HTC has announced a new blockchain-powered smartphone designed to support cryptocurrencies.
The HTC Exodus will support Bitcoin, Ethereum and other rapidly emerging currencies in a universal wallet.
There’s also a secure hardware enclave designed to support decentralised applications, which don’t require validation from the likes of Google and Apple.
HTC is also planning to launch a native blockchain network, where Exodus phone owners can trade cryptocurrency with each other.
Here’s the first image of the handset, which will go on sale in October.
The creator of the HTC Vive, Phil Chen, is being brought into head up the company’s new blockchain activities.
He’ll be the “decentralized chief officer” and is planning to announce more news about the Exodus phone at the Consensus 2018 conference on Tuesday.
No spec sheet yet…
HTC isn’t the first company to launch a blockchain-powered smartphone, but it is the most illustrious.
The Finney phone from Sirin Labs, announced last month, was the first. It costs $1,000 and enables the use and storage of cryptocurrencies without incurring transaction fees.
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“Through Exodus, we are excited to be supporting underlying protocols such as Bitcoin, Lightning Networks, Ethereum, Dfinity, and more,” Chen said (via The Next Web)
“We would like to support the entire blockchain ecosystem, and in the next few months we’ll be announcing many more exciting partnerships together.”
There’s no news yet on the specs, but the company will likely reveal more later today. We’ll update this post when the information is available.
Will this phone give HTC a way to boost its ailing smartphone fortunes? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.