After Apple threatened an App Store delisting, Nostr-based social media app Damus says Apple requires removing bitcoin tipping on posts but not on user profiles
Damus creator William Casarin told his followers on the app that Apple would allow zaps, just with a slight tweak
The tipping dispute also fits Apple’s longstanding treatment of virtual-currency tips as in-app-purchase activity under its App Store tipping rules. This episode matters because the permitted implementation—tips on profiles rather than posts—makes interface design a condition of distribution.
First-order effects
Damus must move bitcoin “zaps” away from individual posts and into user profiles to remain available on the App Store, preserving a narrower version of the feature.
Apple retains control over how an iOS app presents crypto-enabled tipping, even where it permits the underlying activity.
Second-order effects
Nostr and other decentralized-social developers targeting iOS may need to design monetization around Apple-approved interaction surfaces rather than their native social mechanics.
The distinction creates added product and compliance work: creators can still receive tips, but post-level engagement and payment flows become less direct.
Third-order effects
If such interface-specific decisions become a recurring pattern, mobile distribution can shape not only whether decentralized apps are available but also which economic behaviors are practical inside them.
The trend: This is one data point in the broader trend of app-store governance extending from transaction fees into the design of crypto and decentralized-app interactions.
Damus will be removed from the app store in 14 days, apple says zaps are not allowed on their platform because they *could* be used by content creators to sell digital content.
This seems to be a misunderstanding by @apple of how this feature works and what it's for. It's a critical part of the future of the internet. It has the capacity to bring people around the world into the economy without the traditional gatekeepers. Please reconsider @tim_cook. h…
This is still incorrect @apple. Tipping on posts is not selling digital content. It's a form of feedback. Why limit people sending bitcoin to each other? This is our one opportunity to build a truly global payment protocol for the internet (which would benefit your company... htt…
Damus has to remove the zap button on posts because this is considered “selling digital content”. Only zaps on profiles are allowed. This cripples damus pretty bad, but you can still zap at least 😕
It's not just about the App Store. Apple can backdoor private keys. So can Google and Microsoft. They can push an update to seize funds. By doing content scanning on devices. So, operating systems are systemic risk. We may need both technological and political solutions. https://…
App stores are indeed a systemic risk, for these reasons and for the basic fact that they can eliminate availability of an app in the blink of an eye. Bitcoin builders should be laser-focused on resilient & *interoperable* solutions, rather than proprietary ones. https://twitter.…
Given Apple's stringent payment rules, building a Progressive Web App (PWA) could be a strategic move. PWAs offer similar functionality to native apps but bypass app store restrictions. They're accessible via any browser, ensuring a wider reach, and they're not subject to Apple's…
More people need to understand the level of control that Apple and Google have right now over the internet Mobile Computing already dominates and that trend will likely continue in a linear fashion and I see no stopping at given the lack of interest in Linux based devices. https:…
Hey @Apple, users on @damusapp are not “receiving content from digital content creators.” The content is posted on #nostr via many clients, & is completely FREE for everyone. Users are not “paying for the content” — nothing is being “purchased.” Please correct your mistake. https…
Progressive Web Apps must be in the arsenal of all p2p development now. We do not need Apple, Google or anyone else. The world will come to us. https://twitter.com/...
Dear @Apple @tim_cook If you'd like a 30% cut of #bitcoin zaps, we'd be happy to give them to you. In order for us to do this, you'll need to create a native @apple iOS Lightning wallet that we can connect to the app. You can route through your own node & take a 30% cut. Thx. htt…
Apple is coming for money transfer and funding apps like Damus, Patreon, Venmo, maybe PayPal and Stripe. If digital goods may be somehow involved in the transfer, now they want 30%. If Apple can tax this, they can tax digital banking, payroll, and anything else. https://twitter.c…
Permission-less peer-to-peer payments are essential to defending freedom. Anyone opposed to self-custody is telling you they do not trust you with your own assets. Instead, they want a third party as an intermediary who can be monitored and controlled. #PaymentPrivacy https://twi…