Apple's Crypto-Friendly Innovations Hidden in Plain Sight
Apple's latest iPhone launch event on September 9 didn't include any mention of cryptocurrency or blockchain technology, but that doesn't mean the tech giant isn't exploring its potential. In fact, some of the problems that these technologies are trying to solve are problems that Apple is addressing in its own way.
The new iPhone Pro and Pro Max models feature a photo-authenticity system called Apple Reference Image, which allows users to prove that a picture they took hasn't been altered. However, this system relies on trust, as users need to compare the reference image with the ordinary photo visually. Public blockchains can take this verification a step further by providing cryptographic proof of the original timestamped picture.
Bitcoin developer Peter Todd created distributed timestamping on Bitcoin using Opentimestamps, which allows users to timestamp different files, including photos, on the Bitcoin blockchain and prove that the file existed at or before a given Bitcoin block. This could potentially improve Apple's photo-authenticity system.