No CommentsSeveral months ago GetGems Messenger was released on the Android app store. GetGems is a mobile messaging application for iOS and Android that brings cryptocurrencies to the masses, with no need for knowledge about Bitcoin, cryptography or encryption.
The application is both a messenger and a wallet. Every Gems user automatically receives a wallet, protected by a passphrase chosen at registration. A chosen Gems username also acts as an alias to a linked Counterwallet address, making it simple and easy for users to send and receive either gems or bitcoins (and later other assets).
Earlier this year the GetGems team raised $1.2M. The funding was from a combination of a crowdfunded token sale and a direct $400K investment from Magma VC. Israel-based Magma VC is well-known for their role in the success of products such as Waze, which was purchased by Google for $1.1B in 2013.
“Having both iOS and Android versions available much earlier than we anticipated is a testament to the development team’s abilities,” explains Daniel Peled, GetGems’ CEO. “We are now able to devote our efforts to the attention economy and referral system, within the GetGems app.”
The new iOS version has feature parity with the Android version released before the iOS version due to complexities with the Telegram source code on iOS. The Gems team stated,
As mentioned in the past this wasn’t an easy task as Telegram iOS open source code isn’t as well maintained as the Android version. This resulted in a lot of work to get everything to look and function as smoothly as the official Telegram app in the app store.
GetGems on iOS features the same encryption technology that Telegram uses because of it being based on Telegram which prompts additional scrutiny from the Apple Developer Program. Applications featuring high levels of encryption may see themselves under the spotlight more than other applications due to the encrypted nature of the software.
The iOS version of GetGems is available on the app store now.
