Bitcoin Apps Are Doing Just Fine On Android, And Another Major One Is About To Launch
By all appearances, Apple recently tweaked its app store terms of service to provide a pathway to for Bitcoin apps to regain citizenship in its app store.
The move comes about four months after Apple removed the last remaining, and one of the most successful, Bitcoin wallet app, by Blockchain, the London-based firm that also publishes every Bitcoin transaction it has access to.
Apple never went on record to explain the move, but many assumed it came as a U.S. crackdown on actions against were heating up.
For the Bitcoin world, it was an unfortunate setback, but hardly fatal.
That's because Bitcoin apps continue to thrive on Google's Android phone. There are now 48 of them, according to Google Play.
Blockchain says it plans to launch a brand new consumer wallet for Android in mid-July. Blockchain execs say it will be far more consumer friendly than previous versions.
It will also be more secure than other apps. Five years into Bitcoin's existence, many of even the most well-capitalized Bitcoin firms still lack adequate security protocols, Blockchain COO Peter Smith told BI. "They're giant pools of money," which makes them vulnerable to a MtGox-like meltdown, he said.
Blockchain, on the other hand, simply installs a more user-friendly version of the core Bitcoin software onto your phone, while still guaranteeing any losses.
The company recently provided BI with some screenshots:
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Bitcoin prices were little changed Friday, and now trade around $580.