Bitcoin iOS Users Have Updates and New Options

Bither is a decentralized multi-platform wallet featuring options for hot or cold storage of funds, kept safe by Hierarchical Deterministic Multisignature (HDM) security. The wallet is available on multiple platforms so you can have flexible security no matter what you use. In a recent update the team expanded iOS support to include the Apple Watch, allowing the device to display Bither finances, and with the most recent update QR codes can now be displayed on the wrist accessory.

If you haven’t heard of this open source wallet there is a good reason. The four man team based in Beijing hasn’t advertised much, as they prefer to devote their time and resources to developing the product. Updates are posted on Twitter, Bitcointalk, and Reddit, with the wallet also recently added to the Bitcoin.org recommended list. Anyone interested in the code behind the product can view it on Github.

“Bither is an open source project. Others can contribute to it on Github if they are willing to. More languages is always a good way to support an open source project.”
— – Bither

The best part about this wallet is the choice between hot and cold storage. Once selected, there is no changing this option. Cold storage is best kept on a device not connected to the internet, keeping your coins completely safe. Hot storage is meant for smaller amounts of bitcoin to be kept on a daily carry device for convenience.

By using QR codes, now available on the Apple Watch, users can complete an unsigned transaction from cold to hot – with the offline device never connecting to the internet. After the two wallets are linked cold storage funds can be monitored from the hot storage device. A Bither wallet set to cold storage will not activate if it senses a network connection is present.

“You can use it to generate unsigned transactions and use QR Code to communicate with Bither Cold to make valid transactions and send them. In this way your private keys which contain large amount of bitcoins will always remain offline.”
— – Bither

HDM seeds are generated separately on each device. If the hot storage device is lost a paired cold storage device, and the Bither server, can be used to recover funds. If the Bither server is down, the cold and hot storage keys can be used to recover funds. The cold key is the most important to backup.

With such excellent security, and a reason to repurpose older smartphones, Bither is a project with a point of difference. The icing on the cake is multiple platform compatibility, with any version able to serve as a hot or cold wallet. The combination of flexibility and function should be top of the list for every bitcoin wallet, after security. Losing funds should be the last concern on any users mind.

YardWallet Releases iOS Wallet

Alongside Bither, iOS users now have another wallet option available on the Apple Store in the form of newly released YardWallet. Also a HD wallet, but with a multisignature vault, the wallet allows anonymous use.

What should be noted is this wallet is very young, and users should tread lightly before trusting it with large amounts of bitcoin. Some things are unsettling about YardWallet, such as the lack of information on founding parties and no open source code to check for safety. There are also a variety of errors on the site and important features, such as a wallet restoration tool, are listed as ‘coming soon’. These facts in combination with a lack of details are a breeding ground for skepticism.

YardWallet has claimed the code will be open source in the near future. For now iOS users have other verified and secure wallets available such as Bither and Breadwallet. These wallets are both open source and have held up to the test of time. YardWallet has some work to do in terms of trust, and hopefully they will come through as a reputable option for owners of Apple products.