Wilson uses a sign-up process that puts users into a private cooperative, thus enabling him to skirt Apple’s rules on actually sending bitcoin funds from within apps.“We’d love to launch a full app in the store, at some point. But launching the app would not negate our relationship with the cooperative at all,” he said.Blockchain.info, one of the largest wallet providers, had its bitcoin app removed due to Apple’s earlier this year. Yet the company is hopeful that there will be positive developments related to the policy updates.
Blockchain.info’s wallet traction – non mobile. Source: Blockchain.infoDan Held, the Director of Product at Blockchain.info, told CoinDesk:“The language used doesn’t clearly define what requirements Apple sees as ‘approved virtual currencies’ or what they may stipulate as fully compliant. We are fully exploring this opportunity and sincerely hope that Apple will be lenient in their interpretation.”No change?Gliph, which had bitcoin sending functions on iOS removed at the behest of Apple last year, continues to keep watch over the situation.Rob Banagale, the company’s CEO, makes note of another update to the policy that most people are perhaps overlooking.Under Use of the In-App Purchase API, in Section 2.2, the Apple policy states that there are restrictions on currencies.“You may not enable end-users to purchase Currency of any kind through the In-App Purchase API.” This policy includes, “Currency for exchange, gifting, redemption, transfer, trading or use in purchasing or obtaining anything within or outside of Your Application.”It goes on to add a definition of currency as follows:“’Currency’ means any form of currency, points, credits, resources, content or other items or units recognized by a group of individuals or entities as representing a particular value and that can be transferred or circulated as a medium of exchange.”It will be interesting to see how this shakes out. Many developers seem optimistic about the clarification, yet, at the same time, those who have to deal with repeated rejections from Apple seem to think little has actually changed. The company is well-known for believing it can curate an experience that users cannot get anywhere else. But users can get one thing elsewhere – a fully functional bitcoin wallet. And the latest announcement may be, at least, some recognition that there is demand for that.iPhone maze image via Canadapanda / ShutterstockAppleBlockchainGliphiOSmobilewalletOriginal author: Daniel Cawrey