SteemWallet 1.1.0 - major updates! - In-App Payment (1-click to buy) Account Creation, Themes, Api-node switcher, Multicurrency support and bugfixes.
SteemWallet is the fast, open-source wallet for Apple and Android devices which I launched about 4 months ago. Since it's inception it had only seen one bugfix release just prior to SteemFest in November.
So, why the long ride since SteemWallet's last update?
Well,... I was done with my todo's but then I got a last minute feature request / suggestion by @transisto which I really liked about looking into "account registration" via In-App Purchases. Offering this would add extra options to get a Steem Account quickly via eas(ier) ways (and instant) then awaiting account approval and "competes" with alternatives like AnonSteem and Blocktrades' account registration features (which both use crypto for paying the registration fee) and the recently launched (credit card fiat paid) Steem Ninja registration service.Introducing an "in-app payments" feature involved not only creating the "app side" of things (namely interfacing with the Appstore / Play Store's In-App Purchase module. It also meant I had to setup a new node and write a REST API which receives, verifies, and stores Purchase-receipts and then registers the new account, using it's dedicated registration account: @steemwallet.born (you can see here I had quite some tests already :P).
So I worked the better half of Xmas holidays on this project (it was already done before the Duplo train hack :) and then Apple decided to keep it "In Review" for 4 weeks in a row. Only just today we finally had calls back & forth and they actually apologised and released the app update! Yes, yes!
How in-app payment instant account creation via SteemWallet.app works:
- The user indicates s/he wants to create an account on the Steem chain
- The account name is validated for both availability and eligibility
- The user needs to create a master password which has sufficient strength using the ZXCVBN analysis
- The user needs to confirm the master password on a second view.
- The user hits "Purchase" to fullfill the in-app payment and checks out with the native iOS / Android (click to buy) to obtain a single-use "Account Creation Credit".
- If the purchase was successful, the purchase-receipt is send to the new REST API along with the desired username and public(!) keys (owner, active, posting, memo).
- The REST API verifies the receipt with the appropriate appstore, checks if it had not been used before and if all is valid, creates the account instantly using beempy (by @holger80)!
- Upon successful creation, the user is shown a final time the Master Password, along with the derived keys for Owner, Active, Posting, Memo, using the Dsteem library. The user needs to copy and store the contents safely.
- The user needs to afterwards manually import the active key to use the newly registered account in SteemWallet or can use the appropriate key(s) elsewhere on Steem interfaces immediately.
You can find the new "Create Account" feature when launching a fresh install of SteemWallet or via the (also new) Settings menu. You can create as many accounts as you like (as long as you pay for them).
Costs of an "Account Creation Credit" via 1-click:
Looking at Steem's current price and account creation costs of 3 Steem the current price for an in-app purchase of an "Account Creation Credit", giving you the right to register one account on the Steem Chain, is set around 3.49 EUR (3.99 USD). From this revenue the appstores take a direct cut of 33% (or more, depending on your origin and local VAT). The costprice of 3 Steem is currently about 0.75 - 1.00 EUR which leaves about 1.25 EUR on the table for me as developer. For that I still need to pay the REST API node so depending on usage it will more or less equal out.Note that the "Account Creation Credit"-price can vary depending on the Steem price itself as well as the account creation registration fee consensus set by witnesses.
I hope this is a nice new way to instantly create a Steem account. Thank you @transisto for the suggestion. It was fun tackling your request :)
What's else is new in SteemWallet:
Moar cool stuff for you:The app now has a "settings menu" - for these new options:
- API-node switcher: The app now contains a list of API-nodes which you can pick from. You can also add your own node
- Multi currency countervalue switcher: Previously both Steem/SBD countervalue was denoted in USD. Now you can pick your preferred currency: some other crypto's or many fiats now supported thanks to @coingecko api!
- Themes: Now you can switch from bright light (default) to 3 other themes: Dark mode, Navy Red and Yung Pink. If you are creative feel free to check out the github JSON for creating your own theme and if it looks nice, I'm happy to implement it in upcoming updates! https://github.com/roelandp/steemwallet/blob/master/app/alloy.js#L62
- The 'Create Account' feature mentioned before.
Did you know...
- ... you can add multiple accounts to monitor, by tapping your username and add / switch to another account?
- ... SteemWallet is fully opensource? https://github.com/roelandp/steemwallet - feel free to pull request!
- ... you can help translate SteemWallet into your native language / locale? Thanks to @pharesim's tip the project is now live on Community Crowdsourced translation platform Crowdin - https://crowdin.com/project/steemwallet (thank you @guchte for the recent added NL translation). SteemWallet is now available in 8 localized translations!
That's all for now. I hope you like the new update and especially the new possibility for easily and instantly creating new Steem account(s) through an in-app payment!
Please note: due to caching it can take a bit longer before the update is available in both the Apple Appstore and the Google Playstore.
Wishing you a prosperous 2019,
Roeland
https://steemwallet.app
Ps. If you like what I am doing here, consider a witness vote for '@roelandp' - Thanks!
This is a huge update! I see a lot has been added to the Steemwallet app. It's great that you developed a better alternative to create Steem accounts in the app. I haven't used the app before, however, I just hit the download button on Play store, and I am impressed! The app is sleek :)
I appreciate the details you provided on how to create instant accounts through the app.
The post is entertaining, well written, and I enjoyed reading through! I appreciate the work done, and the information provided. You are awesome!
Your contribution has been evaluated according to Utopian policies and guidelines, as well as a predefined set of questions pertaining to the category.
To view those questions and the relevant answers related to your post, click here.
Need help? Chat with us on Discord.
[utopian-moderator]
Thank you for your review, @tykee! Keep up the good work!
I can try to translate it in Bulgarian when I have time I’ll try to see about that tomorrow!
Posted using Partiko iOS
@roelandp
Let me know about the easiest way of contacting you about that translate?
Such a brilliant, "simple" *(to use...) tool
Thank you @roelandp for choosing CoinGecko's API!
We hope people love the multi-currency countervalue. Our Gecko-Steemians are playing with the app now as we speak!
Hey, @roelandp!
Thanks for contributing on Utopian.
We’re already looking forward to your next contribution!
Get higher incentives and support Utopian.io!
Simply set @utopian.pay as a 5% (or higher) payout beneficiary on your contribution post (via SteemPlus or Steeditor).
Want to chat? Join us on Discord https://discord.gg/h52nFrV.
Vote for Utopian Witness!
Thanks to the backlog of reading posts... I didn't miss this one. =) geee.. so much to cross check... that it easily gets crazy overloaded by this life.
@roelandp, I do most of my STEEM transactions via STEEM wallet. I've been using it since September or October. Very nice wallet.
Also, I have voted for you as a witness.
So, keep on doing the great job!
A question: is it possible to integrate into the STEEM wallet some kind of cryptocurrency exchange, so that we exchange STEEM to BTC, or LTC, or EOS? For example in the Jaxx wallet was possible to exchange let's say LTC to BTC and vice versa.
Great update and cool use case for beem. I already tested the new update on android, everything works good so far (did not test account creation).
Thanks holger, really working with beem for this was smooth sailing. Such a nice product. Now looking into account claiming :P But needs some delegations then haha.
Nice! I’m updating the app right now!
Are the new accounts created with any SP or leased SP delegation?
Are there sufficient RC to do anything?
Posted using Partiko iOS
No delegation on the account I just created. I was able to resteem and still have some Rc's left.
The accounts are created by paying the 3 Steem for creation, but there is no SP delegated or additionally given. Can be nice to do. I will look into this. Although officially it would be out of apple bounds as they don't want to offer crypto purchases through in app payments.
Yes there is a little bit of RC with every new account. You can do 2 comments and some other transactions.
Hey @nateguila,
Have you heard about @steem.ninja? There you pay $2.5USD, get a Steem account AND a 15 SP delegation for 90 days on top. Check it out: Steem.Ninja There is also a referral program that pays you $0.5USD for every account sold with your ref link :)
Read @exyle's post about it here: https://steemit.com/exyle/@exyle/a-steem-account-for-only-usd2-with-creditcard-with-15-sp-delegation-thanks-to-oracle-d
Kindest regards
@ascorphat
Yes Steem.Ninja is great! We hope to lower the price also in the future, however we are also bound by the fact that the appstores account 33% markup-fee :(
We just want to offer the 1-stop shop for being a wallet and also be able to offer account-creation!
From my research about stripe I know that they take 30cents + 2.9% of every transaction. They probably not even make profit. Have you though about just implementing steem.ninja? With their referral program you earn with every sold account :D
Thanks for your comments.
Please understand, first off this update to the app was already done on 26th of December. Then there was no Steem.nInja yet. Unfortunately the app had been stuck in review with Apple for almost a month.
With apple (and google) it is unfortunately required that when selling digital consumable products, such as account creation is, that you have to use their In App Purchase feature and are not allowed even to link to alternative (e.g. creditcard) payment options external to the app, from within the app.
On the other hand, there is also a benefit. It literally is tap-tap and done, no need for creditcard data exchange. And in the appstore it literally is everyone already having payment setup.
That said, this was never about making money. But a service towards completely onboarding users.
I will see with steem.ninja if we can exchange 'account creation' as they use their oracle-d delegation for creation of accounts and if they have a surplus of free claimable accounts I could maybe help get rid of them, meaning it wouldnt cost me 3 Steem to create and can then lower the price. But those are big "ifs"
kr roeland
Hi :) I understand how easy it is. However the accounts come with 0SP. So you need to buy a delegation somewhere on top. If Steem.Ninja uses claimed accounts I think they could sell them for 0.50$ (minimum that you have to charge with stripe)
I appreciate your easy wait of account creation but with 0SP the accounts are not really useable as they run out of RC super quick.
awesome was thinking steem need a mobile wallet for easy transaction. didnt know it exist mths ago. local currency estimate is useful, now we can go out dining with steem friends and pay in steem.
btw maybe you can consider using @oracle-d account creation api which @share2steem been using to help onboard new users to steem.
s2s provide free steem account for new users with the self claim account and provide 15 sp delegation to help new users perform actions. if there's no more available claim account, s2s will call the api from oracle-d to get new free claimed steem account.
Posted using Partiko Android
thanks can be of interest for lowering the price of account creation, thank you for your suggestion. kr roeland