Crypto Mining mobile apps are still available on Google Play

Google, one of the most important companies in the world, announced they have a plan to stop the distribution of cryptocurrency mining apps [19659003] in the Play Store. However, there are several applications that users can download and start extracting virtual currency.

According to Google, they do not allow apps that extrapolate virtual currency with users' devices, but allow applications that remotely manage digital assets.

What to say about JSEcoin?

For example, we can mention JSEcoin, a UK-based blockchain startup working on a browser-based mining solution, the main intention is to change the way website owners get their revenues, changing them from advertising to cryptocurrency mining.

The company announced that it has launched a mobile application at the Play Store.

It is possible for the user to download the app to manage the mining information you have at a distance. But it also allows the user to extract virtual currencies using the mobile device. This last feature clearly goes against Google's new policy, but the app is approved for listing.

John Sim, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of JSEcoin, said mining operations could be performed directly on mobile devices.

"We also contacted the Google support team to confirm that we are authorized to allow our users to extract our tokens through our official app, as we are aware of their restriction policy," commented John Sim.

Google also has clarification on how the cryptocurrency mining criterion works and how it is applied. They said that Google regularly updates developer policies based on current best practices in order to maintain a positive and safe experience for those who develop and use Google Play.

After TheNextWeb spoke with Google, they deleted the JSEcoin app from Google Play. Coincidence?

Sim commented that Google decided to suspend the application because there was a violation of the terms. One of the main features of this application is that it used a low CPU consumption, but it is not allowed to enable mining.

The company explained that it will discuss with Google the options available to be stored on Google Play. Up to now, there is a new application that does not include mining functionality and functionality.

The JSEcoin development team said that there is another JSEcoin application available on Google Play but not developed by the company [19659003] But JSEcoin is not the only application that included mining functionality. In fact, there are many other "mining applications" available on the Play Store.

In fact, the MinerGate application has been published for over a year and has more than 1,000,000 downloads. In fact, the application allows users to directly extract Monero and Bytecoin using their smartphones.

MinerGate has over 8,000 reviews and some users say they have made significant profits. Other people say they could not transfer coins drawn into a wallet and called a scam.

The interesting point here is that the application supports mining activities using the device directly. When the application is executed, the phone overheats and the battery runs out much faster than it usually does. In addition, you can confirm that the application is mining after using a mobile web traffic monitoring solution.

Cryptocurrency mining is related to solving complex mathematical problems in order to receive a monetary reward. And this applies to Monero and other virtual currencies that can be extracted using CPU power. Bitcoin, on the other hand, requires more processing power than can be achieved with ASIC miners.

But MinerGate is not the only application that claims to extract virtual currencies with the smartphone. There are others that offer the same services, including Crypto Miner PRO, Pocket MIner, AA Miner and NeoNeonMiner.

For example, the developer of Crypto Miner PRO, known as Jesus Oliver, has five other virtual currency applications to his name that are available on the Play Store.

These applications are part of a major problem that we should not avoid, and it is the fact that there are malicious applications and virtual currency scams. Google has tried to block these types of applications that could include cryptographic scripts.

There are several security researchers and experts who agree with the position that google has adopted on this issue.

"I think this is a good move," explained Lukas Stefanko, an important and recognized security researcher. "Banning mining apps makes sense because most of them were adware, fake apps or just mining for the developer, not the user."

Other specialists believe this is a good measure that Google has taken to protect users and individuals who use store applications.

If you leave the phone running, there is a greater risk of suffering physical harm. "If you leave a mobile device connected while you extrapolate the cryptocurrency, there is a legitimate risk that could lead to physical harm."

But the risk of extracting virtual currencies with smartphones does not disappear by eliminating the application from their Store. Instead, it is necessary to take a general action. There is an increase in third-party cryptocurrency mining applications that come from untrusted developers. This means that there is also a greater risk of suffering from fraudulent apps.

Of course, Google should take all the necessary policies to enforce its rules. But even when mining apps and fraudulent developers are removed, there is still a risk for those trying to extract cryptocurrencies using their smartphones.

There are cryptocurrency miners who are specifically designed to extract virtual currencies. Using a smartphone to do it is not efficient and the risks are very high. Moreover, the profits if all goes well are very small or almost non-existent.

The best of what a user who wants to extract virtual currencies can do is buy specific devices that are built exclusively for cryptocurrency mines. Most virtual currency extraction devices are produced by Bitmain, a Chinese company founded by Jihan Wu.