Change of Heart: Apple Changes Policy to Allow Bitcoin Transmitting Apps
It was just earlier today that NEWSBTC had written about Apple's upcoming software announcements in San Francisco, California. We asked whether or not we could learn today why Apple was shunning bitcoin-related applications, such as Coinbase and Blockchain.info - which have been removed due to alleged policy violations. What we learned was something a whole lot different: Apple is now allowing bitcoin and other virtual currency wallet applications, as opposed to only allowing informational applications. The change of heart is published in the company's App Store Review Guidelines, section....
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Monday's biggest story - with no contest - was news related to Apple, unusually enough. The company took to a stage in San Francisco, California to announce new software products, and what happened next came as a shock to the bitcoin community. Apple amended their App Store Review Guidelines policy with regulation 11.17, which declares the following: Apps may facilitate transmission of approved virtual currencies provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions. One sentence has opened the door to a number of....
Australian bitcoin exchange CoinJar has for a while had their wallet application up-for-grabs on Apple's iOS App Store. Interestingly so, because most of its competitors' apps with similar (if not the same) functionality had already been removed for violating Apple's money-transmitting policy. But not CoinJar, their resilient little app became the lone soldier on a battleground. But no longer, it appears. CoinJar today announced their application will be pulled from the iOS App Store by the end of this week. Apple reportedly gave CoinJar an ultimatum: remove the receive and transmitting....
It wasn't too long ago when Apple blocked bitcoin apps from being available through its App Store. Who could forget the angry bitcoin users destroying iPhones because of it!? Still, Apple's decision to reverse its anti-bitcoin app policy and allow mobile wallets onto the iOS platform only dates back to about five months ago. Also read: Blockchain iPhone App Removed from App Store. Blockchain Responds. Now, thanks to Apple's change of heart, bitcoin users have a variety of wallet apps they can use to transmit value across the world. In fact, at the time of this writing, 7 of the top 10 free....
An aggrieved user has started a petition to force Apple to approve bitcoin wallet applications for its shiny iPhones. San Francisco gent Joshua Seims has started the petition on change.org to request Apple change its policy. The petition says: "To: Apple. Please allow Bitcoin wallets on the iPhone. We need a mobile Bitcoin client, and if Apple won't deliver one, we'll move to Android." Apple has already removed several bitcoin wallets citing terms of service and developers' obligation to obey local laws wherever their apps are available - even though no nation has yet banned Bitcoin.....
Until recently, only Android users could send and receive Bitcoins from their smartphone. One of the most attractive features of cryptocurrencies is their ability to reside on a variety of electronic devices, including smartphones. The Google Play store for Android has long allowed app developers to create mobile wallets that allow the transmission of Bitcoins or altcoins. However, Apple blocked cryptocurrency apps from the Apple store, meaning that iPhone users were out of luck if they wanted to take Bitcoin with them on the go. The Bitcoin community repeatedly voiced their frustration at....