Sunday, June 2, 2019
Stay in Touch With Changing Markets Using the Crypto Trends App
If you are closely following cryptocurrency markets, you know things can change in a split second and at any moment. Having an application like Crypto Trends on your smartphone can help you check how your favorite coins are faring at a glance.
Also read: Choose Where to Buy Cryptocurrencies Using Exchangify
Mobile App Lets You Set Alerts for Dips and Gains
Crypto Trends is a free mobile application developed for Android devices which lets you detect dips and gains quickly. All changes are color coded and their significance is also represented in lighter or darker red and green. The ad-free app has positive reviews in the Google Play store and it’s indeed light and fast.
The platform tracks the current price of thousands of digital coins and tokens, including bitcoin cash (BCH), and informs you about their hourly, daily and weekly changes in percentage points. It supports 35 base fiat currencies – not only major ones such as the U.S. dollar and the euro, but also the Indian rupee and the Chinese yuan.
Crypto Trends allows you to mark the cryptocurrencies you are interested in as favorites and create watchlists. The software gives you the opportunity to set custom alerts at price thresholds and provides smart alarms, which notify you in case the market cap changes significantly within the last 24 hours.
If you’d like to be constantly updated about crypto prices and market valuations, you can also check out our Bitcoin Markets tool on your desktop or laptop computer. You can use its filtering options to pull data for any of the top 500 cryptos by market capitalization. You can also highlight your favorite coins and track them separately.
Are you using a mobile app to stay informed about cryptocurrency markets? Let us know in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to third party companies or any of their affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any third party content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Crypto Trends.
Are you looking for a secure way to buy Bitcoin online? Start by downloading your free Bitcoin wallet from us and then head over to our Purchase Bitcoin page where you can easily buy BCH and BTC.
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via Lubomir Tassev
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Mixing Service Bitcoin Blender Quits After Bestmixer Takedown
On May 27, cryptocurrency supporters learned that the anonymous BTC mixer Bitcoin Blender would be shutting down. The news follows the recent closure of Bestmixer.io after it was seized by global law enforcement.
Also read: Plea Bargain Means Silk Road 2 Admin Will Likely See No Prison Time
Bitcoin Blender Bows Out
Another popular bitcoin mixing platform is closing its doors, but unlike Bestmixer.io, Bitcoin Blender is doing so voluntarily. Last Monday, on the organization’s official thread on the Bitcointalk forum, the Bitcoin Blender admin, ‘Blender,’ told the community the business was shutting down and to “please withdraw” funds. Bitcoin Blender was a popular mixing operation for over five years and it’s considered one of the oldest tumblers out there. It provided tumbling services that would give users the ability to send to 10 different addresses for fees between 1-3%. The Bitcoin Blender operation randomized fees in order to obfuscate tumbled transactions. The mixing service offered an auto-withdrawal, an onion address on the invisible web, and a quick mode as well.
Like many other centralized mixers, Bit Blender has mixed reviews. Some users called it a top-notch mixing operation, while others have complained of losing funds. After the anonymous admin announced that the service would be closing many people asked why the site was shutting down. “Does this have anything to do with the recent hunt against some mixers by government agencies and the fall of Bestmixer?” one commenter asked. “Or he is closing shop and running away with the profits that he has gained so far — That would be a smart decision if he isn’t sure of his opsec,” ventured another person on the Bitcointalk thread.
Whether It’s Simple Storage or Mixing Services, Noncustodial Solutions Continue to Shine
Not too long before Bitcoin Blender bowed out, Europol and the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) seized the mixing website Bestmixer.io. The news shocked the community as the service was one of the most popular tumbling platforms offering mixing services for a variety of cryptocurrencies. Dutch authorities accuse Bestmixer of mixing $200 million or 27,000 BTC over the course of the operation’s existence.
Bitcoin Blender voluntarily shutting down is similar to when Bitmixer.io spontaneously closed its doors back in July 2017. At the time people asked Bitmixer whether the organization was threatened by law enforcement. The reason for these questions stemmed from the takedown of the two darknet marketplaces Alphabay and Hansa just days before Bitmixer quit.
The issues centralized crypto mixing operations have continued to plague digital asset supporters who practice various methods of privacy. Over the last year, the push for noncustodial tumbling software has been at the forefront of people’s minds. One particular protocol that’s been catching the attention of privacy-minded crypto activists is Cashshuffle. The Cashshuffle plugin for Electron Cash launched on March 27, 2019, and since then, BCH users have shuffled millions of dollars worth of bitcoin cash. Other light clients like the Bitcoin.com Wallet aim to add the feature as well in the future.
As far as Bitcoin Blender is concerned, many of the people discussing the subject on Bitcointalk presumed that other popular mixing services would likely follow. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Chipmixer suddenly leaves the business too,” one user noted. He added that it makes sense to quit before the “armed mercenaries of the government” raid the operation. “Life is too short to spend in a jail cell,” he concluded.
What do you think about Bitcoin Blender shutting down services on its own? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.
Image credits: Shutterstock, Cashshuffle, Bitcoin Blender, and Pixabay.
Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet? Check our tools section.
The post Mixing Service Bitcoin Blender Quits After Bestmixer Takedown appeared first on Bitcoin News.
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Samsung Galaxy S10 – What’s Up With the Crypto Wallet?
Samsung’s new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S10, had one of the most anticipated premieres this year. The launch of the high-end lineup, comprising three models, marked the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy S series, considered a benchmark in the Android world. A slew of new features were introduced for the latest model. However, the one addition that sparked great interest in the crypto community – the Samsung Blockchain Wallet – is not available to many S10 users, and where it is included, it does’t store bitcoin.
Also read: The Number of Cryptocurrency Wallet Users Keeps Rising
Flagship Smartphone That Stores Private Keys
It’s been almost a year since the Korean electronics giant published an article on its Insights platform explaining “why smartphones have the best security for blockchain and cryptocurrency.” In the blogpost, IT consultant and security expert Joel Snyder argued that crypto wallets installed on mobile devices are better suited for storing digital assets than computers. That’s because smartphones utilize what’s called a Trusted Execution Environment. The TEE has a separate memory and persistent storage, completely isolated from the rest of the device. The operating system, Android in this case, is unable to reach into the TEE even when it’s compromised.
“The only way to get to and from the TEE is with an API that calls small applications running in the TEE ‘trustlets.’ With a properly written wallet that uses trustlets to manage the keys, security is seriously tight,” Snyder insisted. If the wallet is stored on a PC hard disk or if the developer chooses to store the private keys on the phone’s regular internal storage, there’s little protection against malware. However, if the keys are in the TEE and only accessible via a trustlet, the malware will not be able to extract them directly, the security expert pointed out. Samsung’s own Knox mobile security platform adds another layer of protection, according to Snyder.
Rumors that the new Galaxy S10 would incorporate a secure feature allowing the storage of crypto keys appeared long before its launch. They were reinforced by leaked images in January showing an app called Samsung Blockchain Keystore in the Galaxy S10 menu which, according to its description, allows you to secure and manage your blockchain private keys. In February, when the new flagship phone was released, Samsung revealed it came with “secure storage backed by hardware, which houses your private keys for blockchain-enabled mobile services.”
No Bitcoin in the Samsung Wallet
The official announcement, which was dated Feb. 21, 2019 and tagged “Korea, UK, USA,” did not provide any more details about the crypto wallet that was supposed to be integrated into the new devices. That’s despite Samsung’s decision to file a trademark in the United Kingdom titled “Samsung Crypto Wallet” back in December, 2018. Meanwhile, previous reports that the wallet would support major cryptocurrencies such as BTC, BCH, ETH and ERC20 tokens were dismissed as speculation.
As a result, there’s been some confusion among Samsung fans and crypto enthusiasts regarding the availability of the Blockchain Keystore in different markets. According to reviews, forum threads and some of Samsung’s own press releases, the feature is available on devices in the U.S., Canada and South Korea. News.Bitcoin.com confirmed that phones sold in the U.S. have it, but a video review from March suggests that it may not be present on all devices in America. Generally, the keystore can be found in the Settings menu, under Biometrics and Security. The crypto wallet itself has to be activated.
Another video review shows an Enjin wallet installed on the Korean version of the Galaxy S10. To set it up, you need to launch the application, click “Samsung Wallet” and accept the terms and conditions. Once you do that, you’ll be welcomed to the Samsung Blockchain Keystore where you need to agree with its terms and proceed by clicking “Start” to launch the wallet. Then you’ll have two options: either import an existing cryptocurrency wallet or create a new one.
The Samsung Enjin Wallet supports ETH, ENJ, BNT, KNC, the Binance token (BNB), an ethereum-based ERC20 token called “wrapped bitcoin” (WBTC) as well as a couple of stablecoins, true USD (TUSD) and USD coin (USDC). There’s also an integrated exchange feature where more coins and tokens are available. Unfortunately, neither bitcoin cash (BCH) nor bitcoin core (BTC) can be seen among the supported cryptocurrencies.
European crypto enthusiasts seem to be excluded from the privileged crypto club at this stage. Devices sold in Sweden don’t have the Blockchain Keystore or the Samsung Wallet preinstalled, news.Bitcoin.com found out. A thread in Samsung’s EU community support channel suggests that the built-in blockchain wallet is not available in the U.K. either, and the app cannot be downloaded from the Galaxy Store. A moderator with the nick TracyR explains that the Samsung Blockchain Keystore is only available in the U.S., Canada and Korea, adding “There is no news currently [mid-April] if this will be available in the U.K.”
User guides for Galaxy S10, S10e and S10+, prepared for various other countries in Europe and elsewhere, do not contain instructions on how to activate the crypto wallet feature. Where it’s available and if it’s not preinstalled, you should be able to download it from the Galaxy Store. The same applies to the Samsung Blockchain Wallet application. If you manage to get it, while creating a new wallet you will be asked to provide a PIN before Samsung generates a 12-word recovery phrase for you. This may sound like a unique feature but it’s just like any other mobile crypto wallet available in the Google Play store.
According to available information, the Samsung wallet supports ETH and ethereum-based tokens. The option that allows you to import an existing wallet is also for ethereum wallets. It remains unclear whether and when other major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin cash and bitcoin core will be added. That’s despite a presentation of the S10’s blockchain features during the Samsung Mobile Business Summit earlier this year clearly showing the Bitcoin logo. News.Bitcoin.com contacted the Samsung Newsroom to find out more about the availability of the phone’s crypto features in different markets and obtain a full list of the supported coins. By press time, there has been no reply to our query.
Talk of More Blockchain in Galaxy, Coins in Samsung Pay
Reports this month suggest that Samsung plans to further invest in expanding and developing the blockchain package. Despite the limited availability of the Keystore and the lack of support for Bitcoin, the Korean conglomerate may bring its crypto wallet to more Galaxy devices. Chae Won-cheol, managing director of product strategy at Samsung’s Wireless Business Division, said in an article published on the Korean page of the Samsung Newsroom that the electronics giant will “lower barriers to new experiences” by offering more phones with blockchain functions and expanding the list of countries where the service is available. Without revealing details, the company representative added that Samsung will also work with telecom operators to activate other related technologies such as blockchain-based identification and introduce support for local currencies.
Last week, the Business Korea portal reported on Samsung’s decision to transfer its Blockchain Task Force from the Mobile Business Division, which is behind the development of the Blockchain Keystore and the Samsung Wallet, to the Service Business Division. The latter is responsible for the implementation of key features and the development of core applications in the Galaxy smartphones, including the mobile wallet and payment service Samsung Pay. One of the possible outcomes of this internal reorganization is the integration of decentralized cryptocurrencies into Samsung Pay which, according to the publication, accounts for 80% of the South Korean simple payment market. Once again, what, where and when are questions that Samsung owes answers to.
Do you expect Samsung to eventually introduce support for major cryptocurrencies such as BCH and BTC in its wallet services and mobile devices? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to third party companies or any of their affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any third party content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Exchangify.
Are you looking for a secure way to buy Bitcoin online? Start by downloading your free Bitcoin wallet from us and then head over to our Purchase Bitcoin page where you can easily buy BTC and BCH.
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Choose Where to Buy Cryptocurrencies Using Exchangify
Purchasing cryptocurrencies often involves using the services of a digital asset exchange. Such trading platforms typically differ in terms of features, listed coins and supported fiat currencies. Exchangify.io is a website that can help you find the best option in your region.
Also read: Cryptocurrencyalerting.com Will Notify You of Price Movements
Website Selects Exchanges According to Your Criteria
Exchangify is an online platform that ranks dozens of crypto exchanges by daily volume, area of operations, support for fiat currencies, available payment methods, and applicable fees. You can expand the set of criteria by adding more columns to its table such as “Decentralized” or find out if an exchange has been hacked before.
Using the website you’ll be able to identify the trading platform you need. The search feature allows you to select the cryptocurrency you want to buy, the currency (digital or fiat) you want to pay with, the country you live in so that the platform is available there, and the payment method you prefer. You can choose from a range of payment options including major credit cards and popular payment processors.
Exchangify has additional filtering options. For example, you can order it to display crypto exchanges that support fiat payments, provide crypto lending services, offer over-the-counter trading, or maintain zero trading fees. You can also choose platforms which apply a specific fee system – maker/taker, flat, buy/sell, and fixed.
All crypto exchanges can also be listed by country – Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the U.S, and by type – “Regular,” which includes most major trading platforms like Binance, Kraken, Bitstamp, and Poloniex, or “Direct and P2P” such as Shapeshift and Localbitcoins.
A dedicated page for each exchange contains detailed information including area of operation and fees. Exchangify also provides a table with the listed coins and tokens with their current prices and trading volume as well as a link to the platform’s website.
Do you know other exchange ranking websites? How do you choose the trading platform where you buy cryptocurrencies? Tell us in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to third party companies or any of their affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any third party content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Exchangify.
You can now purchase Bitcoin without visiting a cryptocurrency exchange. Buy BCH and BTC with your credit card directly from our trusted seller and, if you need a Bitcoin wallet to securely store it, you can download one from us here.
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