Today in crypto, 75 million Samsung Galaxy users in the US will gain access to Coinbase One through an expanded integration between the consumer electronics manufacturer and the US-based crypto exchange. Sources have warned of a vulnerability in the Unity gaming platform that could potentially impact crypto wallets on Android, and the European Central Bank has selected technology partners for its digital euro project.
Samsung expands Coinbase integration with direct crypto purchases in Galaxy Wallet
Consumer electronics giant Samsung has expanded its partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, allowing its Galaxy smartphone users to buy crypto directly through its native Samsung Wallet.
In the first phase, about 75 million Galaxy users in the United States will gain access to Coinbase One, a subscription service that offers zero trading fees, higher staking rewards and account protection for lost funds due to unauthorized access, Coinbase announced Friday.
“Together with Samsung, we’re pairing their global scale with Coinbase’s trusted platform to deliver the best value for people to access crypto — starting with more than 75 million Galaxy users across the U.S., and soon around the world,” said Shan Aggarwal, chief business officer at Coinbase.
The two companies aim to expand access to more Galaxy smartphone users worldwide, potentially bringing a significant influx of new mainstream investors to the crypto market, given the over one billion active global Galaxy users.
Samsung accounted for about 13% of the world’s 7.4 billion smartphone users as of September, according to BankMyCell.
Unity Android flaw could drain gamers’ crypto wallets
The Unity gaming platform is quietly rolling out a fix for a vulnerability that allows third-party code to run in Android-based mobile games, which can potentially target mobile crypto wallets, according to two sources who asked to remain anonymous.
The vulnerability affects projects dating back to 2017, according to the sources, who added that the vulnerability primarily affects Android, but Windows, macOS and Linux systems are also affected to varying degrees.
Unity has begun distributing fixes and a standalone patching tool privately to selected partners, according to the sources, but public guidance isn’t expected until Monday or Tuesday of next week.
A Google spokesperson told Cointelegraph they are aware of the vulnerability. “Unity is making a patch available to app developers to fix this issue, and developers should update their apps immediately,” the spokesperson said.
European Central Bank picks tech partners for digital euro
The European Central Bank (ECB), as part of its preparation phase for a potential digital euro launch, announced framework agreements with technology providers responsible for components of the central bank digital currency (CBDC).
In a Thursday notice, the ECB said it had reached agreements with seven entities — and at least one more expected to be announced — to provide services related to managing fraud and risk, a secure exchange of payment information, and software development for a possible digital euro. Among the companies were Feedzai, which uses AI to detect fraud and the security technology company Giesecke+Devrient.
“Following the framework agreement conclusion, G+D and other successful tenderers will work with the ECB to finalize planning and timelines,” said Dr. Ralf Wintergerst, CEO of Giesecke+Devrient. “Under the guidance of the ECB Governing Council and in line with EU legislation, this work will cover the design, integration, and development of the Digital Euro Service Platform.”
Other components and services that the technology companies will provide include “alias lookup,” allowing digital euro users to send or receive funds “without necessarily knowing the details of the Payment Service Provider of the other end-user.”
Giesecke+Devrient is also responsible for the engineering and development of allowing users to make or receive payments with digital euros while offline.
