BitMesh will allow users to rent out their Internet connection to friends and colleagues for bitcoins. Currently, the project is at the testing stage.

A group of entrepreneurs founded BitMesh around a year ago. The idea behind the project is to let people share their Internet connection for some bitcoins.

“BitMesh is developing a platform to allow people to share their internet connection with peers in exchange for bitcoin while leveraging existing devices and internet architecture. Negotiation of the price of data takes place in a local "marketplace", achieving a fair price for internet without requirement for a contract or third party escrow. The end result is cheaper, more robust internet service and bitcoin in more people’s hands.”

According to the members of the team, they have one prototype at work.

“We set up a meshnet in our office one weekend. We were very excited about it and were plotting how to get downtown Santa Cruz on a meshnet, but were stumped on how to incentivize it. Coupons, bulletin boards, community chat, nothing seemed very compelling. We became more interested in bitcoin and realized that the micropayment channel technology could allow people to pay only for the internet they use at very high resolution. I'd worked on several bitcoin projects by that time and Andrew has a strong networking background.”

Three founders of BitMesh have different expertise. Andrew Donley builds custom front-end applications and embedded systems for enterprise clients in the software and hardware industry (he has BA in Mathematics from the University of San Diego). Chris Smith “has degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from University of Miami, plays the piano and loves bitcoin”. Finally, Chris Lunoe is a digital payments adviser, an author of many books and Bachelor of science in Economics.

The company presented the project on many platforms, including Boost VC. CoinFox hopes to interview Bitmesh soon.

Roman Korizky