plane and to a certain person? It will just take longer. That is why there is internet, it will make the transaction faster.

[pacman7331]

It is not possible, because Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency is a digital money. It lives in the online network, It works in digital and digital means online here. We can't touch bitcoin, If you want to trade bitcoin then you must go for face to face trade. Otherwise, it is not possible without an internet connection. Can You able to sen Skrill or Paypal without an Internet connection? You may withdraw PayPal from the bank, but you have to deposit or send with an internet connection.

[nydiacaskey01]

If you are familiar with paper wallets or physical Bitcoin then yes it is possible to transfer Bitcoins without the use of Internet. However, giving away paper wallets or physical Bitcoins is different from sending through internet because physical Bitcoins has a fixed value line 0.1BTC, 0.5BTC or 1BTC depends on its face value. I have a few of those physical coins, some are funded and some are none. Those that are funded can be given away as a gift.