Does the Original Bitcoin Wallet Still Matter?

When it comes to user experience, the longest-running bitcoin wallet is hardly an iPhone 7.
To use Bitcoin Core, users need to download a copy of the entire transaction history of the digital currency, a process that can take days and this is only becoming more burdensome as bitcoin’s transaction history increases.
This means that unlike other, flashier, VC-funded consumer wallets (think Coinbase or Circle) or open-source efforts like Mycelium, Bitcoin Core doesn’t fit on a smartphone, but it’s still used for essentially the same functions – sending and receiving bitcoins.
So, if bitcoin is already pretty difficult to use with these more user-friendly wallets, why use a wallet that only makes it more difficult? And why are developers still making updates when sleeker offerings are available?
For one, the Bitcoin Core wallet offers an alternative that’s arguably similar to bitcoin’s original value proposition, according to Bitcoin Core contributor Jonas Schnelli.
Since the wallet was first developed, many easier-to-use wallet programs emerged, many of which are packed with innovative features (think instant messaging add-ons or easy cold storage). But, none of them quite embody the principles of decentralization, security and privacy, he says.
To some, the modern-day version of the client designed by bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto remains just as relevant to the overall health and vitality of the network itself.
Schnelli told CoinDesk:

This post was published at Coin Desk on September 16, 2016.