HTC is working on a new blockchain-powered phone running Android and the phone, named Exodus, that will feature a universal wallet and a built-in secure hardware enclave to support cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications.
The Exodus phone will have support for bitcoin, ethereum, and other major networks, with more partnerships expected to come later on. HTC has a vision of a native blockchain network that uses Exodus phones as nodes that support cryptocurrency trading between users. The company is rumored to allowing people to purchase the Exodus phone with cryptocurrency. No price has been set yet for the phone.
HTC Vive founder Phil Chen will be heading all blockchain initiatives. The move follows the recent trend of Facebook Messenger and Instagram executives switching over to lead a blockchain division for Facebook. Accordingly, Chen’s new title will be “decentralized chief officer.” We’ve also reached out to HTC for more information.
Chen said during the New York City blockchain conference, Consensus 2018, today: “We envision a phone where you hold your own keys, you own your own identity and data, and your phone is the hub.”
Here’s a sneak peak of the product drawings for Exodus:
HTC’s Exodus might be the world’s second blockchain-powered phone. The first one, created by Sirin Labs, called Finney, is a phone that lets people store and use digital currencies while skipping transaction fees. It costs $1,000.
We suppose we have to wait for one of these blockchain phones to be available in the market to see if they make the experience of browsing through the decentralized web any better than the regular smart phones, but I am not particularly keen on them.
