Apple Softens Crypto App Rules After Court Ruling — A Major Win for Web3 Developers

Apple Ordered to Ease App Store Rules — A “Huge” Win for Crypto Industry

A recent court ruling has forced Apple to relax its controversial App Store policies, marking a major turning point for crypto and Web3 app developers. The decision, stemming from its legal battle with Epic Games, is already being hailed as “hugely bullish” for the crypto space.

On April 30, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple had willfully violated a 2021 injunction designed to curb its anticompetitive behavior. She ordered Apple to immediately cease efforts to control or charge for off-app purchases, a move that will benefit crypto apps and NFT marketplaces that have long been throttled by the tech giant’s restrictions.

Judge: “No Do-Overs” for Apple’s Antitrust Violations

“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction,” Rogers stated.

“Time is of the essence. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs.”

Under the ruling, Apple can no longer charge commissions or impose any fees on purchases made outside of apps. Furthermore, developers are now free to link to external payment systems and NFT platforms without requiring Apple’s approval or entitlements.

Apple is also barred from excluding categories of apps or developers from using these external links.

Developers and Crypto Industry Rejoice

The ruling has already triggered updates to Apple’s developer guidelines — albeit with what many are calling “passive-aggressive” language.

Source: Hector Lopez

Ariel Michaeli, CEO of Appfigures, said the updates might be confusing to some but confirmed major wins:

• Apps can now link directly to NFT collections

• No entitlement is needed to link outside the App Store

• External payment systems can be used freely

Crypto commentator “Xero” wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “This is hugely bullish for mobile crypto games and apps.” Another industry figure, Alex Masmej, added, “This is absolutely huge for crypto.”

Epic Games to Bring Fortnite Back to Apple Store

The ruling may also resolve one of the longest-running App Store disputes. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite could soon return to Apple’s U.S. App Store:

“If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store globally and drop all litigation.”

Sweeney’s statement signals a possible truce — but only if Apple complies worldwide.

What This Means for Crypto

With Apple’s 30% cut off the table and fewer restrictions on linking to external platforms, Web3 developers now have a clearer path to monetize and grow their apps. NFT projects, decentralized games, and wallet-based apps can now reach iOS users without friction — a long-awaited moment for the crypto ecosystem.