As crypto prices slide, HTC touts its blockchain phone as a privacy tool
HTC Exodus is still some way off

When Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC announced its first blockchain smartphone, Exodus 1, many people thought of it as capitalizing on a hot tech buzzword. But with crypto prices sliding rapidly, the company is now latching on to a new tech trend: Privacy.
The main draw of Exodus, set for launch in December, is that it can be used as a cryptocurrency wallet and as a system that keeps digital keys to access these virtual assets in a safer place. They’re stored offline in the phone instead of being uploaded on the cloud or scribbled down on a piece of paper. (In keeping with the Biblical tone, Exodus’ key management platform is called Zion.)
But a lot has happened since then. The crypto speculation craze has been subsiding even quicker than it rose during its peak in 2017. Bitcoin, the most popular virtual currency, has dropped from its peak of almost US$20,000 to today’s US4,400 per coin.
However, there is one intriguing possible use of a blockchain phone -- and it’s not related to cryptocurrency speculators. According to Chen, it could give users more control over the data they share. It’s a hot topic, especially as people become more suspicious of how online giants are handling our data.
“The phone is the most accessible device,” Chen said during a panel at TechCrunch Shenzhen on Monday. “If you wanna start somewhere to empower users to own their digital identities and data, that’s the phone.”
