Charis Chrisna
TechInAfrica – Crypto markets seemed to have attracted a substantial amount of interest from the people—both from those who are new to the term and also veterans who have delved further into the digital money businesses and trades. With Libra peeking out the corner (you can read our article about Bitcoin vs Libra by clicking this link), some aspire to replace traditional, conventional government-issued currencies to manifest the new means of transaction and commerce. Pundi X, a Singapore-based company operating in the fields of cryptocurrency, launched XPhone, a blockchain-powered smartphone in Kigali, Rwanda.
XPhone, claimed to be the first smartphone in the continent powered by blockchain technology, was unveiled at the GSMA Mobile 360 Africa. Zac Cheah, CEO of Pundi X, also declared:
The XPhone allows everyone to make a phone call on the blockchain.
But what does it mean to be blockchain-powered? Pundi X explained that instead of the familiar, frequent operating systems such as iOS or Android, XPhone in this case implements a new form of blockchain embodiment via a new operating system called Function X—or FX for short. With XPhone, users are connected to the blockchain, which means all of their digital activities ranging from calls, text messages, browsing, or even taking pictures are transmitted via blockchain.
In other words, XPhone by Pundi X proves that the significance of blockchain technology is not only emphasized by cryptocurrencies (well, most often, that is), but also in becoming practicable solutions to service delivery problems that involves peer-to-peer affiliations. In this sense, users are in control of their data. In a case of Rwanda, for instance, if you had an XPhone, MTN or Airtel would not be able to access your information.
Cited from Pundi X’s website:
We keep innovating the ways to harness the power of blockchain technology to facilitate financial inclusion. At Pundi X, we want to make digital currencies to be more accessible to more people across the borders and further increase the value of digital currencies for all.
Moreover, XPhone is available for everyone to tinker and build applications thanks to its open-source nature. For its initial phase, the company also hopes to reach 5,000 phones in production by the end of 2019, yet this notion doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be looking to partner up with other corporations in the future.
Source: itnewsafrica.com
