Korean tech giant Samsung has added support for third-party cryptocurrency hardware wallets, including the Ledger Nano S and Nano X, to its range of Galaxy smartphones.
Users of Samsung Galaxy smartphones can now link their device to their hardware wallets to manage and trade cryptocurrencies via the Samsung Blockchain Wallet app.
In a press release accompanying the announcement, Samsung noted that the update enables users to "access and process transactions by importing virtual assets stored on select cold hardware wallets to the Samsung Blockchain Wallet."
Samsung first introduced support for blockchain on its smartphones in 2019, with the introduction of the Samsung Blockchain Keystore and Wallet. The Blockchain Keystore enables cryptocurrency private keys to be stored in Knox, a secure enclave on the device that's isolated from the main operating system and can only be accessed using a PIN or biometric authentication.
The update adds hardware wallet support to Galaxy smartphones running Android 9.0 or above, though Samsung cautions that the Ledger Nano X's Bluetooth features may be limited. Devices without the Blockchain Keystore can still make use of the update, though these users will need to physically connect their smartphone to the hardware wallet to manage their cryptocurrencies and keys.
Since it first introduced the Blockchain Keystore feature on its Galaxy smartphones, Samsung has continued to support cryptocurrency on subsequent Galaxy smartphone releases such as the Galaxy S20, though the feature hasn't been heavily promoted. Samsung has also expanded its support for a number of cryptocurrencies including Tron, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Klaytn and Stellar, as well as crypto buying and selling features through cryptocurrency exchange Gemini.