HTC’s Latest Blockchain Phone Can Run a Full Bitcoin Node

Taiwan's electronics maker HTC has launched its latest blockchain, the Exodus 1s, which enables users to support the Bitcoin network.

The company unveiled the device on Saturday at the Lightning conference in Berlin, that the new product is the first smartphone capable of operating a complete Bitcoin node, allowing him to deploy transactions and blocks anywhere.

Phil Chen, the decentralized administrator at HTC, said in a statement that the full contract is the most important element in the flexibility of the Bitcoin network and we have lowered the barrier for anyone to operate the node.

The new smartphone comes to the market at 219 euros ($ 244), about a third of the cost of its predecessor Exodus 1. HTC will sell the new version at the Berlin conference using the Lightening payment network.

The device allows users to install an SD + 400GB card to expand its memory, allowing it to process the increased data capacity required to store the full ledger in Bitcoin. The current size of the full ledger closes at 250 GB, according to Blockchain.

The company recommended users to connect to a WiFi network and connect to a power source while the full node is running, although it can also be used on the go.

The smartphone also has a built-in hardware portfolio to help users store cryptocurrencies securely. By default, it comes with 4 GB of RAM and 63 GB of storage, and runs on Android Oreo 8.1

The smartphone will be available in 27 countries across Europe and the Middle East, including Germany, Greece, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It is not currently planned to sell in the United States

HTC is joining an emerging but increasingly crowded field of block smartphones. Sirin Labs, which recently started working with Blockchain, teamed up with electronics giant Foxconn to launch Blockchain Finney, while Samsung launched its Galaxy S10 in the spring. There are other rumors like LG moving into the blockchain space with upcoming devices.

Beyond buying and selling encryption, smart phone brands are increasingly looking at blockchain technologies as a way to reassure interested users about the security of their private information.