This is now the third time we’ve heard that the Galaxy S10 will do something most Android phones can’t, including last year’s Samsung’s flagship — that’s support for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. A leak in December said the Galaxy S10 would feature both hot and cold crypto wallets, as well as transactions for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major digital currencies. Then, a few days ago, we saw real-life photos of the Galaxy S10 revealing the Samsung Blockchain KeyStore functionality of the phone, as seen below.
Sources familiar with the matter now tell The Korea Herald that Samsung Pay will include blockchain technology on the Galaxy S10. The report notes that Samsung Pay has been gaining traction in the country, being one of the killer apps on Samsung phones. The addition of crypto support in Samsung Pay could encourage the adoption of various cryptocurrencies that can be used to pay for goods and services.
“The arrival of the new Samsung phones could start popularization of the cryptocurrency wallet system in Korea,” an industry official said.
Samsung will not be the first company in Korea to launch a mobile wallet for virtual currencies. The report notes that SK Planet, an SK Telecom subsidiary, already has a similar wallet for its Syrup mobile payment service.
The difference between the two is that Samsung is rumored to offer users a hardware wallet for Bitcoin and other coins (the cold wallet) and also an internet-connect wallet that can support transactions (the hot wallet). That’s, of course, if one of the previous leaks detailing the Samsung Blockchain KeyStore functionality is correct.
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S10 series in just a few weeks, on February 20th, in San Francisco.
