In over 53 languages, taking up about 30.0 MB of space, the DigiByte App is finally officially here on iOS. Having already been successfully released on Android; now it’s moved from Apple’s “TestFlight” to the official AppStore where anyone can download it. This will allow millions to store/send/receive DigiByte and use the built in Digi-ID authentication feature (which I’ll get more into later in this article). After about 8 months of active development, the DigiByte development team has exemplified an unparalleled work ethic in creating the best mobile cryptocurrency wallet on the market. Our devs have previously released many desktop versions which allow you to run a full node of the blockchain with only a ~10 GB download. This is much smaller than a bitcoin node, thus one of the reasons for DigiByte’s great distribution and decentralization.

Without getting into specific metrics, it should be stated that the DigiByte App is an unbelievably user-friendly experience. It all melts together seamlessly. The app reminds me of an Italian supercar: marvelously smooth on the outside, yet tremendously complex under the hood.

Though hardware wallets (or cold storage) are touted by many as the safest way to store your cryptocurrency, it could be argued that the DigiByte mobile wallet is just as safe. So long as you have your 12-word seed backed up offline and preferably on paper in a safe location. According to one of the app’s top developers, it’s recommended to only keep as much money as you would a normal leather wallet on the DigiByte app. Though you could theoretically keep millions of dollars’ worth of DigiByte on it if you wanted, however, it’d be safest to remove the download and backup the wallet with the seed at that point to prevent theft from potential onlookers.

To crack open the DigiByte App you’d need:

The PIN to the phone The PIN to the DigiByte Wallet

Sounds easy enough, right? Gaining access remotely is nearly impossible, assuming your phone isn’t “jailbroken”, given the serious encryption modern smart phones use.

Let’s assume you give your phone to your friend, just to see if she could gain access to your DigiByte App. iPhone Lock Screen: 6-digit PIN = 10⁶ possible combinations. That’s hard enough to crack. Now for the DigiByte App: 6-digit PIN = 10⁶ possible combinations. In total, that’s 10⁶ x 10⁶=10¹² possible combinations, or one quadrillion possibilities to crack open the phone. Remember there are also a limited number of attempts allowed!

12-Word Pass Phrase (Backup Seed)

What would it take to crack the private key(s) linked to your funds, or to crack the pass phrase? That would require a quantum computer of unknown magnitude, a topic Jared Tate, the founder of DigiByte, is well versed in. Jared acknowledges that quantum computing could eventually disrupt bitcoin, but a solution to the issue won’t be a priority until the Qubit count gets to threatening levels.

Just know that for now, as long as you don’t share your private key(s) or pass phrase, your funds are uncrackable by even Google’s quantum computers.

The ability to send, store, and receive DigiByte has never been easier. DigiByte transaction fees are currently $0.0001/transaction (that’s the mining fee). DigiByte is a mineable, decentralized coin which launched without an ICO in 2014. It’s built on a UTXO blockchain, similar to Litecoin or bitcoin in that respect.

Blocks are timed at 15 seconds, meaning every 15 seconds you’ll have a confirmation of the transaction. That’s the time it takes for a new block to be found (compared to every 10 minutes for bitcoin, or every 2.5 minutes for Litecoin). Transactions only take a couple seconds at most to see on the receiving end. DigiByte is at 560 transactions per second (TPS), scaling to ~280,000TPS by 2035 when all 21 billion coins are estimated to be mined.

DigiByte Wallet Speed Demo (Android/iOS): https://youtu.be/vXAjMzDus2U

The DigiByte App is backed by some serious technology, mainly being the blockchain itself. The DigiByte blockchain uses real-time mining difficulty adjustments, compared to bitcoin’s two-week difficulty adjustment. DigiShield is central in mitigating the risk of a centralized hashing entity overtaking the DigiByte blockchain. DigiShield technology is currently used by Bitcoin Cash, Z Cash, Dogecoin and others. DigiShield constantly re-targets a coin’s mining difficulty across 5 algorithms to allow for ASICs to mine alongside GPUs. It allows for better decentralization, preventing 51% attacks and copious amounts being mined all at once. In other coins this lag in difficulty readjustment could allow for large amounts to be mined before anyone has any idea what’s going on!

The DigiByte App isn’t only involved in finance, though, as it offers Digi-ID for free! You don’t have to own or store any DGB coins in your app to use Digi-ID. But what is Digi-ID? This technology removes the necessity for passwords, usernames, and two-factor authentication (such as the Google Authenticator). Thus, alleviating the stress of remembering and storing passwords, and more importantly the possibility of identity theft.

Intro to Digi-ID: https://youtu.be/pLrQycud5GI

“Digi-ID is an authentication method based on the security of the DigiByte blockchain. This allows you to log into a website, application, building security and more by simply scanning or tapping on a QR code. Digi-ID does away with the need for usernames and passwords, and can be used to compliment them for additional security.” — Digi-ID.io

The exact science of Digi-ID is rather complex, so I won’t get into the specifics for the sake of time. In essence, a single use QR code is displayed by the website (assuming it has embedded a Digi-ID plug-in, available here: https://www.digi-id.io/integration.html) which your phone’s built-in QR scanner will read using the DigiByte App. Your phone will then send the website some data to authenticate your login, using the same method (public address + private key combination) that the DigiByte blockchain already utilizes. All of this takes about a second once you enter your PIN on your DigiByte App to legitimize the login on your end (adding yet another layer of security).

Please remember, though, that Digi-ID addresses aren’t designed to store DGB, so don’t send any funds to them, as they won’t show up on the blockchain.

Conclusion: The DigiByte App is a wonderful user experience. Not only does it present a new way to safely, quickly, and cheaply send your money on the go, but it also brings a revolutionary authentication system that can be easily implemented by any website. DigiByte constantly strives to underpromise and overdeliver, and the DigiByte App is no exception.