LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gem, a veteran cryptocurrency and blockchain startup founded in the early days of the decentralized movement, is launching an all-in-one cryptocurrency platform to bridge the gap between early adopters and mainstream users. The platform will provide users with a complete view and control of all their digital assets, a secure universal wallet, and a consumer-friendly, design-centric approach. The platform also will provide timely and contextual information about tokens, and a gateway to the broader cryptocurrency community through a variety of features, including social media tools.
“We want to make it easier for people to be better informed about their choices in the space and really understand what they are investing in,” said Micah Winkelspecht, founder and CEO of Gem. “It’s about giving power back to individuals and giving them direct access to the new distributed economy.”
Gem’s platform will be built on four pillars: providing a unified view of a person’s digital wealth; empowering people to control their own assets and identity; crafting an experience for people to discover new tokens and decentralized apps; and connecting people to the projects, companies, and communities driving the movement forward.
The platform will begin rolling out with a universal cryptocurrency portfolio, which will launch in public beta in May. Currently, building a portfolio of even a handful of token-based assets typically requires multiple exchange accounts, wallets, and tools to manage. The Gem portfolio will cut through that complexity, giving users one clear, consistent view of all their funds, connecting to exchange APIs to create a single entry point for tracking all of their crypto investments and their net worth. The portfolio will initially integrate with 22 cryptocurrency exchanges and grow from there. Portfolio users also will be able to manually track tokens held offline outside exchanges, such as in hardware wallets.
This summer, Gem is expanding the platform to include a universal token wallet that’s designed to make it easier for users to hold and trade cryptocurrencies of their choosing without the complexity that is traditionally required when setting up a multi-token wallet, and without the security drawbacks of hosted wallets. Initially, the Gem wallet will support Bitcoin, Ether, and any other ERC-20 tokens, with plans to rapidly add support for other tokens.
Built-in trading tools will also make it easy for consumers to securely buy and sell tokens within the wallet.
The Gem platform also will include a discovery tool allowing consumers to explore, track, and research more than 1,500 cryptocurrencies to help them make informed decisions.
Gem put the user front and center in designing the platform, using detailed surveys of both crypto investors and crypto newbies, conducting an in-depth analysis of more than 100 wallets and portfolios, and soliciting consumer feedback of existing products. The platform aims to eliminate one of the toughest design challenges in the wallet space: the dichotomy between security and ease of use. It’s largely a false dichotomy, according to Winkelspecht, who built one of the first secure digital wallets in the market.
“People shouldn’t have to compromise between having a great user experience and taking control of their digital identity,” he said. “As an industry, we need to bridge the gap between the early adopters and their needs and the majority mainstream audience. We need to deliver a better user experience.”
Winkelspecht believes that a design-centered approach will remove the barriers to entry and allow the industry to scale rapidly, as cryptocurrency evolves from primarily a speculative asset into what he describes as the equivalent of oil, a fuel for the new token economy. As Gem expands its platform, the goal is for consumers to experience a broad range of new apps and services beyond wealth management.
“I look at Gem’s role in the ecosystem as being the trusted companion connecting a user to this new world,” Winkelspecht said.
Gem’s all-in-one consumer-friendly platform will be released this summer, beginning with a public beta of its portfolio manager for Android in May, with an iOS version and a wallet soon after. Sign up for early access at https://gem.co.
About Gem
Gem believes every person is valuable. We build people-centric products driving the movement to a new decentralized economy that values people over institutions. Gem’s all-in-one cryptocurrency platform brings crypto enthusiasts confidence and delight in managing their digital assets, and helps them fully experience the New Economy.
The platform gives consumers a single entry point for tracking all of their crypto investments and net worth, a universal secure wallet, curated discovery of new tokens and decentralized apps, and a connection to the larger crypto community.
Founded in 2013, Gem’s team of veteran blockchain and cryptocurrency engineers is building on its experience deploying blockchain and wallet technology for startups and large enterprises alike, including Philips, Mercer, Capital One, and Toyota. With its new platform, Gem is taking a more direct approach to attract the next billion consumers who are entering the digital economy.
Cryptocurrency and blockchain pioneer Micah Winkelspecht is founder and CEO of Gem, which is based in Venice, California. For more information, please visit https://gem.co.
