Throughout June, there was simmering tension between tech heavyweight Apple (AAPL) and the Bitcoin-friendly social media app, Damus. The crux of the issue lied in Damus’ unique feature allowing users to tip each other with bitcoin, or BTC. Apple equated this to digital media sale, hence violating its App Store Review Guidelines. The fallout from this supplied fuel to the burgeoning Zapple Pay, a workaround that snugly bypasses Apple’s restrictions.
Described as a decentralized social media platform conducive to Bitcoiners, Damus rose to popularity due to its affiliation with the Nostr protocol and Lightning Network payments. Yet, it recently faced potential removal due to its “zap” feature that facilitated BTC tipping. Despite Damus developers’ efforts to alleviate issues by partially retracting the functionality, Apple remained rigidly stern, rejecting Damus’ appeal.
This raised serious concerns, not only about curbing Bitcoin adoption but also stifling the evolution of a global payment protocol over the internet. This sentiment was echoed by the ex-CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey. However, recognizing an impasse, Damus eventually conceded restricting zaps to profiles only. Damus enthusiasts, though disappointed, labeled this bittersweet development as a kind of success.
As July rolled on, a glimmer of hope emerged in the form of Zapple Pay. Crafted by independent Bitcoin developers Ben Carman and Paul Miller, Zapple was engineered as a third-party service, conveniently sidestepping Apple’s gaze. One of its captivating features included sending zaps via emojis, luring users and instigating speculations about its emergence and Apple’s punch countering it. However, if Apple did throw said punch, the co-founders confidently claimed they could recreate Zapple’s functionality on various social platforms.
Meanwhile, Dorsey acted as a vocal advocate for Bitcoin’s integration with Apple Pay. As the lead of Bitcoin’s financial sector firm Block (SQ), Dorsey began probing for answers regarding Apple’s apparent disdain for BTC. He directly challenged Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding Apple Pay’s lack of BTC support. Moreover, when Zapple Pay caught the eye of the public, Dorsey publicly applauded the founders’ ingenuity. His acknowledgment materialized as a post on Damus, asserting that “Zaps always find a way.”
This intriguing scuffle between Apple and the seemingly invincible BTC has painted a vivid picture. While Apple continues to assert its authoritativeness, BTC-friendly platforms are evolving to reveal their resilience. The future is enticing for anyone ready to watch what happens.
Source: Cryptonews
