BARCELONA—Smartphone makers will never stop trying to one-up each other on security features, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before one capitalized on the cryptocurrency boom and built an encrypted wallet app right into the phone.

Sikur is all about security, and the cryptocurrency wallet is among many encrypted features on the device, including end-to-end encrypted messaging and chats, browsing, and voice and video calls. The SikurPhone is an evolution of the company's Granite smartphone released in 2015, upgraded with a new user interface. Specs-wise, the SikurPhone has a 5.5-inch display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 13MP rear and 5MP front camera, and a 2800mAh battery.

Sikur launched a bug bounty program through HackerOne to see if the SikurPhone could be hacked. Two months later, the platform's global collective of hackers hasn't cracked the phone, nor stolen any cryptocurrency from the wallet apps. The company said it's establishing a permanent program with HackerOne to continue testing new versions of the software.

SikurPhone is available for pre-order starting at $799; the first units are expected in August. Take a closer look at the SikurPhone and its built-in cryptocurrency wallet below.


1. Simplified User Interface SikurPhone runs a highly modified version of Android 7.0 Nougat. The UI has been overhauled from the Granite phone for greater usability, simplifying the interface into a single basic slide-out menu.

2. SikurWallet To get to the cryptocurrency functionality, you have to load the SikurWallet app, which is available from the Cryptocurrency option in the main menu.

3. News Feed The first tab within the wallet app is a news feed aggregating stories from around the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.

4. Price Tracking As with Coinbase and other exchanges, the wallet app can track price changes, toggled over various time periods.



5. Cryptocurrency Support According to Sikur, the list I scrolled through on its demo phone was not live and only meant to serve as an example of supported currencies (hence why Ethereum is spelled wrong). The cryptocurrencies available in our hands on included Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, Dash, and Ripple.

6. Buying and Selling Sikur said it has integrated buying and selling functionality into the wallet through the ability "to run any exchange or wallet" but didn't specify the mechanics of exactly how that would work. The company also told PCMag that it stores cryptocurrencies using a combination of encrypted on-device and cloud storage, though as Mashable points out, this could leave your wallet vulnerable to sever-side attacks.

7. Multiple Wallets SikurWallet allows you to create multiple types of wallet as well as import other mobile wallets, though it's unclear what exactly the "shared wallet" option entails. Sharing your cryptocurrency wallet or private keys with anyone is a very, very bad idea.

8. Exchanges According to Sikur, the SikurPhone's built-in cryptocurrency wallet can support any exchange, but at launch the options available were Coinbase and Glidera.

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