A DAO Wants To Inject Bitcoin Into Mouse DNA via a Genetically Modified Virus

Dubbed BitMouse, it should ideally be called BitOutThere!

The mouse with a Bitcoin address in itBitMouseDAO

A new decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), called BitMouseDAO, wants to genetically engineer a mouse to put a Bitcoin inside it and see its value soar along with the cryptocurrency, Vice Motherboard reported. As one of its two investors, at the time of writing, say, it is a crazy idea. 

The setting up of a DAO to achieve something big and crazy enough has been seen before. Whether it is the ConsitutionDAO wanting to buy a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution or BlockbusterDAO wanting to own the brand name and convert it into a streaming platform, we have seen big and wild ideas before but BitMouseDAO is at the next level.

Like with other DAOs, the identity of the original creators is under wraps but if had to guess is a molecular biology student with a lot of interest in crypto art. The inspiration for BitMouseDAO, as listed on its webpage, is Eduardo Kac's bio-art, which is a live rabbit genetically modified to emit green fluorescent protein, an intermediary step in many molecular biology experiments. 

With BitMouse, its creator(s) wants to use a private key to purchase Bitcoin and then recode it using the building blocks of DNA, (A,T,G,C) and insert this code inside the mouse. The value of the mouse will fluctuate alongside the Bitcoin markets and may reach $100 million or nothing at all in ten years' time, the webpage says.  As the mouse has offspring, the progeny will also carry the private key and would be as valuable as the BitMouse. 

The DAO plans to make non-fungible tokens (NFT) of the original BitMouse and its offspring that will be auctioned to the highest bidder and make money for those who support this project now. Interestingly, the creator is also aware that inserting a genetic sequence may not happen and has a backup plan of injecting the mouse with a non-lethal virus that carries an encrypted copy of the private key. The creator wants to rope in a biotech company to do all this and will definitely need a lot of funds to even get this project started. Unfortunately, the DAO has only three supporters and just donated over 0.02 ether so far. 

Speaking to Vice, the creators of the DAO clarified that their project was only to create a different piece of art and not make a "biochemical monster". However, going by its current funding status, they might not be able to make anything at all. Maybe, instead of jumping so many hoops to get a BitMouse, it would just be easier to let it handle a portfolio of cryptocurrencies from a cage. Like Mr. Goxx., it might start making a fortune right away, instead of spending a fortune to hide a private key inside. 

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/a-dao-wants-to-inject-bitcoin-into-mouse-dna-via-a-genetically-modified-virus