What you need to know

• For the first time ever, a Nintendo Switch emulator is available to download from the Google Play Store.
• Eden, a fork of the now-defunct Yuzu emulator, has been slowly garnering popularity in the emulation community.
• We wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not long before Nintendo comes knocking to take it down.

Over the past year and a half, the Nintendo Switch emulation scene has been embroiled in turmoil. It all started when Nintendo itself took down two of the most popular emulators in Yuzu and Ryujinx. Since then, there have been quite a few different forks crop up in an effort to fill the void.

None of those, not even Yuzu or Ryujinx, were ever released onto the Play Store, until now. Eden, a Switch emulator forked from Yuzu, has apparently been on the Play Store since at least August 19. Somehow, it managed to fly under the radar until the someone over on the r/EmulationOnAndroid subreddit spotted it.

Interestingly enough, it seems that the most recent update is based on v0.0.3-rc3, which was released on August 20. Just last week, the Eden team released the stable build of v0.0.3, but this has yet to make its way to the Play Store.

As for the listing itself, in order to run Eden on your Android device, it’ll need to at least be updated to Android 11, and that’s just to even install the emulator. Beyond that, you’ll need to provide your own “prod” keys and firmware, in addition to actually having the necessary ROM files to play. That in and of itself is a rabbit hole that we can’t really help with.

Nevertheless, Eden’s arrival on the Play Store comes at a rather interesting time. Both AYN and AYANEO have introduced an array of Android-powered handhelds. It started with the Pocket DS and Thor, swiftly followed by the Odin 3 and KONKR Pocket FIT.

The Pocket DS and Thor are dual-screen handhelds, aiming to capture the magic that once was the Nintendo DS and 3DS (minus the 3D screen). As for the Odin 3 and Pocket FIT, these are the first two handhelds to be announced powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, both of these upcoming handhelds are the cheapest devices to feature the 8 Elite. Pre-orders for the Odin 3 Base start at $330 and will go up to $360 upon release. Meanwhile, the Pocket FIT comes in at $269 during pre-orders, and will be priced at $329 at launch. The only downside to either of these is that AYN isn’t expecting to begin shipping the Odin 3 until November, while the Pocket FIT likely won’t arrive until December.

Even still, it’s wild to think that we’ll have not one, but two Snapdragon 8 Elite Android handhelds before the end of 2025. And provided that the Eden team can manage to avoid the ire of Nintendo, you can just download a Switch emulator right from the Play Store. Although, if last year is anything to go by, I suspect this won’t be the case for too much longer.

The debate about Bitcoin as a method of payment versus a store of value is ongoing. With prices consistently above $100k, the relentless push from ETF issuers and Bitcoin treasury companies, and the inevitable institutionalization of the space, using Bitcoin for small payments seems more alien than ever.

But is Jack Dorsey right in saying that Bitcoin fails if it’s only a store of value and not used for payments?

Bitcoin as a method of payment

Bitcoin was fundamentally created as a means of payment, a real form of electronic cash for private, peer-to-peer transactions, while its store of value status appeared later as an added benefit. As BitVM creator Robin Linus states:

“Bitcoin’s purpose is payments—store of value is just a neat byproduct.”

Over time, the dominant narrative around Bitcoin has shifted heavily toward “digital gold” and institutional investment, and many influential voices, like Dorsey and Linus, argue this misses the project’s original spirit and shortchanges its long-term relevance. Linus reinforced the historical perspective, declaring:

“The cypherpunk vision was clearly electronic cash for private, peer-to-peer payments. The ‘digital asset’ narrative came later from others. Strange that this is even controversial”.

Dorsey doubled down on his statement, saying:

“I think it has to be payments for it to be relevant on the everyday, otherwise, it’s just something you kind of buy and forget and only use in emergency situations or when you want to get liquid again. So I think if it doesn’t transition to payments and find that everyday use case, it just gets increasingly irrelevant. And that’s failure to me.”

Satoshi’s words leave no doubt

Satoshi Nakamoto’s very first communications, emails, and the infamous Bitcoin whitepaper make it clear that Bitcoin is about e-cash, currency, money, and payments. His intentions for Bitcoin as a method of payment are unambiguous.

In early emails with Adam Back in 2008, Satoshi described Bitcoin as a breakthrough method for building peer-to-peer electronic currency, referencing previous digital cash projects and focusing on payments.

He wrote about proof-of-work as a way to enable currency on a distributed timestamp server, making the intent for payments crystal clear.

Changing narratives: from currency to asset

Over the years, the narrative has shifted. Institutionalization arrived in the form of ETFs, “Number Go Up” (NGU)-focused marketing, and conversations about Bitcoin as a portfolio hedge.

While bringing liquidity and broader acceptance, these changes have arguably moved the ecosystem away from solutions that benefit everyday people and real-world payment use cases; a divergence from Satoshi’s vision.

While Bitcoin’s rise as a store of value has been notorious, it has overshadowed its true foundation in private, peer-to-peer, digital payments.

Some of the project’s strongest voices, Dorsey, Linus, Swan, and even Satoshi himself, remind the community that genuine, universal utility depends on embracing Bitcoin as money in action, not just money in storage.

Bitcoin Audible host Guy Swann called for a serious public debate, tagging the likes of Dorsey and Linus, and other influential Bitcoin community members like Michael Saylor, Saifedean Ammous, and Adam Back:

“I want the best here who will bring real arguments. Not just taglines, moral posturing, and quotes from the whitepaper.”

Relegating Bitcoin to a mere store of value risks losing the original vision and utility that once set it apart. The future of Bitcoin as a method of payment depends on a community willing to challenge prevailing narratives and restore focus on payments and real-world adoption.

I’ve been in BTC for a while, but recently started stacking other coins (ETH, LTC, USDT, etc.). Until now, I’ve kept most of it in exchange, but obviously it’s not a wise long-term move. I know about hardware wallets like ledger and Trezor, but I also look at software/multicurrency wallets. The main things I care about are:

1. Security (2FA, encryption, no shaded background)
2. Ability to process multiple coins in one place
3. The reason I don’t get broken in the fee every time I move things is that you guys actually use the wallet setup?

Allianz declared Bitcoin (BTC) a “credible store of value” in a recent investment report, marking the first time the $2.5 trillion asset manager has endorsed digital assets as a legitimate institutional investment.

The report, titled “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies: The Future of Finance,” represents a dramatic shift from Allianz’s 2019 policy against Bitcoin investments. 

The German investment giant now characterizes Bitcoin’s evolution from “an experimental protocol into a credible store of value” as fundamental to modern portfolio construction.

The report stated:

“Bitcoin’s deflationary design, decentralised governance, and low correlation to traditional markets have made it an attractive hedge and long-duration asset.” 

Allianz highlighted Bitcoin’s 0.12 correlation with the S&P 500 and negative 0.04 correlation with gold, positioning it as an effective portfolio diversifier.

Institutional adoption drives recognition

Allianz cited accelerating institutional adoption as a key factor in Bitcoin’s legitimization. The report noted that corporate treasuries surpassed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in Bitcoin purchases for three consecutive quarters through the second quarter, with public companies acquiring approximately 131,000 BTC in the second quarter alone.

The asset manager emphasized university endowments’ emerging crypto strategies, highlighting Emory University as the first U.S. institution to disclose significant Bitcoin investments publicly. 

Allianz characterized this trend as signaling “the integration of digital assets into both operational and investment strategies across higher education.”

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s recent acknowledgment of Bitcoin as a “digital counterpart to gold” further validated institutional acceptance, according to the report. 

Allianz noted that regulatory clarity improvements globally have eliminated major barriers to institutional participation.

Infrastructure maturation enables access

The report credited infrastructure development with facilitating institutional entry. Regulated exchanges like Coinbase, institutional-grade custodians including Fidelity Digital Assets, and SEC-approved spot Bitcoin ETFs have “bridged the gap between traditional finance and crypto.”

Allianz described Bitcoin’s transformation as “one of the most profound shifts in modern finance,” predicting continued integration into mainstream portfolios. 

The firm expects real-world asset tokenization and decentralized finance to “substantially expand crypto’s total addressable market.”

The endorsement carries significant weight given Allianz’s status as one of Europe’s largest asset managers. A piece from the company’s policy issued in 2019 explicitly avoided crypto investments due to regulatory uncertainty and volatility concerns.

Allianz concluded that “barring any unforeseen calamity or global collapse due to technological flaws,” Bitcoin represents a permanent addition to the financial system rather than a speculative trend.

It further stated that digital assets are “not just a complement to but a cornerstone of our global financial future.”

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Google Play Store introduced licensing requirements for cryptocurrency wallet applications across 15 jurisdictions, including the US and the EU.

According to a report by the Rage, developers must obtain regulatory approvals before publishing apps on the platform.

Furthermore, the policy requires software wallet developers to comply with local financial regulations “to ensure a safe and compliant ecosystem for users.” 

The requirements apply to both custodial and non-custodial wallets, creating compliance burdens that many developers cannot meet.

In the US, developers must register with FinCEN as a Money Services Business (MSB) and obtain state money transmitter licenses, or operate as federally or state-chartered banking entities.

MSB registration requires adherence to strict Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Terrorist Financing, and Know Your Customer frameworks.

Policy exceeds legal requirements

The report noted that Google’s requirements extend beyond current legal obligations for non-custodial wallets. 

FinCEN’s 2019 guidance on Convertible Virtual Currencies distinguishes between “hosted” custodial and “unhosted” non-custodial wallets, explicitly stating that non-custodial wallets do not qualify as money transmitters under existing regulations.

The compliance programs required of MSBs represent the highest cost burden for financial institutions and would effectively exclude most non-custodial wallet developers from the Play Store. 

The policy forces AML and KYC requirements on all non-custodial wallets available through standard Google devices.

Industry criticism mounts

Consensys lawyer Bill Hughes highlighted the policy inconsistencies on August 1, noting that Google announced the updated policy on July 10 without clearly defining “software wallet” terminology. 

Hughes observed that registering as an MSB is “something FinCEN has specifically and clearly not required” for non-custodial wallets.

He added:

“They don’t define the term and do not acknowledge that registering as an MSB is something FinCEN has specifically and clearly not required.”

He noted Google’s broader statement that cryptocurrency activities “should be conducted through certified services in regulated jurisdictions,” despite certification not being legally required.

Hughes characterized the situation as “a bit of a mess” and warned that “the final boss for crypto is now more likely to be the Big Tech platforms that still dictate the major crypto app distribution channels.”

Justin Slaughter, vice president of regulatory affairs at Paradigm, criticized the policy as particularly problematic given Google’s ongoing antitrust litigation. 

He said:

“Surprising move here by Google, especially amid their antitrust litigation, to suddenly place draconian restrictions on persons making non-custodial wallets available on the App Store.”

Slaughter referenced pending congressional legislation, noting that “pure coding should not require a federal license” as outlined in draft bills addressing cryptocurrency regulation.

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The term ‘store of value’ is often treated as static – something an asset either is or is not. But in reality, this designation is earned, not declared.

It emerges from collective behavior, infrastructure maturation and social consensus. Gold wasn’t born a store of value – it became one over centuries of trust, utility and institutionalization.

Furthermore, even assets that were once synonymous with broken dreams and vaporware can become part of the store of value narrative.

In the early 2000s, tech stocks were associated with unsustainable speculation. But here we are two decades later – tech companies account for nearly half of the S&P 500, the benchmark index for generational value.

Both gold and tech stocks went through periods when they were misunderstood or even mocked.

Yet, they endured, not because they avoided speculation and volatility, but because over time they proved structurally relevant.

Bitcoin appears to be walking the same path.

Proven value-keeping and resilience

By design, Bitcoin incorporates many store of value fundamentals, including scarcity, portability and divisibility.

However, some aspects can’t be embedded – they require time to prove. One of these is the ability to hold value across time.

A good way to assess this is through reverse pricing. For instance, if priced in gold, the US dollar and Euro have lost around 66% of their value since 2016, and these are among the most stable fiat currencies.

Adding Bitcoin to the mix makes fiat currencies appear even weaker, having lost over 99% of their value relative to Bitcoin, as it outperformed gold by nearly 80 times over the same period.

Another store of value aspect that requires time-testing is the ability to withstand crises. So far, Bitcoin has shown solid resilience during turbulent periods, sometimes outperforming traditional assets.

One illustrative example is Bitcoin’s behavior during Donald Trump’s tariff-related market turmoil.

In the week following ‘Liberation Day,’ Bitcoin outperformed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, as well as APAC and European equities. It later surpassed gold as well, recording a 13% monthly gain.

While some on Wall Street found this “impressive,” historical data suggests it’s more of a pattern than a coincidence.

Even after the COVID-19 outbreak, when Bitcoin lost over 30% in a single week, it managed to recover and began outperforming the broader market in less than two months.

Decreased volatility and increased liquidity

The core criticism against Bitcoin as a store of value centers on its volatility. But volatility is not fixed – it evolves with adoption and market integration.

Gold was highly volatile during the 1970s and early 1980s as it re-monetized after the end of the Bretton Woods system.

Similarly, Bitcoin has experienced volatility in its early stages while finding its place in the financial landscape. But that volatility is consistently declining.

In 2024, Fidelity noted that Bitcoin was less volatile than 33 stocks in the S&P 500, and that its volatility has been steadily decreasing as the asset class matures and its market cap grows.

In 2025, this trend continued, with lower volatility peaks being recorded.

As a result, Bitcoin now offers more stability than explosive growth, with a CAGR aligning more closely with gold and other store of value assets.

Bitcoin’s growing institutional adoption and liquidity have been key drivers behind this shift. Over the past year, Bitcoin’s two-percent market depth on spot markets increased by 60%.

Most of it came from US-based exchanges, which are increasingly focused on institutional clients. This also led to Bitcoin’s trading volume being more concentrated around US trading hours.

Another factor is the increasing dominance of long-term holders, particularly with each new four-year halving cycle.

These holders are generally indifferent to daily price movements and display relatively passive market behavior.

This means that a store of value narrative surrounding Bitcoin is gradually pushing away the one focusing on short-term speculation.

Final thoughts

Bitcoin is still widely perceived as a volatile, high-risk asset, and there are valid reasons for that. But it would be careless to ignore its ongoing evolution toward becoming a legitimate store of value.

No other asset is even attempting to secure this status, let alone getting as close.

However, Bitcoin’s journey is far from over. Investors may want to periodically reassess their perspectives.

Many views once used to define Bitcoin are becoming outdated. So instead of replaying the same old track, perhaps it’s time to take another look, with a long-term lens.

Oleksandr Lutskevych is the founder and CEO of CEX.IO.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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A new mobile crypto-stealing malware called SparkKitty was found in apps on Google Play and the Apple App Store, targeting Android and iOS devices.

The malware is a possible evolution of SparkCat, which Kaspersky discovered in January. SparkCat used optical character recognition (OCR) to steal cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases from images saved on infected devices.

When installing crypto wallets, the installation process tells users to write down the wallet’s recovery phrase and store it in a secure, offline location.

Access to this seed phrase can be used to restore a crypto wallet and its stored assets on another device, making them a valuable target for threat actors.

While taking a screenshot of your seed phrase is never a good idea, some people do so for convenience.

A report by Kaspersky says that the new SparkKitty malware indiscriminately steals all images from an infected device’s photo gallery.

While Kaspersky believes that the malware is targeting crypto wallet seed phrases, the stolen data could also be used for other malicious purposes, like extortion, if the images contain sensitive content.

The SparkKitty malware

The SparkKitty campaign has been active since at least February 2024, spreading through both official Google and Apple app stores and unofficial platforms.

The malicious apps Kaspersky identified are 币coin on the Apple App Store and SOEX on Google Play, both having been removed by the time of this writing.

SOEX is a messaging app with cryptocurrency exchange features, downloaded over 10,000 times via Android’s official app store.

Kaspersky also discovered modded TikTok clones embedding fake online cryptocurrency stores, gambling apps, adult-themed games, and casino apps containing SparkKitty, distributed via unofficial channels.

On iOS, SparkKitty is embedded as fake frameworks (AFNetworking.framework, libswiftDarwin.dylib) and sometimes delivered via enterprise provisioning profiles.

On Android, the malware is embedded in Java/Kotlin apps, some of which use malicious Xposed/LSPosed modules.

The malicious framework uses the Objective-C ‘+load’ method to automatically execute its code when the app starts on iOS. A configuration check is performed by reading keys from the app’s Info.plist; execution proceeds only if values match expected strings.

On Android, the malware is triggered on app launch or at specific user-driven actions like opening a specified screen type. Upon activation, it retrieves and decrypts a remote configuration file using AES-256 (ECB mode) to get C2 URLs.

On iOS, the malware requests access to the photo gallery, while on Android, the malicious app requests the user to grant storage permissions to access images.

If permission is granted on iOS, the malware monitors the gallery for changes and exfiltrates any new or previously unuploaded images.

On Android, the malware uploads images from the gallery, along with device identifiers and metadata. Kaspersky found some SparkKitty versions that use Google ML Kit OCR to detect and only upload images containing text.

SparkKitty is another example of malware slipping into official app stores, highlighting once more that users shouldn’t blindly trust software on vetted distribution channels.

All apps should be scrutinized for signs of fraud, such as fake reviews, publishers with doubtful backgrounds or histories, low downloads combined with a high number of positive reviews, etc.

During installation, requests for storage of gallery access should be treated with suspicion and denied if they’re not related to the app’s core functionality.

On iOS, avoid installing configuration profiles or certificates unless they come from a trusted source. On Android, enable Google Play Protect in settings and perform regular full-device scans.

Ultimately, cryptocurrency holders should not keep images of their wallet seed phrases on their mobile devices, as these are now actively targeted by malware. Instead, store them offline in a secure location.

BleepingComputer has contacted both Apple and Google to ask for a comment on how these apps slipped through the cracks and into their app stores.

“The reported app has been removed from Google Play and the developer has been banned,” Google told BleepingComputer.

“Android users are automatically protected against this app regardless of download source by Google Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services.”

BleepingComputer also contacted Apple about the apps and will update the story if we receive a response.