Bottle

Aimed more at Bitcoin tech enthusiasts rather than typical, day-to-day users, Bottle is a unique browser that allows users to upload files directly to the Bitcoin network. Those that know some basics about the Bitcoin blockchain, know that these files (which can be documents, videos, images, or any other formats) are permanent, immutable, and can even take on the form of monetizable Bitcoin transactions.

The whole premise of this browser is that it allows users to surf the Bitcoin network for various content and bring it all together through Bitcoin native URI schemes such as B:// and C://. Before going forward, it’s imperative that readers understand that this is NOT your typical web (http and https) browser but tweaked for Bitcoin.

Designed using Electron and other web technologies, Bottle was created by a team that understood the importance of having a product specifically tailored for the Bitcoin network. One, the Bitcoin network has a different architecture than the “old web” and two, this allowed the developers to add new user interaction models better suited for the Bitcoin world.

As mentioned before, the browsers supports both B:// and C:// URI schemes. B:// is a URI scheme for public files (it uses Bitcoin transaction ID as the URI). C://, on the other hand, is a content addressed URI scheme that generates URI based on file content and not transaction ID.

In short, Bottle plugs into B:// and C:// endpoints and allows users to “crawl” through the Bitcoin blockchain and upload content as Docker containers using the Planaria network.

Despite the under-the-hood complexity of this browser, its GUI resembles that of most typical browsers. There are basic Forward, Backwards, and Refresh buttons, a typical address bar (even though, please note, that the browsers uses b:// addresses and not HTTP or HTTPS) and a small navigation panel on the right side of the main window. Needless to say, the app also supports multiple tabs.

Bottle is a unique and very exciting product that, even though is not designed to appeal to the general public, will surely capture the attention of many Bitcoin technology enthusiasts.