Whatsapp, a leading messaging app owned by Facebook, is reportedly allowing users to send and receive cryptocurrencies on the platform.
According to a tweet from Zulu Republic, WhatsApp users will soon be able to trade Bitcoin (BTC) and Litecoin (LTC) on the messaging platform, in a move that will open the crypto market to billions around the world.
What is Zulu?
Zulu, the company that broke the news, is “an ecosystem of blockchain tools and platforms where people, businesses, and organizations thrive.”
“We are happy to announce that from today you can send and receive #bitcoin & #Litecoin on #WhatsApp via @liteim_official!
The WhatsApp bot accepts Bitcoin, Litecoin and Zulu’s native token, ZTX, and is now available for most users around the world. The move to allow interaction with cryptos on WhatsApp follows a trend from major messaging and social media companies like Twitter. This is bound to drive crypto adoption. Facebook recently revealed its intentions to create their own native token, although no official date for release has been set.
Facebook WhatsApp Privacy Concerns
However, both WhatsApp and Facebook do have some privacy issues holding them back in their crypto quest. This week, it was revealed that hackers had been able to install spyware on iOS and Android smartphones through a single phone call through the WhatsApp. This vulnerability on WhatsApp existed for weeks allowing hackers to inject Israeli spyware on phones through a WhatsApp call.
WhatsApp has since urged its customers to upgrade their apps to stop this from happening again. Yet, this must be a worrying sign for anyone who is looking to put their hard-earned crypto on the site. Facebook has also been on the receiving end severally for lack of proper security around personal information.
The move from WhatsApp is in stark contrast to the Chinese version of the messaging app, WeChat. Recently, Asia Crypto Today reported on the ban of crypto on the popular messaging and payment app, which is used by billions across China. Previously, China was the biggest crypto market until the relationship went south, prompting the china bitcoin ban.