Policy evolution: From restrictions to conditional opening
In recent years, Apple's attitude toward cryptocurrency and blockchain has undergone significant changes. In 2021, Apple relaxed App Store payment rules for the first time due to developer lawsuits, allowing developers with annual revenues below $1 million to use external payment channels to avoid the 30% 'Apple tax', indirectly opening up space for the NFT market. In 2022, Apple clearly allowed in-app sales of NFTs but insisted on a 30% cut and prohibited cryptocurrency payments, sparking industry controversy. By May 2025, influenced by court rulings, Apple further updated policies, allowing US-based apps to access third-party payments and support users purchasing NFTs through external markets, marking a structural breakthrough for the crypto ecosystem.
Behind this series of adjustments lies both a compromise under antitrust pressure and a reflection of Apple's recognition of blockchain potential. As former Apple App Store director Phillip Shoemaker said, Apple once viewed cryptocurrency technology as a 'Ponzi scheme', but is now gradually exploring compliant paths.
Three core impacts on blockchain projects
1. The NFT market welcomes a mobile explosion
Apple allows applications to display and trade NFTs and has lowered payment restrictions, making NFT projects accessible to over 1 billion iOS users worldwide. For example, game developers can integrate NFT items into their apps, allowing users to purchase them directly through Apple Pay. However, restrictions still exist: NFT ownership cannot unlock in-app features (such as game character usage rights), and pricing must be pegged to fiat currency, making it difficult to dynamically reflect cryptocurrency fluctuations.
2. The compliance window for DeFi and wallet applications
Although Apple's new regulations do not allow direct cryptocurrency payments, they permit external market transactions, providing a way for decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms to attract users. For example, users can browse DeFi protocols within the app and jump to third-party platforms to complete transactions. Additionally, Apple's scrutiny of cryptocurrency wallets has tightened, requiring the disablement of QR codes, AR markers, and other 'self-built unlocking mechanisms', pushing project parties to strengthen compliance design.
3. The reconstruction of survival space for small and medium developers
Developers with annual revenues below $1 million can save 15%-30% on commission costs, directly boosting profit margins. Limit Break, a blockchain gaming company, believes that even paying a 30% commission, the traffic benefits of reaching Apple's ecosystem are still attractive. However, large projects like Magic Eden have abandoned in-app transactions due to commission issues, highlighting the difficulty of balancing costs and benefits.
Challenges: Policy ambiguity and technological adaptation
• Payment bottleneck: Apple still prohibits the use of cryptocurrency payments within apps, forcing project parties to rely on fiat pricing, which conflicts with the native characteristics of cryptocurrencies.
• Compliance risks: Developers need to simultaneously deal with Apple's reviews and various national regulations (such as anti-money laundering and data privacy), increasing operational complexity.
• Technological adaptation: The operating restrictions of the iOS system on blockchain nodes (such as the prohibition of mining) constrain the deep integration of decentralized applications.
Future outlook: Ecological games and innovation catalysis
Apple's gradual opening may trigger a chain reaction:
• Regulatory collaboration: Companies need to build a dynamic compliance framework, such as smart contract auditing tools and legal risk assessment systems, to address policy differences across countries.
• Technological integration: Apple has laid out foundational patents for blockchain (such as timestamp certification and secure element encryption), and may launch native cryptocurrency services in the future.
• Industry differentiation: Leading projects may choose to 'pay for traffic', while small and medium developers will turn to cross-platform or Web 3.0 browser ecosystems.
As venture capitalist Mathew Ball predicts, mobile will become the key scenario for the large-scale implementation of blockchain, and Apple's stance will profoundly influence this process.
Conclusion
The loosening of Apple's cryptocurrency policies presents both an opportunity for blockchain projects and a challenge of dancing with the rules. Project parties need to explore innovation within the compliance framework, such as developing hybrid payment models and strengthening user data encryption, while also paying attention to Apple's potential moves in the Web 3.0 space—after all, this tech giant has never stopped defining the future.
