Biohacking: Implants That Can Store A Private Key

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are used in many industries. An RFID tag attached to an automobile during production can be used to track its progress through the assembly line. Pharmaceuticals can be tracked through warehouses. Livestock and pets may have tags injected, allowing positive identification of the animal.

In 2004, human RFID chips hit mainstream media. Members of the Baja Beach Club in Barcelona started using RFID implants to pay for drinks. The director of Baja Beach Club, Conrad Chase, and many of his VIP members had a VeriChip implanted in their upper arms. By using VeriPay, his customers were able to pay for their drinks with a simple scan of the arm.

In the US RFID technology for human use has had a contentious past. In 2009 Rhode Island attempted to pass a bill limiting how RFID technology would be employed to track students at schools and school functions. Rhode Island’s governor, Donald Carcieri, vetoed the bill. Carcieri stated that local school and community officials should be allowed to decide if they need to use RFID to track students.

Late last year Dangerous Things launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund the first fully compliant NFC (near field communications) microchip implant. In less than a week, their $8000 goal was surpassed raising a final total of $30,619. Now the chip can be purchased on Dangerous Things.com for $99.

“Near Field Communication or NFC specifications contain a set of standards which are applied to a specific set of RFID technologies, and it’s taking the world by storm in the form of devices like mobile phones and tablets. We’ve successfully prototyped and tested the world’s first implantable NFC technology – we call it the xNT.” – DangerousThings.com

The chips have the ability to hold 880 bytes of user read/write memory, which leaves plenty of space for storing different types of data. Dutch entrepreneur Martijn Wismeijer had two xNT chips implanted recently. He selected each chip to perform separate functions. One has information that Wismeijer is constantly overwriting. The other has an encrypted private key for access to his Bitcoin wallet.

In a recent interview with International Business Times, Wismeijer explains why he made such a unique choice.

"I did it because I wanted to experiment with storing bitcoins using subdermal implants because that’s what I thought would like be the Holy Grail of contactless payments,"
— – Wismeijer

Dangerous Things believe that there is an adventurous niche market that this technology caters to. However, human RFID is not without risk, “The xNT transponder device has not been tested or certified by any regulatory agency for implantation or use inside the human body. Use of this device is strictly at your own risk.” – DangerousThings.com

Theres plenty more you can do with a NFC tag, throw a VCARD on it with contact details, use it to open your front door, start your car, or login to your PC. Comment below.

B.Holmes, author of The Range of Illusion and The Private Key installments, is currently located in Thailand, researching and writing about crypto. You can follow B.Holmes on twitter @BanteringB, or contact via email: [email protected]