Ledger Fights For Bitcoin's Staying Power At CES 2016

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a chance for electronics and technology firms to debut their latest offerings and future prospects. Everything from self-driving cars to mind-blowing virtual reality sets have made their debut at CES and each year the show tends to set the tone for what kind of tech will be big in the coming year. This year, Bitcoin startup

is keeping the cryptocurrency in the spotlight by hosting the only bitcoin startup booth at the event.

Ledger created a hardware wallet product in 2015 that provides customers with a safe and secure way to store and use their bitcoins. Ledger takes some of the worry out of using bitcoin by giving users a physical way to store bitcoins— a lightweight smart card. They can then use a USB to make secure payments and the company offers a simple backup system that provides users with a microchip and pin code encrypted system in case they lose their card. This year, Ledger is planning to exhibit new offerings at CES including a new technology that will strengthen the security of online authentication by reducing the reliance on passwords.

Ledger's presence at CES suggests that although bitcoin had a rough year in 2015, the cryptocurrency isn't dead yet. Concerns about privacy and security have increased skepticism about cryptocurrencies, making it difficult for bitcoin firms to push mainstream approval. However, many believe that as security improves and more and more vendors open up to the possibility of bitcoin transactions, the public will get on board.