BitQuest, a Minecraft server that uses a Bitcoin denominated monetary system for in-game transactions, has just entered version 2.0.

The server’s website says:

“The currency on this server are the Bits. A bit is a fraction of a Bitcoin (1/1000000) that you can obtain by killing monsters, trading with users or transferring [sic] from an outside wallet. All of it is stored on a standard Bitcoin wallet on the Blockchain.”

BitQuest 2.0 - what’s new?

BitQuest released version 2.0 on 19th May 2016. The release brought about some interesting changes to the in-game economy.

The server will now record transactions on-chain, instead of off-chain, as they were doing previously, to reduce the strain on the servers’ providers having to keep track of every transaction, secure and segregate wallets, and produce checks for potential duplications, as the Blockchain will now do this.

However, the change also brings the associated increased transaction times and fees. Fortunately though, these should not affect most players, and in addition, the change will allow players to make transactions outside of the server.

A spokesperson for BitQuest says:

“The goal of this release was to make the integration of Bitcoin into Minecraft simple, open, and hackable. I am sure this is far from perfect, but a really fun new way to play Minecraft.”

“Satoshi Town”

The server has also opened up a new settlement called ‘Satoshi Town’ where you can buy valuable stuff with Bitcoin, like food or the latest Elytra wings. Each comes at a different price, though.

The interesting part is what happens to the Bitcoin spent in items. All Market transactions go to a “World” wallet. Each time a monster is killed, a small number of calculations (and luck) might subtract [sic] 200 bits from that wallet directly to yours, a small reward for your braveness.

If you choose to spend that money again inside the Market, it will go back to the world wallet, rewarding another player.

Self-sustaining open source

Lastly, players must now pay to claim land on the server, which will prevent other players from destroying their creations.

A spokesperson for BitQuest explains:

“In this new version, a land “chunk” of 16x16 blocks can be bought at the price of 200 bits (or 0.0002BTC). This transaction goes straight to the administrator as a contribution for server maintenance.”

What’s great about this is that it means the server is self-sustaining, as players can support it by claiming land in-game, covering at least some of the costs associated with its running.

BitQuest is also now open source, as of 21st December 2015, allowing any Minecraft server owner to download the BitQuest plug-in and run it via the unofficial supported Minecraft server API, Spigot, allowing them too to have a Bitcoin denominated monetary system.

Minecraft players who wish to access the BitQuest server can connect to their IP: play.bitquest.co.