Bitcoin fangirl Apple forbids ‘Bitcoin-tipping’ in Appstore

A decision by Apple caused a stir in Silicon Valley and the world of crypto this week. Apple, the company that hid the Bitcoin Whitepaper in its own software, sent a warning to a software developer for allowing “Bitcoin tipping.”

The developer in question, Damus, has a decentralized social media app which is quite popular on smartphones. It now has two weeks to remove the “Bitcoin-tipping” feature before Apple no longer grants Damus access to its App store.

Apple will remove Damus app unless it drops Bitcoin tipping feature https://t.co/DkXEeQG2mz

— The Block (@TheBlock__) June 13, 2023

Tim Cook

It was once rumored that one of the possible candidates behind the anonymous pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto could be former Apple CEO and founder Steve Jobs. When it recently emerged that the Bitcoin whitepaper was hidden in Apple’s software on the company’s iPhone, the rumor took off again. Apple was long seen as a ‘fangirl’ of Bitcoin.

JUST IN - Elon Musk says Apple’s intent to remove Damus off the app store for its #Bitcoin ⚡️ tipping feature is a “major concern.”

“This is not a winning scenario.”

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) June 13, 2023

However, current CEO Tim Cook is a corporate behemoth rather than a visionary like Jobs was. When it turned out that Damus, a popular social media app in their app store, allowed Bitcoin tipping (you tip some Satoshis to an app for example) instead of adhering to Apple’s guideline to promote in-app purchases, he sent prompt warning: remove the Bitcoin tipping option within two weeks or no more access for Damus in the app store.

Bitcoin tipping is a popular way to reward good content on apps and show appreciation on social media platforms. Twitter and Reddit, both of which are among the largest social media platforms, have both introduced crypto tipping features in recent years.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk was highly critical of Apple’s decision.