Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC is the latest tech giant to embrace the blockchain trend. The company is reportedly developing an Android smartphone, named “Exodus,” that can run blockchain-based decentralized applications (DApp).
The new smartphone will make use of the emerging technology to offer a native cryptocurrency experience. Exodus will feature crypto-linked functions such as cold storage crypto wallet, secure exchange access, encrypted communications and a P2P resource sharing ecosystem for payment and apps.
Offline storage of digital currencies will be extremely secure with Exodus provided that the private keys are backed up and never shared.
HTC’s decentralized chief officer, Phil Chen, further explained: “The Exodus is the first native blockchain phone dedicated to bringing end consumers the best decentralized application (DApp) experiences, including a built-in secure hardware enclave, and helping underlying protocols expand their base of dedicated nodes, thus expanding the total blockchain ecosystem.”
One of the more interesting features is the inclusion of exodus phones to create a native blockchain network, acting as nodes to facilitate cryptocurrency trading among the phone users.
“Through Exodus, we are excited to be supporting underlying protocols such as Bitcoin, Lightning Networks, Ethereum, Dfinity, and more,” Chen noted.
Phil Chen, who is best-known as the founder of the Vive virtual reality headset at HTC, said the new device would allow the company to start accepting payments for its phone pre-orders in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
The plans would mark the first confirmed foray of a major smartphone maker into blockchain. However, HTC is not the first to consider producing a blockchain powered phone as the Israeli startup SIRIN LABS is already touting its Finney product as the “world’s first blockchain phone.”
Although HTC has greater name recognition and expertise in smartphones, Sirin Labs said pre-orders for the FINNEY phone have surpassed 25,000 unit and confirmed that the device will be available in market in the second half of 2018.
“I want to see a world where the end consumers can truly own their data (browsing history, identity, assets, wallets, emails, messaging, etc.) without the need for central authorities. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but I believe the mobile hardware layer can contribute significantly to our decentralized world,” Chen concluded.
(Photo: HTC)
