Apple, amidst ongoing scrutiny from the crypto community, faced further backlash as the widely-used Bitcoin Lightning wallet, Wallet of Satoshi (WoS), mysteriously vanished from the U.S.-based App Store. This disappearance sparked concern and confusion among crypto enthusiasts as the app failed to appear in search results and redirected users to alternative wallet applications.
Wallet Of Satoshi Goes Missing
Reports emerged on November 24, highlighting users’ futile attempts to locate the WoS app on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in the United States. Surprisingly, while unavailable in the U.S., the WoS app continued to remain accessible for download on the Australian Apple App Store, as well as the Australian and Singapore Google Play Store versions at the time of reporting.
Wallet of Satoshi, a renowned Lightning payments platform, is on track to facilitate a staggering 1.1 million Lightning payments throughout November, as indicated by industry expert and podcaster Kevin Rooke. This record-breaking figure marks the platform’s most significant month in processing Lightning payments to date.
Despite the disappearance, neither Apple nor Wallet of Satoshi provided immediate clarifications or details regarding the sudden unavailability of the app. Apple’s strict regulations, notably its 30% tax on in-app payments, have historically been a point of contention and a significant hurdle for crypto-focused platforms aiming to maintain a presence in the App Store ecosystem.
Previously, on November 17, discontented PayPal Venmo and Block Cash App users initiated a class-action lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit alleged anti-competitive behaviour by Apple, citing agreements that limited the utilization of crypto technology and payments on iOS, further intensifying the scrutiny surrounding the tech giant’s policies.
Apple’s App Store Stance On Crypto
Apple’s history with crypto-related apps has been tumultuous, with previous instances of app removals. The firm had delisted the Damus app, based on the Nostr protocol, in June due to its Bitcoin tip feature. Moreover, in October, Apple briefly withdrew the MetaMask wallet app from its App Store, citing reasons that were not extensively elaborated upon.
The disappearance of Wallet of Satoshi serves as the latest chapter in Apple’s contentious relationship with crypto-related applications, raising questions about the company’s approach and policies regarding cryptocurrency-based services and Lightning network facilitation.
