Apple Eases NFT, Crypto Rules for iOS Apps Following Antitrust Ruling

Fortnite maker Epic Games’ antitrust case against Apple benefited the crypto industry on Thursday, when the iPhone maker loosened restrictions on developers’ ability to offer apps in the U.S. that direct users to non-standard purchasing methods or digital collectibles.Apple updated its iOS App Store In an email obtained by “The prohibition on encouraging users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase does not apply on the United States storefront,” the email added.Although the loosened restrictions do not apply to in-app features, such as buying premium content or in-game boosts, they may lead to a “generational golden consumer crypto bull run,” Wojciech Kulikowski, a software engineer at “This will allow for more experimentation with crypto-native mobile apps that were previously often blocked from Apple [iOS] App Store,” he told In practice, NFT marketplaces like OpenSea have limited functionality through their iOS apps. Users are able to browse a panoply of NFT collections, but they can not purchase them.Some companies, including Magic Eden, have released digital wallets that allow users to make in-app purchases using a browser embedded in their application. The feature mirrors self-custodial wallets offered by firms like MetaMask, Coinbase, and Uniswap.Apple’s iOS App Store review guidelines still include strict restrictions when it comes to cryptocurrencies. Crypto apps cannot offer currency for completing tasks, facilitate initial coin offerings, also known as ICOs, or leverage users’ devices to mine digital assets.Google updated its Google Play Store policies in 2023, Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Edited by Andrew Hayward