Blockchain for Windows Phone brings Bitcoin support to the Wallet

By Rich Edmonds
last updated

Blockchain has been available on Windows Phone for some time, but we've failed to cover it until now. Billed as the first app on the platform to support Bitcoin, the app enables you to carry out transactions using the Wallet service (www.blockchain.info). The developer is also the same soul who was behind Web2Tile back in 2011.

So what exactly is Bitcoin? It's an open-source cryptocurrency where the creation and transfer of "bitcoins" is based on a cryptographic protocol that is independent of any central authority. The concept was introduced back in 2008, billed as a "peer-to-peer, electronic cash system". Bitcoins can be transferred through a computer or smartphone without an intermediate financial institution.

Think of it as an online, peer-to-peer, freedom bank.

Each user has a bitcoin address (slightly like email addresses on PayPal), which is essentially a cryptographic public key. Its string of numbers and letters is often stored in a digital wallet or mobile device and it is protected by a password (or other means of authentication). Each bitcoin transaction is signed by the private key of the user initiating the transaction. In this case, Blockchain is the bitcoin client that helps you interact with your online wallet.

Blockchain allows you to view your current balance, check out previous transactions and wire bitcoins to recipients, just as you would on a desktop client. If you're still rather baffled by the concept (we were at first), be sure to head on over to We Use Coins (www.weusecoins.com/en/questions) for some quick answers about multiple parts of the system.

The http://www.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8Windows Phone 8 app is an interesting solution that integrates with the default Wallet Hub, offering quick and convenient access to the service. It's worth noting that you need to have a Bitcoin wallet with Blockchain to use this app (requires authentication before continuing). Here's a quick video of the app in action:

If you're an avid fan of Bitcoin or use it on a daily basis for transactions, Blockchain is well worth checking out. You can download Blockchain from the Windows Phone Store for free.

QR: Blockchain

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

26 Comments
  • Wait, can you buy windows phone apps with this?
  • About to ask that very ? :)
  • No, you cannot.
  • Lame !!
  • Yah me wana know to can we ??
  • No
  • Rich answer me !!!
  • NO. YOU. CAN. NOT.   Rich has answered. :-)
  • You cannot be more loud,clear & specific,can you? ;)
  • I've tried to understand bitcoins, but never was able to. Sounds like a bunch of hobblescobble
  • Oh you have nothing to worry about. It's not an elaborate world-scale scam to give up some of your real cash for a nonphysical currency and then when you're fully invested, looses value completely, and then you're left with a software with a bunch of characters and digits. No its not :)
  • You say that like the US dollar is backed up by anything real. All modern currency is technically a scam by your definition. There is no gold/silver standard anymore. It's all play money.
  • The US dollar like all world currences is backed by the country resources. which includes food production raw materials ecconomic production, Guns weapons and people willing to use them when nessasry to protect and exploit previously mentioned raw resources.
     
  • So while Bitcoin is not backed by these resources, it's also less likely to be affected by any one country's reliance on production and export of these resources. Which means that once it stabilises (as it's beginning to do lately), it will potentially fluctuate much less than any other currency.
  • Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a method of transferring money with out government or third party interference. Think of it as digital gold, it only has value because it is useful and limited, and offers several advantages over current systems like credit cards.
  • Think of it like "Itchy & Scratchy Land" money... You exchange real money for it, but almost no one accepts it except other people who want to buy it. You can "mine" for it on a computer, but it takes a long time and you'll spend a fortune in electricity compared to the value you'll gain. Some people made money when it first game out - buying for $10 each and selling for $260 each.
  • Bitcoin is a joke. People make the argument that the dollar isn't really backed by gold, but bitcoin is totally fabricated.
  • You guys are awesome!
     
    I'm planning on releasing an update as soon as next week, featuring: - Coinbase support - Paper Wallet import (private key) - Bitcoin address autocompletion - Ability to select the "from" address - Bitcoin url support  
    Thanks again for spreading the word!
  • Hi, Miguel.
    Thank you for your work in this app.
    The scanner is not working for me. It keeps saying "credentials invalid". After a few tries, the scanner has stopped working. I point at QR but nothing is scanned (nor a message is displayed).
    I don't know if it is related, but the image through the app's scanner looks distorted (not evenly square). If I use the camera or the scanner from the search button, the image is ok.
    Thanks.
  • Same here. First it would crash after the scan when trying to link to Wallet, and now it just says 'Credentials Invalid'.
  • Blockchain's API currently doesn't support 2FA.
  • Ah, that could be it as I activated 2FA while it was throwing exceptions, it would have changed afterwards. Thanks!
  • really looking forward to seeing coinbase integration. you have it in your screenshots so thought I was missing something.
  • I'm having the same issue mentioned above. After scanning the QR, the app says "invalid credentials". I have my wallet setup on blockchain. I also have added your app to my phone wallet. But nothing seems to work...
  • Deactivate 2FA.
  • is it official？