Apple is reported to have removed the Bitcoin white paper from its latest Mac OS Ventura beta, and while the company has never provided any official explanation for the white paper's existence, many have speculated that it is an acknowledgment of the growing importance of cryptocurrencies.
In early April, tech expert Andy Baio stumbled across the Bitcoin white paper file hidden on his Mac computer. Many netizens have speculated whether Apple is a believer in Bitcoin in private, or whether this is just an easter egg secretly buried by an engineer.
Not only that, the theory that "the late Apple founder Steve Jobs is Satoshi Nakamoto, the father of Bitcoin" has been sought after by the currency circle, but the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto is still a mystery. Given the complexity of the Bitcoin code, many people think that Satoshi Nakamoto may be a group of people.
At present, the whole incident is very mysterious. Although the Bitcoin white paper has been discovered in the Apple computer, the relationship between the company and the Web3 industry is very unstable. Apple issued a policy as early as 2014, prohibiting the sale and promotion of Bitcoin applications in the AppStore, including Coinbase, Coinjar, Blockchain.info and other applications, saying that there are "unsolvable problems."
In 2016, although Apple allowed the sale of bitcoin applications in the AppStore, it still banned bitcoin mining and trading. Since 2017, when an app on the AppStore provides paid virtual goods or services, it must use the Apple payment system IAP in the app, and Apple will draw a commission of 15% to 30%.
As the concept of NFT spreads all over the world, Apple will formulate relevant rules for NFT for the first time in 2022, but it still firmly controls its own ecological valve. Since the bottom layer of NFT uses blockchain technology, the related infrastructure encryption wallet is also closely watched by Apple. "Apps must not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functions, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR codes, cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency wallets, etc." Apple wrote in the rules.
Obviously, Apple's acceptance of NFT and cryptocurrencies has taken a step forward, but it is unwilling to break its own high commission model of 30% handling fee. Phillip Shoemaker, former Apple App Store director, said, “AppStore rules are carefully designed to be opaque, which gives Apple the ability to function as a kind of gatekeeper, but it also allows Apple to maintain an arbitrarily strict stance on cryptocurrencies and NFTs.”
But a California court recently ruled that Apple violated state competition law by banning app developers from using other in-app payment methods other than its own, including a 30% commission.
It is reported that the judgment may clear the way for cryptocurrency and NFT projects, and the iOS applications of the two are expected to add more functions. If Apple doesn’t appeal the ruling, it could set a case law precedent that benefits iOS apps for cryptocurrencies and NFTs, as they don’t have to pay the 30% “tax.”
Summarize
Apple has declared war on many tech industries over the years to ensure their profits stay healthy, but this one is a little different. Apple seems to be "incompatible" with Web3 by nature, and the values and concepts of the two cannot find a joint point of "seeking common ground while reserving differences".
An embarrassing situation is that the five major technology companies in the United States are all deploying Web3 without exception. Once Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, IBM and other technology giants have found the combination of core business and Web3, then Apple will be forgotten in the development of Web3.