The Kik messenger service launched its Kin cryptocurrency last fall, and now it is launching its Kinit app on iOS to let people earn and spend cryptocurrency inside apps.
Kik also said that Kin is now the most active cryptocurrency running on Ethereum, with Kik and the Kinit app claiming more than 8,600 active users while all of the other decentralized apps (DApps) on the Ethereum blockchain have approximate 7,700 users. This is just from Android users alone, so adding iOS users will quickly increase this number.
The Kinit app has been approved by Apple, which has been strictly enforcing its guidelines with cryptocurrencies. The Kinit app is also the first publicly available app dedicated to Kin, which was previously only available to Android users. The Android Kinit app was released last month.
Kinit is one of few apps available for iOS users who want to earn and spend cryptocurrencies in-app. Aside from wallet apps (think the Coinbase app), which only facilitate buying and selling cryptocurrency via exchanges, and Earn.com, which redirects you to the website to complete tasks to earn Bitcoin, there aren’t any other iOS apps that allow blockchain transactions to happen natively in-app.
The Kin Ecosystem Foundation said last week that it has 40 consumer apps for its cryptocurrency developer program.
Kik says it’s a lightweight app and offers an easy user experience. Users will be able to complete a survey as their first earn experience. Other ways to earn Kin include completing quizzes and polls — some of which are sponsored by Red Bull and Swarovski through Kin’s partner Swelly, a polling chat bot.
Users will then have access to the Kin Marketplace, where they have the opportunity to spend the Kin they earn on gift cards from brands and retailers like Amazon, AMC Theaters, and Google Play. They’ll also be able to transfer Kin from one user to another within Kinit.