Bitcoin, the alternative online payment method, has been getting a lot of attention lately. So much so that a British team called Bluenio is working on making a physical Bitcoin payment system for use in the real world. But its uses go far beyond that alone.

The nio Card is NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 enabled and was created primarily to remind you when your phone and card are separated, so you don’t lose it. In fact it could go in anything you don’t want to forget and alerts you when you walk away. But it’s the bank card replacement and Bitcoin uses that fascinate us.

Bluenio is in talks with banks about replacing cards with the nio Card. This should mean that if your card was stolen nobody could use it because you need your phone nearby.  Unless your phone was taken with it, of course. At the moment this works for Bitcoin, so here’s hoping that grows and can be used in more places.

The nio Card also packs 2GB USB storage into that 4mm thin form so you can use it to carry data. And it will last a huge three-months on a charge. Plus it acts as a security store allowing you access to passwords, say for your online banking, via your phone but only when the card is near.

Bluenio is currently working with lock manufacturers to create a home locks that works with the card too. Plus it will come with an SDK so the possibilities are massive. Want your Oyster on it? Yup you could do that.

So what’s the catch? It still needs a push. With 11 days left on Kickstarter it’s still at £11,000 with a target of £35,000. If you like the idea and want to pick up a nio Card for £40 follow the Kickstarter link below.