NFT and cryptocurrency applications are allowed in the App Store, but until now the rules on these apps have been pretty vague. Apple makes it clear what they have the right to do … or not.
Coinciding with the release of iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura this week, Apple has revised the rules of the “Guidelines”, this set of policies and prohibitions that developers must comply with if they want to distribute their applications on the App Store. A few steps have been added to clarify what apps offering NFTs and cryptocurrencies can do.
Rights and duties
In particular, these new rules limit some of the possibilities of the affected applications. Therefore, Rule 3.11 specifies in black and white that cryptocurrencies or NFTs cannot be used to unlock content or functionality. Apple also bans QR codes, license keys, augmented reality “markers”. According to the manufacturer, apps that sell content or features absolutely have to go through the system. in the app integrated by the App Store.
Apple earns 15 to 30% commission on every sale in the app. No privileges for NFT / crypto apps! However, this may change in the future: some countries, such as South Korea or the Netherlands (but only for dating apps), force the manufacturer to accept other payment systems.
These apps have permission to use payments in the app Apple to sell NFTs or NFT-related services (mint, Devolve…). However, they cannot contain buttons or links that direct users to third-party stores on the Internet to make their purchases. Finally, users can sell and buy cryptocurrency apps using coins fiati.e. official currencies.