For years, Apple treated crypto payments inside iOS apps the way a bouncer treats a fake ID: instant rejection. That era is now officially over.

As of early May 2025, Apple updated its US App Store policies to permit iOS apps to include external links directing users to third-party payment methods for Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies, and NFTs. The change eliminates one of the most significant barriers between Apple’s massive user base and the broader crypto economy.

What actually changed

Under the previous rules, crypto-focused apps were explicitly banned from including any links or prompts that directed users to external payment options for purchasing digital assets. If you wanted to buy Bitcoin through an iOS app, you either did it through Apple’s in-app purchase system, which collected a 30% commission, or you didn’t do it at all. Most developers chose the latter.

The updated policy, which applies exclusively to the US App Store, now allows developers to route users to outside payment channels for crypto and NFT transactions. In English: apps can now tell users “hey, tap here to buy Bitcoin on our website” without Apple taking a cut or pulling the app from the store.

That 30% fee, often called the “Apple tax,” has been one of the most contentious issues in mobile app economics for over a decade. For crypto applications specifically, a 30% commission on transactions made the math essentially impossible. Imagine paying a 30% markup every time you bought Bitcoin. You’d need a 43% gain just to break even.

The policy change was communicated directly to developers during the first week of May 2025, and the crypto community’s reaction was swift. Developers and industry participants have widely characterized it as a substantial opportunity for expanding Bitcoin and crypto integration into the Apple ecosystem.

Why now: the Epic Games ruling

This didn’t happen because Apple had a change of heart about decentralized finance. It happened because a federal court told Apple it had to.

The update was driven by a ruling in the long-running Epic Games v. Apple litigation, which mandated that Apple ease restrictions preventing users from bypassing its in-app purchase system. Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, has been battling Apple in court since 2020 over what it characterized as monopolistic control of iOS app distribution and payments.

Apple, for its part, is not going quietly. The company plans to file an appeal of the ruling, meaning the legal battle is far from settled. But for now, the new rules are live and developers are free to build around them.

This isn’t Apple’s first concession to the crypto world, either. The company had previously approved Bitcoin microtransactions in specific gaming applications, a small but telling signal that its stance on digital assets was evolving incrementally. The May 2025 update, though, represents a far more sweeping change than anything that came before it.

What this means for investors

Previously, a crypto wallet app on iOS had to either absorb Apple’s 30% cut, pass it along to users, or simply not offer in-app purchases at all. Most chose door number three, which meant users had to leave the app, open a browser, navigate to a separate website, complete their purchase, and then return to the app. Now developers can embed a direct link that takes users straight to an external checkout flow. The revenue implications for crypto platforms are straightforward: they keep 100% of the transaction fees they charge rather than forking over nearly a third to Apple.

There are risks worth watching, though. Apple’s planned appeal introduces genuine uncertainty. If a higher court reverses the ruling, developers who built their entire monetization strategy around external payment links could find themselves scrambling.

The US-only scope also limits the immediate impact. International users, who represent a massive portion of Apple’s customer base, remain subject to the old restrictions. Any projections about global crypto adoption driven by this change need to be tempered by that geographic constraint.

For crypto-native companies already listed or seeking public markets, the ability to reach iOS users without a 30% revenue haircut could materially improve unit economics and gross margins.