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Apple forces Coinbase Wallet to drop iPhone NFT transfers or pay Apple a commission

Apple's restrictions once again stifling innovation.

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Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced that it has disabled NFT transfers on its iOS app because of the App Store’s strict in-app purchase policy.

On Twitter, Coinbase wrote that Apple was demanding payments for gas fees using the App Store’s in-app purchase system, meaning Apple would get a 30% commission on the fees.

“For anyone who understands how NFTs and blockchains work, this is clearly not possible,” Coinbase wrote. “Apple’s proprietary In-App Purchase system does not support crypto, so we couldn’t comply even if we tried.”

In response to the decision, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal tweeted: “When someone imposes rules that can’t be followed, you should ask why.”

The Coinbase-Apple feud is the latest between Apple and the NFT community. In October, the tech giant refused to exempt NFT trading from the 30% commission on in-app purchases. The commission is the reason NFT marketplaces like OpenSea do not allow NFT trading on their iOS mobile apps.

Related: OpenSea launches mobile app, but is limited by Apple and Google’s oppressive rules

Elon Musk has recently criticized the App Store policy, calling it a “hidden tax.” The Twitter owner also said that Apple had threatened to withhold Twitter from the App Store.

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