Apple's App Store Guidelines Now Allow for 'Approved' Virtual Currencies in Apps

app_store_icon_ios_7 Apple has updated its App Store review guidelines to allow for "approved" virtual currencies in apps, paving the way for new types of currencies to be traded and maintained on iOS devices, reports Reuters.

11.17 Apps may facilitate transmission of approved virtual currencies provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions.

The move is interesting given Apple's past tendencies to remove and deny apps that promote virtual currencies, namely those having to do with the popular Bitcoin currency. Last year, Apple notably required the developers behind private messaging app Gliph to remove the app's Bitcoin sending capabilities, or face deletion from the App Store.

Apple's actions on Gliph also shed light on the company's overall relationship with Bitcoin apps. It was reported that Apple had told a number of developers behind Bitcoin-related apps that their apps contained content "that is not legal in all the locations in which the app is available," and were non-compliant with Apple's policies.

However, with Apple's new App Store guidelines on the matter, it is now possible that apps like Gliph could indefinitely allow for virtual currencies like Bitcoin to be traded. While it is ultimately up to Apple as what is allowed in its apps, the company's updated policy marks a completely new position on the issue of virtual currencies.

Tag: Reuters

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...

Top Rated Comments

SHNXX Avatar
145 months ago
Insane. Bitcoin is backed by nothing.

Well it's not like any other FIAT currency is backed by gold either.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A MacBook lover Avatar
145 months ago
Been on the btc bandwagon for 1.5years now and was not happy with Apple's anti-bitcoin stance. Blockchain-app has been doing ok for my irl-purchases, but with this I expect some nice features in future apps. Will be interesting to see how it ends up, Apple has to know that bitcoin might eat some of their 30% markup, but being left out might suck even more...

There was never an anti-bitcoin stance, you've just been to r/bitcoin too much.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DennisD7 Avatar
145 months ago
Insane. Bitcoin is backed by nothing.

It's backed by something
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roadbloc Avatar
145 months ago
Trust. No serious banker trusts Bitcoin.

Trust. No serious people trust bankers.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
laserbeam273 Avatar
145 months ago
There should be some funny names for currencies soon

It'll be a good day when we can buy apps with Dogecoin :cool:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chadtastic Avatar
145 months ago
Trust. No serious banker trusts Bitcoin.

No serious person trusts a banker.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)