HTC Exodus 1s will bring blockchain to more smartphone users

HTC has unveiled the HTC Exodus 1s smartphone, a cheaper version of the Exodus 1 phone with built-in cryptocurrency and blockchain.

The new phone will be launched at the end of the third quarter. The Exodus 1s combines blockchain with a smartphone to bring the decentralized ledger technology to a new audience.

The idea is to make it easy to let users participate in emerging economies. Those wanting to dip their toes into the crypto world for the first time can find easier access to the technology with a more accessible price point.

HTC said this move will democratize access to crypto and blockchain technology and help global proliferation and adoption. The company will release further details on exact specifications and cost over the coming months.

The Exodus 1s will be the first smartphone to have full node capabilities and will contain the full Bitcoin blockchain and allow a trustless experience. Full nodes are the only way to use Bitcoin in a fully private way and are critical to securing the future of Bitcoin.

“Exodus is about empowering the user. We gave users the ability to own their own keys, and now we’ve gone one step further to allow users to run their own full node,” said Phil Chen, decentralized chief officer at HTC, in a statement. “We are democratizing access to the technology for a free world. Full nodes are the most important ingredient in the resilience of the Bitcoin network, and we have lowered the barrier to entry for any person to run a node, which is simply a computer, mobile in our case, participating in a global Bitcoin network that propagates transactions and blocks everywhere, which is the foundation and fundamental definition of a peer-to-peer cash system.”

The decision to add crypto and blockchain coincides with a movement toward protecting privacy and data security, driven by the skepticism of how large tech companies are using data and uncertainty as to how secure it actually is.

HTC said the decentralized web will allow users to protect and secure their own data by providing more transparent peer-to-peer services, removing the intermediaries that used to benefit from holding your information.

HTC’s Project Exodus is a smartphone solution that will power the decentralized web. Zion, your private vault on the blockchain, allows you to conduct cryptocurrency transactions, view and manage your crypto collectibles, and manage your crypto life while maintaining ownership of your keys. With your Zion Vault you can store, send, and request Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, selected ERC-20 tokens, and ERC-721 collectibles.