Apple to Gliph: Remove Your App's Bitcoin Transfer Feature

Gliph, a mobile messaging app for iOS, has been asked by Apple to remove its key bitcoin-related feature. The issue at hand is the app's ability to attach bitcoin amounts to messages. "We're releasing an updated version of Gliph for iOS that removes the ability to send bitcoin from within the app," says Rob Banagale, CEO of Gliph. He noted that Gliph's iOS users can still perform this action via the mobile Safari browser. In a blog post announcing Gliph's newest update for iOS 7, it outlines the impact of Apple's decision. "You can still create wallets, view balances and receive bitcoin in....

Privacy-focused messaging app Gliph once again supports bitcoin functionality in its newest iOS release. The announcement follows Apple's recent reversal of its ban on bitcoin apps, which meant Gliph was forced to disable bitcoin sending late last year. Now, with its latest version and the revised set of rules from Apple, Gliph is promoting itself as one of the easiest ways to both obtain and use bitcoin, integrating, as it does, two of the industry's most popular wallets: Coinbase and Blockchain. Gliph CEO and co-founder Rob Banagale believes the combination of Apple, Coinbase and....

While the bitcoin community has grown over the past year to include hundreds of new global merchants, there remains a strong market for person-to-person transactions as evidenced by existing marketplaces like LocalBitcoins and Brawker. Still, interactions on such platforms remain difficult according to Gliph. The self-described secure messaging and bitcoin payments startup has released a marketplace feature in its app with the aim of enhancing person-to-person commerce with bitcoin on smartphones. Gliph CEO Rob Banagale explained that by launching Gliph Marketplace, his company is trying....

Apple has removed the Blockchain wallet app from its iOS App Stores, leaving iPhone and iPad users with no native bitcoin wallet options for their devices. Apple offered no explanation for the action and no option to appeal, other than saying the removal was due to "an unresolved issue". The Cupertino company's move did not come as a complete surprise, as Apple had previously banned bitcoin wallet apps Coinbase and CoinJar, and insisted encrypted messaging app Gliph remove an option that allowed users to send bitcoin. CoinJar is still available for download on the local Australian App....

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated it will not take action against Apple for its recent decision to ban bitcoin apps. The announcement comes amid a growing furore among bitcoin users, who were outraged by Apple's decision to remove the official Blockchain app from its App Store earlier this week. The DOJ stated: "We have determined that the information provided does not raise antitrust issues that warrant further review by the Division." This response was prompted by bitcoin enthusiast Andy Chase, who submitted an official complaint to the agency's Citizen Complaint Center.....