Apple Drops The Most-Popular Bitcoin Wallet From The App Store

The latest removal means iOS users are left with no native Bitcoin wallet options, according to Coindesk. (Apple previously banned Coinbase and CoinJar). The closest Blockchain received to an explanation was an email from Apple saying it was removed "due to an unresolved issue," Wired reports.

The Blockchain iPhone app allows users to send and receive Bitcoin quickly and easily using just a smartphone or tablet.

From Wired:

Some believe that Apple may be dumping bitcoin wallets because of the emerging, somewhat confusing international regulations surrounding bitcoin. But like others, Blockchain's Cary argues that his app was pulled because Apple sees bitcoin as a potential competitor. "I think that Apple is positioning itself to take on mobile payments in a way they haven't described to the public and they're being anti-competitive."

That theory is floated in a longer, scathing statement on the Blockchain blog responding to Apple's move.

"These actions by Apple once again demonstrate the anti-competitive and capricious nature of the App Store policies that are clearly focused on preserving Apple's monopoly on payments rather than based on any consideration of the needs and desires of their users," the company wrote.

The statement continues:

The blockchain application is the same one that has been on the App Store for 2 years, with more than 120,000 downloads, no customer complaints, and a broad user base. The only thing that has changed is that bitcoin has become competitive to Apple's own payment system. By removing the blockchain app, the only bitcoin wallet application on the App store, Apple has eliminated competition using their monopolistic position in the market in a heavy handed manner.

The company went on to compare the removal due to an "unresolved issue" as the same thing as "because we said so."

We've reached out to Apple and will update this post if we hear back.