If you’re a big supporter of Bitcoin, you may be disheartened to hear that Apple has pulled “Blockchain” from the App Store, marking the removal of the last Bitcoin wallet app from iOS.
Blockchain is the world’s most popular Bitcoin wallet, with roughly 1 million total users worldwide and 120,000 users of the now removed iOS app. Blockchain was the last remaining Bitcoin wallet app on iOS, with other popular wallet apps having been pulled by Apple late last year.
Blockchain’s app was first released back in April 2012 and had already been pulled from the App Store once before, although it managed to make its way back on. Blockchain’s CEO Nicolas Cary says that Apple has told the company its app has been “removed from the App Store due to an unresolved issue.” Whatever that means.
Some suspect that Apple is trying to stay away from Bitcoin due to its somewhat controversial nature, with many labeling the currency as nothing more than a tool for criminals. Others, including Cary himself, believe that Apple is doing it to try and get rid of competition for when it launches its big mobile payment initiative.
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.
If you already had the Blockchain app downloaded, you’ll still be able to use it just fine. Other users looking for a Bitcoin mobile app will have to either jailbreak their phone or travel to Android land.
