BlockTrail is Launching Multi-Platform Bitcoin Wallet – Part 1

What is Block Trail?

Is the Bitcoin community in need of another wallet? The fact is true as Amsterdam based Block Trail is sure to reckon space for another active player despite some of the sizable and well-funded wallet entities already like those of Blockchain.info and Coinbase to name a few. While the former has raised around $ 30 million to date, according to Cruchcbase it has racked up around 4million users while the latter has some $107 million in funding and circa 2.5 million users. There are of course scores of smaller wallet apps along with pretty visible wallets including Circle and Xapo.

Been live in the Bitcoin analytics space since 2014 is the new Dutch challenger block trail backed by €500,000 in seed funding from the co-founder Lev Leviev as just launched a multi-platform Bitcoin wallet claiming more secure than some existing alternatives owing to implementing multi-signature and HD wallet which earlier- to- market Bitcoin wallets may not have. 

In keeping more with the decentralized spirit of Bitcoin, the users of the wallet create and store their private keys rather than trusting it to be a central key control and coin repository. To update, the Coinbase does, however, offer a multi-signature vault product for pro users letting users keep their encryption keys. Regarding the vault, it notes Coinbase cannot move funds meaning the customer has a much greater responsibility to store the backup key securely. In the event of losing the backup and forgetting the multisig password, Coinbase cannot help recover the Bitcoin.

What Do The Founders Find New With Block Trail?

It is noted that then the advantage of the decentralized wallet which is according to BlockTrail cofounder and CEO Boaz Bechar there is wallet user retaining control over the bitcoins and which can’t be locked out by a centralized service provider that the entity decides they need to freeze the account or be told to by authorities. Do they need to be hacked? Or in case they should vanish into the ether taking coins with them which is a la the Mt.Gox exchange saga. With a more than fair share of Wild West moments already the nascent Bitcoin landscape has more to offer. 

Wanting a reassurance of trusting a large well-funded entity as some people might want, has insurance underwriting risks of hacking so that the company claims it will reimburse users for any lost bitcoins as Block Trail’s co-founders point out that’s not so very different to trusting a traditional bank. If at all the centralized financial control you’re after then why are you even involved with Bitcoin 

The reason for no longer being dependent on a bank is why people get into Bitcoin as the motto about Bitcoin is by your bank. Necessarily you need not want to be part of a financial system keeping you hostage when they own your funds.

Bechar adds that people know us and the main reason comes to trusting the brand as also using the apps whereas in the case of Bitcoin there isn’t even the need to trust us and in case they were to disappear, people still own bitcoins where they cannot run away with the coins and still use the app to restore wallets even without us that makes us special.

What Are The Drawbacks Involved?

With potential drawbacks though a decentralized wallet on the usability front gives the service that can’t carry out certain actions immediately as it does not hold the coins itself which is likely to have more back and forth between wallet and user when they want to do things with coins sending them to someone else or instantly selling them. Arguing that multi-signature and HD wallets make it easier for a decentralized wallet to smooth out these sorts of usability wrinkles is the Block Trail.

The question is whether the Block Trail targets the wallet at core Bitcoin community users while also trying to cast a wider net to more mainstream consumers who are thinking about starting to dabble with BTC? In the initial stage, the target is Bitcoin savvy types where developers have already been using the Bitcoin API and blockchain explorer. Adding to it they aim to reach out beyond existing well informed Bitcoin nerds, in fact, touting UI simplicity as one of their differentiators despite being decentralized wallet service. 

As Leviev says they are interested in bringing Bitcoin to masses and the widest audience possible with example one of the functionalities available and going to improve is that you can send bitcoins to anyone on the contact list even if they don’t have a wallet downloaded initially what you get is an SMS saying let’s try out the wallet and get a Bitcoin that I send to you and that’s where we are thinking that we can build from existing community to wider audience.

The Concluding Thoughts

While these features come possible on Block Trail’s wallet it is from the get-go that it's benefiting from later developments in Bitcoin infrastructure according to the team as Vries argue that as we have come a little later than a lot of other wallets we have been able to think about things better where we also have a lot of these convenient functionalities in the app. 

Whereas according to Bechar, as we differ from blockchain wallet we use a different technology coming around when HD wallet and multi-signature aren’t yet around. Being able to start the infrastructure built on multi-signature and HD wallet offers users a better all-around wallet and technology. 

Adding to it he says that the space being very fragmented not many big players offer a good technology for the user and thinking there’s space for a product like those which offers better security and staying true to bitcoin’s values by allowing users keep the private keys.