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Samsung Launches Bitcoin Support for Galaxy Smartphones

August 14, 2019

Multinational electronics firm Samsung is introducing native support for Bitcoin (BTC) on its blockchain-powered smartphones. 

The South Korean company’s decision to add Bitcoin functionality comes several months after the launch of the Galaxy S10 smartphone in March 2019. Bitcoin support is available through the beta version of Samsung’s software development kit (SDK). The electronic giant’s Blockchain Keystore allows users to store cryptocurrency directly on their smartphones by creating unique blockchain addresses.  

The private keys belonging to user accounts will reside in a secure enclave and different applications will be able to interact with the Keystore allowing users to make crypto transactions right on their phones. 

According to Samsung’s developer notes, Android devices can connect crypto addresses to the Blockchain Keystore, sign transactions and check the Keystore status. However, since it’s still under development, software engineers can only access the SDK via an application process.

“Official version of Samsung Blockchain SDK will be announced by the end of 2019. In the meantime, developers can request a partnership to use the beta version of the Samsung Blockchain SDK.”

The blockchain-related features on Samsung’s smartphones are available in a limited number of jurisdictions including the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and South Korea. 

The Keystore currently lists 17 DApps, and the firm is developing its own blockchain that is based on the Ethereum protocol. The Korean cellphone maker is also reportedly working on its own crypto token.

In addition to supporting Bitcoin, the Keystore allows transactions with Ether and ERC-20 compliant tokens on several Samsung phones including the S10e, S10, S10+ and S10 5G. The Seoul-based firm’s Note10 and Note10+ devices also support Ether and BTC functionality.

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