Arguably the best blockchain phone available on the smartphone market, the HTC Exodus 1 was launched in 2018, and unlike the Samsung Note 10 Klaytn Phone, is available on a global scale. The smartphone comes with a wallet for popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum, among other ERC-20 tokens. The embedded cryptocurrency wallet goes by the name ‘Zion’, and provides for all-in-one private vault security, and protection. The company’s newest hardware solution is currently in production, Samsung said. The first smartphones to feature the advanced security solution will be in the Galaxy S20 series, which are set to see a worldwide release in March.
The last blockchain phone we are going to check out is Galaxy S10 that comes with a cryptocurrency wallet option. The wallet supports a number of digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cosmo Coin, and Enjin Coin as well as DApps. Last few years, some big companies started to produce new type smartphones that include blockchain or cryptocurrency features such as crypto wallet, cold-storage wallet, DApp store…etc. Since blockchain smartphones are going to be trendy in the near future, let’s take a more in-depth look at five blockchain smartphones that seem a great choice for the crypto community.
Social key recovery is “arguably an early step toward formalized non-state-backed identity,” he tweeted. All of a sudden, several crypto-focused handsets are hitting the market, or will soon. The biggest player in the new game is Samsung, which confirmed this month that the Galaxy S10 will include a secure storage system for cryptocurrency private keys.
You can use a secret sharing dapp to trustlessly distribute information fragments among multiple other parties in a way that can only be reassembled if everyone willingly agrees to do so. Some blockchain smartphones are pre-installing this kind of dapp to handle cryptocurrency private keys.
Security Vs. Custody, Explained
Samsung’s previous flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S10, already features a built-in cryptocurrency wallet and advanced data protection. HTC introduced the Exodus 1S last October, touting it as the only mobile phone that can run a full bitcoin node.
This is essentially like a secure, offline safe for digital information on your phone. This can hold various types of data and then provide them on a case-by-case basis as needed. Those using Samsung devices with the Blockchain Keystore are able to store the private keys to their bitcoin and crypto wallets on the device. Samsung, the South Korean technology giant and creator of the Galaxy smartphone range, could soon become one of the biggest drivers of bitcoin, crypto and blockchain adoption. This basically means that users will be able to verify transactions on the underlying bitcoin network.
In October “early access version” of Exodus was finally made available for purchase, at a cryptocurrency-only price of 0.15 bitcoin or 4.78 ether – equivalent to £750 at the time of writing. The handset will be available in 34 countries, with the noteworthy exception of China, which recently cracked down on cryptocurrency trading. Outside of buying and selling cryptos, smartphone markers are increasingly eyeing blockchain technologies as as a way to reassure users concerned about the security of their private information. HTC’s device is joining a nascent but increasingly busy field of blockchain-dedicated smartphones.
Blockchain startup Sirin Labs recentlyteamed up with electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn to launch the blockchain mobile phone Finney, while Samsung launched its Galaxy S10 in the spring. Others such as LG are rumored to be moving into the blockchain space with upcoming devices. Taiwan-based tech giant HTC will allow users of its Exodus blockchain phone to mine cryptocurrency, but it isn’t going to make them rich.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 includes a secure storage system to hold cryptocurrency private keys. Expect hardware within the phones to facilitate secure private key management, transparent gas payments when using Dapps and more. Depending on the type and level of encryption used, crypto phones may be restricted or classified items. In the long run there are many applications for this, because the secure element hardware wallet part of the phone can hold more than just cryptocurrency private keys.
It all means that the Exodus smartphones are likely to remain niche gadgets for crypto enthusiasts. Being able to mine cryptocurrency or run a Bitcoin node is a neat curiosity, but HTC’s ailing smartphone division needs a lot more than that if it’s going to turn itself around. HTC’s Exodus blockchain smartphones will soon receive their own mining app, letting them mine Monero cryptocurrency when plugged in and idle, The Block reported earlier this month. The DeMiner app, which is being developed by Midas Labs, is scheduled to launch in Q2 2020.
HTC is bringing out a cheaper version of its blockchain-friendly smartphone in a bid to entice the people hesitant about buying cryptocurrencies and expensive flagships from the likes of Apple and Samsung. What sets this phone apart is the integrated secure enclave for storing your cryptocurrency. It’s separate from the operating system, which makes it more secure than a wallet that lives online. The enclave works with a custom wallet called Zion, which stores various cryptos like Bitcoin, Ether, and Litecoin. Will this be enough to win over the cryptocurrency ecosystem, one characterised by a knee-jerk hostility towards incumbents and corporations?
Rebuilding trust, one phone at a time.
HTC announced that it has partnered with browser maker Opera to make it easier for people to use crypto, whether for making micropayments on websites or for using dapps. This also explains why Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin seems so excited about one particular feature of HTC’s Exodus 1, called social key recovery. Essentially, users can choose a small group of contacts and give them parts of their keys. If they lose their keys, they can recover them piece by piece from their contacts. Buterin, as usual, is looking far down the road, in this case to a future where people use blockchains to maintain more control over their digital identities and personal data than is generally possible today.
- The embedded cryptocurrency wallet goes by the name ‘Zion’, and provides for all-in-one private vault security, and protection.
- Arguably the best blockchain phone available on the smartphone market, the HTC Exodus 1 was launched in 2018, and unlike the Samsung Note 10 Klaytn Phone, is available on a global scale.
In other words, Zion utilizes the TEE to generate and keep your keys safe. They often involve cryptocurrency, so having more security can be useful. With blockchain smartphones you can directly pay into dapps from your phone’s cold wallet for added security and portability in dapp use. The security solution will enable users to securely store their confidential data, including PIN codes, passwords, and cryptocurrency private keys. Samsung’s security chip provides users with extra countermeasures that defend their devices from various attacks, including reverse-engineering and laser attacks.
Samsung has introduced a new, state-of-the-art chip that will improve the security of its smartphones for storing Bitcoin and Ethereum private keys, helping long-term adoption. If bitcoin or cryptocurrencies are stored on a smartphone-based wallet that gives users control over their private keys it removes reliance on external exchanges. These new 5G enabled smartphones build on the Galaxy S10 ranges’ bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain support, which last year was revealed to boast a built-in bitcoin and cryptocurrency wallet. The Crypto Mobile HC-9100 is compatible with the high-performance smartphones Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Samsung GALAXY A3 as well as a number of phones from Nokia. You simply insert the card into the existing memory card slot – it will remain invisible to others.
Blockchain smartphones can provide additional security primarily through the built-in hardware wallet that’s common to most blockchain phones released to date. The turnkey solution is one of the most secure hardware protections in any smartphone, Samsung said. It is completely tamper-resistant and able to store users’ confidential data completely separate from typical mobile memory, making it less susceptible to exploitation. Samsung, the largest electronics manufacturer in the world, has announced the introduction of a new security solution designed to protect data stored in on its smartphones. What HTC aims at doing with Exodus is providing a middle-ground solution.
The Exodus range allows users to store cryptocurrencies in the built-in Zion hardware wallet with claimed “military-grade” security. The other important blockchain phone that is in the market worldwide is HTC’s Exodus 1. It has a cryptocurrency wallet for digital assets such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum and other ERC-20 tokens. The embedded crypto wallet called Zion that provides ‘all-in-one private vault’ protection. Any transaction on Zion wallet is done over Trusted Execution Environment (TEE).
HTC Exodus 1
It’s one of the best smartphones you can buy right now, and then on top of that, it also offers a robust crypto currency wallet and solid selection of dapps. Here’s a closer look at the HTC Exodus S1 and six other blockchain-centric smartphones vying for your hard-mined crypto. If you are curious about crypto and can afford one, it might be a nice way to test the waters. If you are already into crypto, you probably already have a wallet you trust, and this first generation of phones may not offer you much extra.
The interplay of the two products protects your voice communication reliably and to the maximum extent. If your mobile phone should fall into the wrong hands or be stolen, no one can access the data stored on the card. With the Crypto Mobile HC-9100, you own the smallest high-security encryption platform in the world.
While the safe enclave is not totally unhackable (nothing is), keeping one’s keys on a quarantined chip is safer than storing them on a software wallet, fully tied with the smartphone’s operating system. The Samsung Galaxy S10 has an incredible screen, top-end Android processing power, a sharp triple-camera setup, and a sleek and stylish design.
Personal tools
A Wired review of the Exodus 1 called it a “smartphone with a cryptocurrency side gig.” That’s about as much of a “blockchain phone” as can be expected at this point. To be compelling to users outside the bubble of enthusiasts and speculators, these phones will probably need to do more than just keep your keys safe. This week, Samsung and HTC touted a few things they hope will do the trick. Samsung seemed to reveal partnerships with several blockchain projects, including beauty services dapp Cosmee and Enjin, a blockchain-based gaming platform.
Chainlink: Finding Real Value on the Blockchain
Following Facebook’s recent privacy-related scandal, several crypto-savvy developers have proposed harnessing blockchain technology to give users greater control over their personal data. “Cryptocurrency is a part of [HTC Exodus], but not the most important part,” Chen says. The wallet supports several cryptocurrencies, including the likes of Bitcoin, Cosmo Coin, Ethereum, and Enjin Coin among others. What’s more, the smartphone is available all over the globe, and is a wonderful prospect, if you are looking to buy a high-end phone with good cryptocurrency and blockchain-backed capabilities.