Hey! You've probably seen headlines like "Apple Adds Bitcoin to iMessage!" in your feeds. I looked into it, and the story is much more interesting than it seems. Apple has almost nothing to do with it, but the consequences could be huge.
So, what actually happened?
There was no official announcement from Apple. It all started on September 23, 2025, when the developers of the Macadamia Wallet released an update. This is a Bitcoin wallet that works on the Lightning and Cashu protocols. Well, the new version included an extension specifically for iMessage.
How does it work?
Technically, it's not a direct Bitcoin transfer like a bank transfer. The Cashu protocol allows you to create "eCash" tokens, which represent Bitcoin on the Lightning network. You essentially "wrap" Bitcoin into these digital envelopes and send them via iMessage as a regular message. The recipient can "unwrap" the envelope and receive the Bitcoin. All of this happens right in the chat, without clicking on external links.
What does Apple have to do with it, and why is this possible now?
This is the key point. Apple has historically hindered cryptocurrencies in its App Store. But in May 2025, a US court ordered Apple to allow apps to use external payment systems (including crypto) and cancel commissions. This decision is a real game-changer.
Now, developers like the Macadamia team can legally embed their wallets into iMessage as extensions. Apple isn't promoting this feature, but it can't block it either. The legal obstacles have been removed.
Why is everyone so excited? Scale!
Now, look at the numbers—this is the main argument:
In 2025, there will be 1.56 billion iPhone users worldwide.
624 million people will be using Apple Pay.
Imagine if even 1% of those 1.5 billion people try sending a friend $5 in Bitcoin via the familiar iMessage. That would instantly add 15 million new users to the market. Right now, only about 12% of the internet-connected population worldwide owns cryptocurrency. A move like this could realistically double or triple those figures.
So, is this the pivotal moment?
Maybe, yes. Before this, to send someone Bitcoin, you had to convince them to install a special wallet, figure out seed phrases—it was a high barrier to entry. Now, payments are being integrated into the most ordinary communication between people. This is how technologies like Venmo, Apple Pay, and others spread.
But there are some caveats:
It's not from Apple. This is a third-party development that can be unstable. Many users in the comments are complaining about errors.
The process isn't for everyone. You need to download a wallet, figure out "minting" tokens—it's not a one-click solution yet.
Impact on price? Not necessarily. The recent Bitcoin rally was driven by institutional players (ETFs). But for mass adoption, this social vector is a powerful catalyst.
The bottom line:
Right now, Apple has not launched a "Send Bitcoin" button in iMessage. But thanks to the court ruling, a bridge has appeared that allows this using third-party apps. And this bridge opens the door to an audience of one and a half billion people.
What do you think? If simple P2P payments in messengers become the norm, will it force, for example, Telegram or WhatsApp to rush to implement something similar?
