Report: some NFT startups say they are limiting functionality in iOS apps, as Apple insists that its 30% commission from IAP must be paid on all trades
Startup and trading NFT firms say they ignore the App Store because Apple's rules, and 30% commission, make it untenable for them. Source: The Information .
NFT startups that will not absorb Apple's requested 30% commission are limiting what customers can do in their iOS apps, creating a less capable App Store version of their products.
Apple's IAP policy becomes a direct commercial constraint on NFT trading features rather than merely an app-distribution requirement.
Second-order effects
The policy creates uneven functionality between iOS and other access points for NFT services; Coinbase later said it disabled NFT sending in Wallet to clear an iOS release, illustrating how the constraint can extend to wallet functions. Coinbase's Wallet release dispute
Apple's prior allowance for direct ad transactions gives developers a sharper comparison point for challenging why NFT trades receive different payment treatment. Direct ad sales in social apps
Third-order effects
If Apple applies IAP commissions across more transaction types, App Store access increasingly determines which business models can be offered intact on iOS, not just how developers process payments.
The recurring disputes over Apple’s commission rules point toward continued pressure to define category-specific exceptions and limits on platform payment control.
The trend: App-store gatekeepers are extending payment-policy leverage into new digital transaction categories, forcing services to redesign iOS functionality around platform take rates.
Apple has told startups it must sell NFTs through in-app purchases, forcing many startups to limit functionality in apps to dodge fees up to 30% of the transaction, even when the startups are only facilitating the trades. My latest for @theinformation https://www.theinformation.c…
Totally bogus. Web3 companies should band together to popularize Progressive Web Apps, which allow users the functionality of mobile apps without App Store tracking or App Store monopoly pricing power. https://twitter.com/...
I was wrong about Apple. I thought their push to onboard people into crypto is at least 5 years out. Super exited to see Apple's support for @solanamobile https://twitter.com/...
Apple wants to charge the game dev 30% of each NFT marketplace transaction regardless whether the NFT seller is the game or a 3rd party player This is obviously terrible for web3 games and destroys the unit economics of web3 game P2P marketplaces https://twitter.com/...
lol, this is called “rent seeking” and every government should be pushing open metaverse standards before a couple of companies impose a 30% to 50% tax on the whole digital economy https://twitter.com/...
@aeyakovenko @solanamobile I forecasted that one of web3's next great “killer apps” would be merely bypassing Apple & Google's 30% cuts. Obviously, we'd agree this represents a significant incentive for the industry to develop a crypto-native phone.
Apple thinks they deserve to collect a 30% tax on all mobile digital commerce... Apple's monopolistic and anticompetitive app store policies are a key part of why I am excited for the Solana Phone. Web3 needs to be free from the Web2 overlords and we can't do that on iOS. https:/…
Apple has decided to let developers sell NFTs inside of games/apps. Everyone is focusing on apple wanting its 30% cut of each transaction without realizing this could put an ETH wallet in every single mobile game onboarding 1B+ players! https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
1. Big thank you to @SpikeReacts_ for finding this https://www.theinformation.com/ ... 2. I think this is rough for mobile and games will have to find creative work around if they want to be released on the AppStore
It seems Apple wants a 30% cut of all NFT sales (which is ridiculous). This may be delaying the iOS launch of the GameStop wallet. Remember, The company only takes 2-3%, so with 30% cut it would mean huge losses. https://appleinsider.com/...