It should be noted that the Apple brand shines with cryptocurrencies relatively infrequently. For example, in March 2022, co-founder Steve Wozniak praised Bitcoin. At the time, he called BTC “pure mathematics” and also made it clear that the cryptocurrency was a good investment vehicle.

iPhone 14 Pro

Then in mid-autumn, cryptocurrency enthusiasts focused on information about the possible release of Apple’s meta-universe device. In theory, it would allow you to interact with other people in digital reality using your own character. Read more about this in a separate piece.

How Apple is hurting cryptocurrencies

Finlay made the statement in response to a post from the official Twitter account of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase last week.

Oh, I totally agree with you, I assume MetaMask and all the other wallets will be next. I’m ready to get rid of the Apple ecosystem. A 30 per cent tax is an abuse of monopoly. Tim Cook is turning into Big Brother.

Blockchain developers

As a reminder, last week Coinbase Wallet developers announced a ban on the transfer and purchase feature of unique tokens within the iOS app. The fact is that Apple claimed a commission of 30 per cent of the money spent on the transaction from each such transaction, which includes a fee.

Not only does Coinbase not want to pay the money, the exchange also sees no way to integrate the company’s service directly into the Ethereum blockchain, since the NFT transactions in this case are done on it.


More specifically, Apple wants to charge a 30 per cent commission on gas payments, which are required for transactions on the Etherium network and other similar blockchains. Cryptocurrency users know that this is not possible, as these amounts are sent to miners and validators, and taking a portion of their income is trivial.

In addition, Apple's representatives are somehow not confused by the fact that the payment for gas takes place in a native blockchain token. Judging by the company's actions, they envision a possible blockchain payment for gas using Apple Pay, where the fee would be charged. As a result, Coinbase employees have likened the initiative to wanting to charge a fee for every email sent via an open internet protocol.


Coinbase Wallet

In a message to Decrypt reporters, Finlay predicted a future for the iOS version of MetaMask for users.

For now Metamask remains in the app shop, but we will monitor the situation closely over the coming weeks and months to ensure our users have seamless access to their crypto assets.

Dan also commented on his take on Apple’s policies.

We are disappointed by the news that app shops are being turned into strict gatekeepers, which not only hinders growth, but also creates an environment of censorship. We believe that as a community we need to come together and find an acceptable solution so that end users can continue to have the freedom to transact and technology can flourish.

NFT on Instagram app

Dissatisfaction with the ‘Apple tax’ has been a reason for many other start-ups to abandon the App Store. And transactions in those apps that support Apple’s policy are less profitable for users. Instagram, for example, has an extra 30 per cent commission for every transaction with NFT. Unique tokens on that app are unlikely to be more popular than on the OpenSea platform, which pays Apple nothing.


Cryptocurrency projects can solve the problem with the monopoly of Apple and other technology giants. In particular, the already announced Solana Saga smartphone will be based on Android. Most importantly, the device will be able to securely store private keys from users' blockchain addresses and will also support a decentralised app shop.

This means that buyers of the device will be able to download the right interfaces to interact with decentralised apps. And that's essentially the opposite of what Apple does with its App Store in the form of 30 per cent commissions. So if Solana Saga becomes popular, such a model could very well squeeze Apple's position going forward - as well as forcing it to abandon the concept of centralized app shops for some platforms.


The Solana Saga smartphone in front of Solana Labs co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko


We think Apple's fresh initiative is really dangerous for those in the blockchain industry. The giant's desire to charge fees on almost all possible charges is already limiting the functionality of cryptocurrency apps. And unless the company's executives get a handle on the same principle of blockchain-based gas payments, the absurdity of Apple's actions will surely only increase.