Apple Forced to Update App Store Rules, Allowing Crypto and NFT Apps to Link to External Payment Options

A U.S. District Court decision has forced Apple to update its App Store rules, now allowing crypto and NFT app developers to link users to external payment options without Apple's fees.

This follows up on an April 30th ruling where the court found Apple had violated a 2021 injunction as part of its antitrust battle with Epic Games.

In a court filing, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found that Apple intentionally disregarded the earlier ruling. The judge described the company’s ongoing actions regarding external links and payments as anticompetitive and stated they would not be permitted to continue.

Court Mandates Fee-Free External Links for App Store Developers

The ruling explicitly orders Apple to cease imposing commissions or fees on transactions completed outside its App Store payment system. The company is also prohibited from auditing or monitoring these external transactions.

Furthermore, developers cannot be prevented from including external payment links within their apps, and Judge Rogers clarified that Apple cannot dictate how developers choose to implement or display links directing users to outside payment systems. The ruling also forbids Apple from excluding specific app categories or developers from utilizing external linking features.

This court decision grants developers building for the U.S. App Store more freedom, especially those working with digital assets. They can now insert buttons or links within their apps to direct users to NFT marketplaces or other crypto services for purchases.

Platforms like the NFT marketplace OpenSea were previously severely restricted on iOS, allowing users only to browse NFTs, not buy them through external links without threat of Apple's rules.

Apple has informed developers about the mandated changes through updated App Store guidelines. Some industry watchers described the tone of Apple’s communication as reluctant, but the new rules are effective immediately.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also commented on the development and announced that Epic plans to relaunch its popular game Fortnite on the U.S. iOS App Store following the decision. Sweeney stated that Epic would drop its ongoing and future legal actions against Apple if the company applied these same rule changes globally, not just in the U.S.