Gurgaon -based VVDN Technologies is the design and manufacturing partner of  Embedded Downloads,Ireland, for the BitVault secure smartphone.
New Delhi, October 5 2017: Blockchain, the highly secure ledger system that fuels many financial transactions today,  is now fueling a new generation of highly secure communicators. The cryptography that ensures that blockchain is so  safe,  has been harnessed by Indian engineers of  Gurgaon ( NCR) -based VVDN Technologies to develop what is  arguably the world's first  blockchain-driven smartphone -- called BitVault.
The phone is a product of the Limerick, Ireland-headquartered Embedded Downloads  who will shortly  market the  device  worldwide.
To call this a smartphone is misleading: this is no ordinary  phone:  Yes, it uses an Android operating system  and can be used for voice calling, video calling, messaging, and document sharing. But all these functions    are secured within a private blockchain network.
Explained Hein Marais, Founder and CEO, Embedded Downloads  at thelaunch on the sidelines of the  India Mobile Congress in Delhi: "The call is not from a phone number to a phone number but from public-key on the blockchain to another public key on a blockchain. Similarly, a message is not to an email address but from a key to a key. BitVault  thus forms its own closed eco-system creating a secure communication environment not accessible to outside devices."
Access to the device itself is  via  fingerprint recognition, and iris scan that has been secured by what is known as Third Party Independent Multilayer Security (3IMS).
The BitVault phone is mainly intended for those who want to make secure transactions of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin  and offers its own Bitcoin wallets. However,  its security features and closed network may find appeal  in defence and security forces.
Because the phone operates within a closed and secure ecosystem,  normal mobile apps in Google Play  will not  work on BitVault and conversely  BitVault apps  wil not work on  normal Android  devices.
Specification-wise this is a  5.5 Inch phone running on a , 64 bit 2.0GHz Octa Core Processor,  with 4GB RAM and 64GB Flash Storage,13MP rear  camera and 8MP front camera. It is  rated for 4G LTE, WiFi, and  Bluetooth.
Says Vivek Bansal, Founder and VP Engineering VVDN Technologies: “We feel proud to be associated with Embedded Downloads in the development of BitVault. The device  is designed to  answer the needs of government agencies, financial institutions, defence/police, power plants, logistics firms, cyber security companies, and any business or individual who needs  a very secure private communication network."
The phone  which was developed by a team of 100 engineers   Gurgaon and Bengaluru, is being manufactured in India and will be  launched globally  on October 31. The India price is expected to be around Rs 75,000.