Apple Inc has reportedly censored San Francisco-cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase from adding specific cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi)-related features to its iOS app.
According to a tweetstorm published by the exchange’s CEO Brian Armstrong, the tech giant stopped Coinbase from adding features that would let their users earn cryptocurrency directly through the app, or access decentralized finance applications through it.
Armstrong detailed his comments came in the “wake of other companies struggling with Apple’s App Store restrictions,” and that even though Coinbase has discussed its issues with Apple through regular channels and reached out directly to its leadership, discussions “seem to be at a dead end.”
The CEO further pointed out that often Coinbase has to make users jump through hoops, such as doing a task on mobile to be sent to a webpage so he can claim a reward, to comply with Apple’s guidelines. He criticized Apple for preventing people from earning money during a recession.
In his tweets, Armstrong also pointed out that decentralized applications on the DeFi space are essentially websites. Coinbase is “making it more difficult for iOS customers” to use them because they offer “cryptocurrency transactions in non-embedded software within the app.”
While Apple’s policies were initially designed to protect its users, Armstrong noted they increasingly look like “they are also protecting Apple from competition.” While he said he admires Apple as a firm, their restrictions around cryptocurrency “are not defensible in my view.”
The CEO added that Apple customers should be made aware “the crypto apps you use on iOS are not missing some features you want because the teams haven’t gotten to them, those features are being censored by Apple.”
As CryptoGlobe covered, earlier this year the developer of the hyper-popular video game Fortnite, Epic Games, filed a lawsuit against Apple for allegedly monopolizing the in-app payments market, effectively barring “innovations” like bitcoin payments.
Reacting to Armstrong’s Twitter thread Justin Sun, founder of TRON, pointed out that Samsung, an Apple competitor in the smartphone space, is friendly to cryptocurrencies, so much so they have developed a cryptocurrency wallet with support for several cryptos, including BTC, ETH, and TRX.
Featured image via Pixabay.
