WHAT IS STATUS??????? Introducing Status,  Ethereum for Mobile !!!

https://status.im/

Introducing Status — Ethereum for Mobile

On the heels of another successful hard fork, we’re pleased to give some updates on Status, an open source light client for Android and iOS. For those of you who missed our presentation at Devcon2, this is what we’ve quietly been working on this year.

Status combines a messenger and a browser, to build a gateway for everyday smartphone users to begin using ÐApps, and a simple way for ÐApp developers to reach new users.

In 2016, we are still only at the dawn of the Ethereum ecosystem. But given time, Status will evolve into a seamless way to interface with a full suite of decentralized applications and services.

Our mission is to lower the barriers to entry on Ethereum. Not only will this create a more valuable ÐApp ecosystem, but also facilitate the transition to a more open internet.

The Evolution of Status
Although we haven’t made any public announcements until recently, it was a little over 18 months ago that we began porting the Ethereum Java implementation to Android (thanks to the foundation through a Ðevgrant we were awarded for this — successfully completed prior to Devcon1).

Our original idea was to create a mobile ÐApp browser, but as we began observing our own behaviours on our smartphones, and analysing industry trends we took a different approach at the beginning of 2016.

We’ve since grown to a team of eight headquartered in Singapore, and the product has evolved significantly. We’re now running a full implementation of Go Ethereum, with the light client and Whisper protocols enabled.

Why Messaging?
It became clear that if we wanted to build a platform for users to interact with smart contracts, it would need to be social. Humans are social creatures, and Ethereum is a social technology.

If you want to get a glimpse at where mobile user experience is heading, one can turn to China. In the largest market by device volume, 36% of all time spent on smartphones is spent inside instant messaging applications.

In both the US, and globally, messaging applications now boast even more active users than social networks.

Hence, Status has a focus on messaging and chats. After all, when was the last time you signed an agreement without some social interaction around it beforehand?

End-User Functionality (During Beta)
The first iteration of Status is geared towards the Ethereum developer community, and has a long way to go before it’s ready for the mass-market.

A bare-bones Alpha release, with very limited functionality will be out towards the end of Q4.

Our Beta is scheduled for Q2–3 2017, and will provide end-users with the following:

Encrypted Messaging — built on top of Whisper, enabling one-on-one, group chats, and social payments.

Ether Wallet —a built in wallet to provide ETH storage, send/receive transaction, a QR reader, and transaction logs.
Discover — a hashtag-based search where users can find other Status users, and other ÐApps, to discuss ideas or exchange goods and services. We leave it up to the individual user to decide if they want their profile to be discoverable or kept private.

Local P2P Exchange —In our Beta release we’ll be introducing our first ‘Default ÐApp’, which not only showcases what the platform is capable of, but can also provides our first business model. Users can find other Status users nearby to exchange fiat to ETH and vice-versa, for a small transaction fee.

Status for Developers
Our Beta release will include tooling for Developers, and a Chat API so users can interact with ÐApps in a chat context.

In Status, ÐApps are considered first-class citizens, and you can chat to them just as you would a friend. Chatbots won't always make sense, and it's important to note users can interact with ÐApps rendered both in Webkit and/or in chat, depending on the the desired functionality.

While it’s still early days, if you’re working on a ÐApp and would like to see it inside Status, we’d love to talk to you.

All ÐApps are welcome, and we’re particularly interested in identity and reputation systems, decentralized exchanges, lending and stable crypto-tokens.

Conclusion
Status is an Ethereum-first client where Ethereum sub-protocols are first class citizens. Such a client, like Mist, frees us from having to exclusively look backward for Blockchain integration with legacy technologies, but to start fresh, look forward and give Ethereum the space it needs to envision a world built on crypto-technologies.

We have no disillusions to the amount of development yet to be undertaken, and reaching mass adoption hinges heavily upon further development of the ÐApp ecosystem, underlying protocols and service layers, and the scalability of the network in general. Status is just a small, yet necessary facet in the complex ecosystem.

Ultimately we see Status as a catalyst towards the widespread adoption of Ethereum, making it more palatable for a much wider audience. Future iterations will become increasingly more friendly and simple-to-use for the average smartphone user, whilst simultaneously creating a stronger value proposition through ÐApp integrations.

Latest Release Notes.............

https://blog.status.im/status-alpha-0-9-13-release-notes-e1f918b75368