In an era where technology and finance are continuously merging, a piece of news has made a splash like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples through the fields of cryptocurrency and Web3 — Apple has relaxed its restrictions on iOS applications, allowing developers to guide users to use external purchase methods, including NFT and cryptocurrency-related content. This shift is not coincidental; it is driven by the pressure of antitrust rulings, prompting Apple to make open adjustments to its application ecosystem.
For a long time, the Apple App Store has been known for its strict rules, particularly significant restrictions on cryptocurrency and NFT-related applications. This has made it difficult for many innovative Web3 applications to pass the review process to go live, and even if they are live, they face many limitations in terms of functionality and purchasing methods. Now, with the policy shift, those originally kept out or severely restricted cryptocurrency-native mobile applications are finally welcoming new development opportunities.
From a market perspective, this relaxation of rules may become a pivotal turning point for cryptocurrency-driven consumer applications to go mainstream. In the past, due to the limitations of the Apple platform, many ordinary users faced numerous difficulties in accessing cryptocurrency and NFT-related applications. Apple possesses a large user base, and once these applications can develop more freely on the iOS system, it will undoubtedly greatly lower the threshold for ordinary users to participate in the cryptocurrency field. When users can more conveniently use cryptocurrency wallets, engage in NFT transactions, and experience decentralized finance (DeFi) services on their familiar Apple devices, the user base of the cryptocurrency market is expected to witness explosive growth, possibly triggering a 'crypto consumption bull market' as predicted by software engineer Wojciech Kulikowski.