On September 16, 2019, Bitcoin.com — one of the most established cryptocurrency innovators with over 4.5 million wallet holders worldwide — and leading telecommunications manufacturer HTC announced a long-term partnership to accelerate the adoption of crypto technologies. The collaboration makes the HTC EXODUS 1 the first smartphone to support Bitcoin Cash (BCH) natively without requiring users to download a BCH wallet from an app store.
Partnership Details: Native Support and Pre-loaded Wallet
Existing EXODUS 1 users can now update their devices to receive a Bitcoin.com wallet app pre-installed. The phone's Zion Vault, HTC's hardware-secured blockchain storage, natively supports BCH transactions — sending, receiving, and storing — alongside other major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Stellar, and selected ERC-20 tokens and ERC-721 collectibles.
Phil Chen, Decentralized Chief Officer at HTC, stated: “The EXODUS vision has always aligned itself towards public blockchains and its fundamental transformative nature of the future of money and the Internet. The Zion Vault is happy to support BCH natively in hardware for security to go hand in hand with the BCH blockchain as an alternative to dominant payment rails and platforms.”
Industry Commentary: Boosting BCH Ecosystem
Bitcoin.com CEO Stefan Rust commented: “There are so many synergies between Bitcoin.com and HTC. We are very excited to be on this incredible journey together.” Executive Chairman Roger Ver added: “Bitcoin.com’s partnership with HTC will enable Bitcoin Cash to be used as peer-to-peer electronic cash for all the EXODUS users around the world.”
Bitcoin.com is known for its comprehensive suite of developer tools, downloaded over 36,000 times across more than 100 countries. The company is supercharged to change the world with Bitcoin Cash, making BCH accessible regardless of age, gender, nationality or financial status. HTC, with over 20 years of mobile and VR innovation, launched Project EXODUS to power the decentralized web and bring blockchain technology to mobile for the first time.
Future Plans: Discounts and Expanded Sales Channels
The partnership marks only the first step of a long-term roadmap. Future initiatives include offering special discounts when paying for EXODUS phones in BCH, selling the devices on store.bitcoin.com, and further integrations. This strategic move could reshape how hardware manufacturers approach cryptocurrency integration, potentially lowering the barrier for mainstream users to adopt digital cash.
With native BCH support on a widely available flagship smartphone, Bitcoin.com and HTC aim to demonstrate that cryptocurrency can be as simple as sending a text. The union of a leading telecom brand with a veteran crypto platform signals a growing trend of mainstream hardware embracing decentralized finance.