After months of development, testing, changing architecture, breaking things, fixing them and rebuilding a good part of the experience, we finally have a fully native Android app.
And I want to make one thing clear: this is not the old HiveDebit PWA wrapped inside an APK.
We rebuilt HiveDebit specifically for Android, with performance and compatibility in mind, including support for Android 7+ and lower-end devices.
The original idea behind HiveDebit was always to make HBD actually usable in the real world.
Not just another crypto wallet where you stare at a balance and send tokens from one username to another.
I wanted something closer to a real payment system.
With the new Android app you can:
• Send and receive HBD
• Pay other HiveDebit users
• Send payments through QR codes
• Receive and pay Lightning invoices
• Use your HiveDebit virtual card
• Invite another Android user directly through Bluetooth
• Top up your account using Hive/HBD
• Check your transactions
• Manage your account directly from the app
• Use HiveDebit as a POS-style payment experience instead of a traditional crypto wallet
We also worked a lot on making the payment flow simpler.
The idea is that someone shouldn't need to understand Hive, blockchains, keys, bridges or anything happening behind the scenes just to pay for something.
You open HiveDebit.
You choose how you want to pay.
You send the payment.
Done.
One of the biggest reasons Android mattered so much for this project is LATAM.
If HiveDebit is supposed to work as a real payment product in places like Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and the rest of the region, Android support isn't optional. A huge part of the people and merchants we want to reach are using Android phones, sometimes older or lower-end ones.
That is why compatibility and keeping the app lightweight has been such an important part of the development process.
HiveDebit now has native apps on both iOS and Android, and both are being built around the same idea:
Make HBD feel less like "crypto" and more like money you can actually use.
There is still a lot coming.
More payment options.
More ways to top up.
More integrations.
More countries.
And a much bigger merchant/payment ecosystem around HiveDebit.
But having Android running natively is a pretty big milestone for the project.
HiveDebit keeps moving forward.
Download Here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hivedebit.hivedebitand&hl=en
So I can walk into any store that accepts debit cards and pay with this, or does the merchant specifically need to accept HBD/HiveDebit?
The post mentions the virtual card, but doesn't say what payment network it uses or whether HBD is automatically converted to fiat when paying at a normal card terminal. That seems like a pretty important distinction if the goal is to make HBD usable as an actual payment method.
If the answer is the ladder then you have a serious crux to your solution.
No, we’re completely focused on Hive payments. As a matter of fact, HiveDebit is a tool designed to boost Hive adoption.
Bitcoin Lightning Cards work on a similar concept, and they’ve helped make Bitcoin payments way easier and more accessible, which ultimately drives adoption.
It’s actually possible for me to integrate Visa or Mastercard into HiveDebit, but that would require more funding, more development, and, most importantly, actual data and statistics to determine whether it would make sense for the Hive community.
At the end of the day, I don’t want to add features just for the sake of adding them. The whole point is to build something that actually brings value to Hive and makes HIVE/HBD more useful in everyday life.
So, what do you think would be a better move for HiveDebit? Integrating Visa/Mastercard and other payment methods across the Americas, or focusing on currency swaps and making it easier to move between Hive and other currencies?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Lmk what you think!
I'd say roughly 4–6 years from initial funding to meaningful profit.
Years 1–2: Build, test, certify, hire, manufacture, and run pilots.
Years 2–3: Begin serious deployment and merchant/user acquisition.
Years 3–4: Scale transaction volume toward operating break-even.
Years 4–6: Potentially generate meaningful profit and begin recovering the initial investment.
With 3 years after the fact to get returns and profits.
“when does this become a mature, profitable ecosystem?”, I'd say it will be about 7–10
Posted via HiveSuite
It uses hive Blockchain as a payment network, there are 3Speak videos on how to use Hive debit.
So then hive accounts is required and for this to be anywhere near usable, it requires wide user adoption, which hive is lacking in that department. Let me know when I can enter a supermarket and pay directly with this. Either way good luck with your project.
Excellent job, we need more commerce unlocking apps