GreenBits for Android: get your own Bitcoin address
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GreenBits is a Bitcoin Wallet application for the Android operating system that provides you with your own Bitcoin address, and sending and receiving functionality.
More and more online shops and services accept bitcoin payments, and while Bitcoin is still far away from being accepted by the mainstream, it is already widely used on the Internet.
One thing that may be keeping users away from Bitcoin is that it seems highly technical and difficult to set up.
While that may be the case for some applications, others have improved to a point where it is as easy as setting up a new Google or Facebook account.
Greenbits
Greenbits is a free application for Android that provides you with a Bitcoin Wallet. This includes your very own Bitcoin address of course, and options to send and receive Bitcoins.
To get started download and run the application from Google Play. It displays a passphrase on start which you should write down as it is the password that opens up your Bitcoin Wallet on the device.
You can take a screenshot of the passphrase which is probably one of the easier options. Later on, you may add a pin to the app on the device which you can use instead to sign in to your account (the passphrase consists of 20 or so words and is therefore difficult to remember for most).
The app suggests to add 2-factor authentication as an additional means of securing the Bitcoin Wallet. Options range from using SMS or Phone, to email or Google Authenticator for that. Setup is easy and improves the protection of the wallet significantly.
The application itself divides the functionality into three tabs:
- Receive displays the QR code or Bitcoin address that others can send coins to.
- All lists the Bitcoins in the wallet and how much money that is.
- Send finally provides you with options to send bitcoin to another address (by directly entering it, or scanning the QR code).
Greenbits support click and qrcode scanning payment protocols, paper wallet scanning in WIF and BIP38 formats, and optional blockchain verification via SPV.
Verdict
Greenbits is an easy to use app that you can use to get your own Bitcoin address in a matter of minutes. It enables you to send and receive bitcoin, and offers features such as 2-factor authentication to improve the security of the Bitcoin wallet.
If you just want an easy solution to send and receive Bitcoin, this may be worth a look.
I am using Circle which I have to admit is pretty easy to use. Considering that I don’t really use bitcoin, it works for me, plus it’s kind of fun watching my bitcoin value fluctuate, kind of like watching stocks