Marscoin (MARS) is a digital currency that strives to support the anticipated development and potential colonization of Mars. It is a decentralized cryptocurrency, operating without the control of any single entity, including any Earth-based government or organization. This attribute is crucial for a Mars-based society, which would likely aim to maintain autonomy and self-governance, including economic independence. Marscoin aims to serve as the primary currency for this potential colony, independent of Earth's economy. Marscoin is derived from the Litecoin fork of Bitcoin and is dedicated to supporting the settlement of Mars and other space-related projects intended to get humans living and thriving off of planet earth.

Marscoin operates through a process known as mining, similar to other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It uses blockchain technology, which is a decentralized ledger that records all transactions across a network of computers. This technology is not only used for financial transactions but can also be leveraged for decentralized decision making, contract enforcement, property rights management, and other essential functions of a society. Marscoin aims to establish a transparent, fair, and democratic system on Mars from the onset. Marscoin also seeks to support the development of Mars' infrastructure, the discovery of resources, and other essential activities.

Marscoin aims to serve as the primary currency for a potential human colony on Mars, independent of Earth's economy. It could overcome communication delays between Earth and Mars, enabling quick and efficient intra-Mars transactions. Marscoin could also potentially help manage the efficient use and distribution of resources in a resource-limited environment like Mars. Beyond just being a currency, the underlying blockchain technology of Marscoin can also be leveraged for decentralized decision making, contract enforcement, property rights management, and other essential functions of a society. Marscoin aims to foster a sense of community and identity among Mars colonists, acting as a unifying symbol of the Martian colony.

Marscoin was launched on January 1, 2014. It was premised on the anticipated development and eventual colonization of the Red Planet by humans. The Marscoin project, with the help of its volunteers, split a 1,000,000 donation of Marscoins between The Mars Society and Mars One in 2014. In 2019, the Mars Society took ownership of Mars One's half of the initial Marscoin donation, with the full support of Mars One's founder. The Marscoin project is a grassroots effort to lift humanity up and contribute to the exploration and settlement of Mars. It is a testbed for experimentation with technologies that might help early colonists on Mars build governance, voting, inventory tracking, trading, and capital allocation.