Popular Rumor Suggesting Galaxy S10 Only Supports Ethereum is Likely False

Hours after the device was first unveiled in San Francisco, Reddit began buzzing with rumors that Samsung’s storage solution was built solely for Ethereum. Simultaneously, the cryptocurrency’s price began creeping upwards — even briefly reaching $150 at one point. As of the time of writing this article, the top posts on the Ethereum and ETHTrader subreddits both confidently state that Samsung’s storage solution prioritizes ether (ETH) over other cryptocurrencies. Even though there is no conclusive proof backing these claims, the posts in question have gained significant traction on the platform and could have motivated the current positive price movement. The posts were likely inspired by early rumors and leaks surrounding the Galaxy S10, which have been circulating on the internet since late 2018. These devices were very likely running pre-production software and, therefore, only included support for Ethereum at the time. This theory is further supported by the fact that a recent video uploaded by Korean Twitter user Heslin Kim shows the app capable of storing non-Ethereum assets — specifically Bitcoin (BTC). Towards the end of the video, the user can also be seen initiating an Ethereum transaction and authenticating the transfer with their biometrics. This all but confirms that the S10 will offer standard cryptocurrency wallet functionality right out of the box.

🇰🇷 – Samsung now priming their phones with Blockchain tutorials. The wallet integration on the Galaxy S10 has been confirmed… even after they denied it. Trying to keep Apple on their toes? pic.twitter.com/wAd7EaPzKw

— Heslin Kim @BlockchainROK (@BlockchainROK) February 21, 2019

Furthermore, the video suggested that Samsung’s secure storage supports blockchain assets other than cryptocurrencies. An image displayed during the tutorial lists decentralized applications (dApps) as an option, alongside the traditional wallet functionality. It is perhaps for this reason that Samsung has, so far, refrained from using the term ‘wallet’ during the announcement keynote and subsequent press releases. However, there has been no official statement on what kind of dApp support can be expected on these devices. Nevertheless, the Ethereum community on social media was quick to speculate that Samsung’s private keys storage solution will include a dedicated dApp browser similar to Cipher Browser and MetaMask. These services allow users to browse and interact with various decentralized applications and have the ability to store Ethereum-based ERC20 tokens as well. Notably, the tutorial video suggests that blockchain technology can be used to facilitate gaming as well as ordinary payments. Irrespective of whether or not Samsung has included support for other blockchain assets, there is no denying that the move has major implications for the adoption of cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications. Will you replace your crypto hardware wallet with a Samsung mobile phone anytime soon? Let us know what you think about the Galaxy S10 in the comments below!