Apple

Uniswap launches iOS mobile wallet in select countries

The decentralized exchange had previously stated that Apple was not allowing the app to be listed on the App Store.

Decentralized exchange Uniswap has launched a mobile wallet that features built-in support for the exchange, according to an April 13 announcement from the company. The app is available for iOS devices in select countries and can be found in Apple’s App Store.

The Uniswap team complained on March 3 that Apple was blocking the app from its stores. But in this new announcement, the team said that its wallet is “out of Apple jail and now live in most countries.”

Uniswap said the new wallet allows users to swap tokens on the Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum and Optimism networks. It can also be connected to any Ethereum app through WalletConnect. Users can back up their accounts by either writing down their seed phrase or encrypting their key vaults with a password and storing them in iCloud.

The Uniswap app also allows users to see detailed information about nonfungible tokens (NFTs) stored within it, including their floor prices and collections.

Related: Uniswap funds DAO incentive improvement project

To make Web3 onboarding easier, several wallet developers have offered mobile apps with built-in decentralized finance (DeFi) functions over the past few years. In 2020, Argent integrated MakerDAO and other DeFi protocols with its wallet app, and 1inch provided similar integrations in 2021.

Uniswap is Ethereum’s largest decentralized crypto exchange, with over $3.4 billion of total value locked inside of its smart contracts, according to its own analytics page.

Cointelegraph reached out to the Uniswap team for a list of countries where the app is available but was unable to get a response by the time of publication.

Bitcoin white paper is apparently hiding in Apple’s modern macOS

Apple’s Mac devices have apparently been hiding Bitcoin’s whitepaper for up to five years.

Satoshi Nakamoto’s original white paper laying out the Bitcoin (BTC) network is seemingly hiding within every modern version of the operating system for Apple’s Mac computers.

An April 5 blog post from technologist Andy Baio revealed that a PDF of the Bitcoin white paper has “apparently shipped with every copy of macOS since Mojave in 2018.”

Baio told Cointelegraph that he was “just trying to fix my printer” and scan a document with a wireless scanner when a device called “Virtual Scanner II” appeared that he’d “never seen before.”

By default, Virtual Scanner II showed a photo, but when Baio changed the media type from “Photo” to “Document,” Nakamoto’s white paper appeared.

A screenshot of the Bitcoin white paper appearing within the “Virtual Scanner II” device. Source: Waxy

“I wasn’t looking for the Bitcoin paper!” Baio exclaimed. “I was just trying to fix my printer!”

In his post, Baio said there is “virtually nothing about this online.” He shared a November 2020 Twitter thread from designer Joshua Dickens, who also found the whitepaper, which Baio used to find the file location.

Baio created a prompt to use in Terminal, a command line interface for macOS, so others could bring up the whitepaper easily.

“I started asking other Mac-using friends if they could co nfirm it, and all of them could,” he said.

Related: Bitcoin white paper makes its F1 racing debut on Kraken-sponsored car

The prompt successfully opened the Bitcoin white paper on three different Apple Mac devices tested by Cointelegraph.

In his blog post, Baio claimed the file is found on “every version of macOS from Mojave (10.14.0) to the current version (Ventura), but isn’t in High Sierra (10.13) or earlier.”

It’s unknown why Nakamoto’s white paper is shipped with modern versions of macOS. Baio speculated in his post that it was “just a convenient, lightweight multipage PDF for testing purposes, never meant to be seen by end users.”

Cointelegraph contacted Apple for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Magazine: Bitcoin in Senegal: Why is this African country using BTC?

Government requests for user data from Big Tech increased by 25%: Report

Requests for user data from Big Tech companies such as Apple, Google and Microsoft continue to rise year-over-year from governments worldwide.

How Big Tech companies treat user data has been controversial for some time. Meta, Apple, Google and Microsoft are often accused of collecting and selling the personal data of their users. Though, where exactly this data goes, and how much of it is given over to companies and governments, is unclear.

However, a new study from Surfshark reveals requests for personal user data from global governments are on the rise. The study focused on the period from 2013 to 2021, with 2020 seeing the largest year-over-year increase of 38%, followed by a 25% increase in 2021.

Meta, Microsoft, Apple and Google were the four Big Tech firms included during the survey, with Meta having the most accounts of interest from authorities. Two out of five accounts hosted by Meta were requested (6.6 million) during the study period. 

Total number of accounts requested (2013–2021). Source: Surfshark

Apple, on the other hand, had the fewest, with just 416,000 requested accounts from global authorities. 

The study shows that 60% of requests came from authorities in the United States and Europe. However, the U.S. requested more than double the accounts per 100,000 users than all countries in the European Union combined.

Following the U.S. in the top spots are Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and France.

Related: Nodes are going to dethrone tech giants — from Apple to Google

According to the report, data requests are often related to criminal investigations and civil or administrative cases in which digital data is necessary.

Gabriele Kaveckyte, a member of the privacy counsel at Surfshark, said, along with data requests, authorities are also looking into ways to monitor and tackle crime via online services.

“On one hand, introducing such new measures could help solve serious criminal cases, but civil society organizations expressed their concerns of encouraging surveillance techniques….”

On the part of tech companies, the disclosure rate of user data has increased by nearly 71%. Apple leads the pack when it comes to disclosing such information, with an average disclosure rate of 86% in 2021 and 82% across the study period. 

Percentage of partially or fully disclosed user data requests (yearly average). Source: Surfshark

Decentralization and Web3 tools have often been touted as solutions to overcome Big Tech’s monopoly on user information. Some have even said Web2 platforms like Facebook and Twitter will be “obsolete” thanks to blockchain technology. 

In February, a decentralized version of Twitter, called Damus, officially launched in app stores to be a “social network you control.”

Even Big Tech companies have begun to break into the Web3 space, with Meta unsuccessfully introducing nonfungible tokens on Instagram and Facebook.

Magazine: US enforcement agencies are turning up the heat on crypto-related crime

Absorb for adoption — How infamous 30% Apple cut affects iOS NFT apps

NFT applications endure demanding fees on the Apple App store for the convenience of iOS payments and a broad user base.

Apple’s continued enforcement of in-app purchases to sell services remains a trade-off for NFT applications looking to tap into the convenience of streamlined in-app purchases for iPhone users and a massive user base around the world.

As previously reported, Apple maintains strict rules for nonfungible token apps, enforcing a 30% commission on the sale of NFTs through in-app purchases.

The enforcement of this 30% commission has been a sore point, with Coinbase Wallet seeing an update to its application blocked by Apple in December. This was due to Apple suspending the latest app release until Coinbase Wallet disabled the ability to send NFTs through the application.

Apple may have to permit third-party app stores on its devices by 2024 in the European Union in response to the recently drawn up Digital Markets Act. This is expected to allow developers to install alternative payment systems within non-Apple apps, but would not apply to countries outside of the EU.

Related: ‘Grotesquely overpriced’ — Apple’s App Store wants 30% cut on NFT sales

Cointelegraph reached out to Nodle CEO Micha Anthenor Benoliel to unpack the implications for NFT apps that continue to operate through the Apple Store. Nodle’s app rewards users for participating as nodes in a proprietary decentralized IoT network, in addition to allowing users to mint NFTs from their smartphones.

Benoliel notes that Apple has clear guidelines enforcing NFT apps to use the in-app purchase to sell any services similar to minting of an NFT, in an effort to prevent users from purchasing NFTs from mobile applications outside of the Apple App store and its in-app purchase function:

“It may take some time for them to fully grasp the implications of Web3 principles, but for now, it looks like they are trying to safeguard their business and customers by enforcing these guidelines.”

This is in clear contrast to Android, where app developers have the freedom to experiment and are not boxed into using the Play Store in-app purchase mechanism to mint or sell NFTs. Nevertheless, Benoliel believes there are myriad benefits that balance out the trade-off of Apple’s current terms and conditions.

He notes that iOS holds a commanding position in the U.S. mobile market, while its in-app purchase functionality removes payment friction for iPhone users:

“The company has gone to great lengths to simplify the purchasing process and make it easier for developers to support transactions without managing sensitive credit card information.”

The App Store also provides a centralized service that handles various currencies and exchange rates that developers would have to manage when implementing a credit card payment solution.

Related: Robinhood Wallet rolls out on iOS with Android support to follow

Nodle intends to provide infrastructure to creators to enable app users to mint unique creations. In order to provide this service to iOS users under Apple’s current conditions, the platform has had to shift costs towards its users:

“There’s a catch. Apple charges up to 30% of the sale price for minting an NFT. Nodle includes this fee in its customer-facing price.”

Nodle’s NFT minting process allows a user to make use of camera photos or images from their galleries before paying for minting costs using Apple’s in-app purchase. The “Minting as a Service” component features a centralized service that receives and checks images before minting the NFT using the Polkadot NFT pallet upon payment confirmation.

An NFT minted through the Nodle mobile application. Source: Nodle

Benoliel told Cointelegraph that Apple could benefit in the long run from the free exchange and trading of NFTs in apps, which could incentivize users to opt for alternative solutions:

“When you read about incoming EU laws that will force Apple to permit alternative app stores and apps without the need to go through its App Store, one can wonder if this could not happen soon in the U.S. as well.”

Up until that point, Benoliel believes that there is still a valid argument for NFT app developers to consider supporting iOS, citing the in-app purchase feature’s convenience for transactions. A massive user base also presents a “valuable opportunity” for developers to reach a broad audience of potential users.

Cryptocurrency wallet applications are also grappling with specific requirements to launch on the Apple App store. Decentralized exchange Uniswap intended to launch its iOS app in December but has not been given the go-ahead by Apple.

Bitcoin market cap flips tech giant Meta, widens gap on Visa

BTC’s market cap has climbed to the 11th spot among top assets by market cap, sitting behind electric vehicle maker Tesla.

Despite a turbulent week for crypto following the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, Bitcoin’s (BTC) market cap has managed to flip that of tech giant Meta.

At the time of writing, data from Companies Market Cap shows Bitcoin’s market cap has reached $471.86 billion, surpassing Meta’s $469 billion.

Companies Market Cap provides real-time monitoring and ranking of market caps for cryptocurrencies, public companies, precious metals and exchange-traded funds.

Bitcoin’s market cap standing compared to other assets. Source: Companies Market Cap

Only 24 hours earlier, BTC’s market cap was nearly $37 billion below Meta’s, sitting at $433.49 billion.

However, Bitcoin’s market cap rose 9.7% in the past 24 hours, pushing the cryptocurrency to sit in the 11th spot among top assets by market cap, just below electric vehicle maker Tesla.

On Feb. 20, Cointelegraph reported that BTC had flipped the market cap of payment processing giant Visa for the third time in history, putting it just ahead of the payments company.

Related: Bitcoin on-chain data highlights key similarities between the 2019 and 2023 BTC price rally

The gap between the two market caps is now more than $20 billion, though it still is quite a distance from gold, which sits in first position with a $12.59 trillion market cap, followed by Apple in second place with a $2.380 trillion market cap.

BTC’s price has risen 8.72% in the past 24 hours, sitting at $24,441.

Uniswap wants to launch mobile wallet, but Apple won’t greenlight its launch

Despite having its first build approved in October, Uniswap Labs is facing issues with Apple’s App Store regarding its mobile wallet.

Uniswap Labs has announced plans to release a new self-custodial mobile wallet that will offer users the ability to swap on layer-1 or layer-2 networks without having to switch blockchain.

According to Uniswap Labs, the wallet will allow users to check price charts and search for any token across various networks, including Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum and Optimism. To ensure maximum security, Uniswap Labs worked with Trail of Bits for the audit of the wallet. Additionally, the seed phrases and private keys of both imported and newly created wallets will be encrypted and stored on devices using Apple’s Secure Enclave, which is excluded from device backups. Uniswap also shared that users will be able to manually store their seed phrases with a paper copy or encrypt and store it on iCloud.

Despite having its first build approved in October, Uniswap Labs has faced issues with Apple’s App Store regarding its mobile wallet. Although other self-custody swapping wallets have been approved, the final build of Uniswap’s mobile wallet was rejected by Apple just a few days before its planned December 2022 launch. 

Uniswap Labs shared that it responded to Apple’s concerns, answered all its questions, and reiterated that it was compliant with its guidelines. However, Apple has still not greenlit the launch, and Uniswap Labs remains in limbo. As a result, it is offering early access to a few thousand Testflight users while waiting for Apple to approve the launch. 

Uniswap notes in its announcement:

“Apple won’t green-light our launch and we don’t know why. We are stuck in limbo.”

Related: Uniswap DAO debate shows devs still struggle to secure cross-chain bridges

On Feb 6, Cointelegraph reported that members of the Uniswap community voted in favor of deploying Uniswap v3 on Boba Network’s layer-2 protocol on Ethereum, which means that the Boba Network will be the sixth chain to deploy Uniswap v3. The move was backed by several entities, such as GFX Labs, Blockchain at Michigan, Gauntlet and ConsenSys.

3 reasons why the MANA and SAND metaverse token rally could end soon

Apple’s rumored VR headset launch appeared to fuel a sharp rally in metaverse tokens, but data suggests that the momentum is unsustainable.

The metaverse hype that began in 2021 dissolved almost entirely by the end of 2022 as the top projects in the space, Decentraland and The Sandbox, lost 95% of their market capitalization. The most prominent reason for the fall was a lack of user growth. 

Still, the metaverse narrative is far from dead and will grow in the future. Reportedly, Apple will launch its virtual reality gear sometime in spring 2023. The announcement was a positive catalyst for Decentraland’s MANA and The Sandbox’s SAND, causing a double-digit price surge.

While there’s evidence of positive buying volume supporting the pump, the weak fundamentals of metaverse platforms and overheated market indicators suggest that the price pump risks reversing quickly.

The Apple pump-and-dump

Facebook’s (Meta) foray into the metaverse was one of the most prominent catalysts for metaverse tokens. The idea for Decentraland’s and The Sandbox’s growth is that a decentralized metaverse would flourish more than Meta’s centralized version.

However, the technology has yet to become popular among the masses. In 2022, the percentage of VR users among Steam gamers was less than 2%, and the usage has yet to grow over the past two years. This is discouraging for the technology’s adoption because the gaming sector was the first to embrace it.

The technology suffers from a fundamental issue where VR headsets are unsuitable for long hours. Studies have found that prolonged usage of headsets can cause mental health problems.

Apple’s recent VR news caused an uptick in metaverse tokens, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to the success of these projects. Samsung and Oculus, owned by Meta, already have devices on the market, raising the question about the potential impact of Apple’s new devices on VR adoption.

Poor usage data hinders the reality of a sustained metaverse token rally

Arguably, metaverse euphoria peaked in the last quarter of the same year when Facebook rebranded to Meta. However, the usage statistics of the two most popular metaverse platforms, The Sandbox and Decentraland, remained unimpressive throughout the price surge. Fewer than 5,000 unique active wallets (UAWs) were interacting with the smart contracts at the peak on both platforms.

The Sandbox unique wallet addresses interacting with a decentralized application’s smart contracts. Source: DappRadar
Decentraland unique wallet addresses interacting with a decentralized application’s smart contracts. Source: DappRadar

Since then, the usage has decreased even further, with fewer than 1,000 UAWs per day, reflecting terrible fundamentals.

Moreover, while the token prices have jumped, the nonfungible token sales for The Sandbox lands haven’t improved with similar prices and volume since the last quarter of 2022. It once again confirms that activity across the platform is uneventful.

Token dilution risks remain

Decentraland is also on the creditor list of Genesis, which filed for bankruptcy last week. According to the court filings, the defunct lending firm owes Decentraland $55 million.

However, according to Decentraland’s Discord, Genesis owes only $7.8 million. A community spokesperson added, “The Treasury remains healthy and the credit amount does not represent a substantial part of the Foundation’s treasury.”

The Genesis issue has been long known; thus, it’s possible that the organization might have dissolved the issue by now. However, it will likely affect the pace of its ecosystem growth, which is small to begin with.

On the other hand, the SAND token suffers from the risk of dilution due to monthly unlocks until the end of Q3 2024. If market conditions do not improve, some investors may be inclined to sell their portion of the tokens.

Despite its shortcomings, as long as there’s a possibility that the technology will become a part of the future, the market is continually going to appreciate the first movers in the space. The problem is long-term visions may not sustain short- to medium-term rallies.

MANA/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

The sudden spike after days of low volatility has caused the Relative Strength Index (RSI) metric to show overheated readings. The situation has become more challenging, as the price has been trading at resistance from the breakdown region of the FTX collapse.

Nansen data shows exchange inflows for MANA and SAND were $8.4 million and $12.6 million, respectively. It suggests that more investors moved to sell than buy into a positive breakout.

Nevertheless, the recent uptick in MANA was supported by healthy volume, as reported by data from analytics firm Santiment, which is encouraging for buyers. But MANA/USD must take out the $0.735 resistance and support area for continued upside.

SAND/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingView

A similar trading set-up for SAND sees resistance for the token at around $0.93. If buyers conquer this level for the metaverse tokens, we can expect the rally to continue. However, based on fundamentals and short-term risks, it remains unlikely that the price can break above the resistance. 

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Apple to allow third-party app stores in windfall for NFTs and crypto

In a win for crypto app developers, incoming EU laws will force Apple to permit alternative app stores and apps without the need to go through its App Store.

Tech giant Apple is gearing up to permit third-party app stores on its devices to comply with new anti-monopolistic requirements from the European Union (EU), which could be seen as a huge win for crypto and NFT app developers, at least in Europe.

Under the new rules, European customers would be able to download alternative app marketplaces outside of Apple’s proprietary App Store, thus allowing them to download apps that skirt Apple’s 30% commissions and app restrictions according to a Dec. 13 Bloomberg report citing those familiar with the matter.

Currently, Apple has stringent rules for NFT apps that practically force users to go through in-app purchases subject to Apple’s 30% commission, while apps are not permitted to support cryptocurrency payments.

Apple’s enforcement of its rule led to a block of Coinbase’s self-custody wallet app update on Dec. 1 as Apple wanted to “collect 30% of the gas fee” through in-app purchases, something that is “clearly not possible” according to Coinbase.

It then claimed Apple wanted the wallet to disable NFT transactions if they couldn’t be done through its in-app purchase system.

Alex Salnikov, co-founder of NFT marketplace Rarible tweeted on Dec. 13 in response to the news that a “crypto app store” could be built and would be a “great candidate” for a venture capital-backed startup.

Apple’s move to open its ecosystem is in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act aiming to regulate so-called “gatekeepers” and ensure platforms behave fairly with part of the measures allowing “third parties to inter-operate with the gatekeeper’s own services.”

It will be applicable starting May 2023 with businesses needing to fully comply by 2024.

Apple hasn’t decided if it will comply with a part of the Act allowing developers to install alternative payment systems within apps that don’t involve Apple. if it does comply, it could open up payment systems that allow cryptocurrencies.

Related: LBRY alleges Apple forced it to censor certain terms amid COVID-19 pandemic

Under consideration by the tech giant is mandating security requirements for software outside of its store, such as verification from Apple, in a bid to protect users against unsafe apps.

The changes to Apple’s closed ecosystem would apply only within the EU, other regions would need to pass similar laws such as the proposed Open App Markets Act in the United States Congress from Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal.

‘Father of the iPod’ helps Ledger create new cold crypto wallet

Tony Fadell, the man behind the iPod, iPhone and Nest Thermostat, collaborates with major crypto wallet firm Ledger to build a new cold wallet.

Hardware wallet provider Ledger, known for its cold-storage devices, announced its seventh crypto wallet in collaboration with the creator of the original iPod.

Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iconic iPod Classic model, has partnered with Ledger to help the company design its latest wallet device known as Ledger Stax. The company broke the news on Dec. 6 at Ledger’s bi-annual Web3 developer event, Ledger Op3n, in Paris.

Ledger’s upcoming new hardware wallet is a credit card-size device that features a large E Ink display, capacitive touch, Bluetooth support, wireless charging and more.

For the first time in Ledger’s product line, Stax contains a curved E Ink display which can be used to show the holder’s name or other wallet information, just like a book spine. The device is also equipped with magnets, allowing users to organize the storage of multiple similar devices and “stack” them in order, and that is why Ledger Stax was called so.

When designing the device, Fadell thought about what the modern stack of cash would look like. “He thought about it in two ways — the spine of the device is like the band around the stack of cash which shows you what’s inside, and you can stack them together using the magnets,” a Ledger spokesperson said in a statement to Cointelegraph.

Ledger Stax hardware wallet. Source: Ledger

Fadell, who also worked on the first three generations of the iPhone, designed Ledger Stax in cooperation with the industrial design firm Layer. “We need to be user-friendly… no! A ‘user-delightful’ tool, to bring digital asset security to the rest of us, not just the geeks,” the ‘Father of the iPod’ said.

According to the announcement, Ledger Stax will be available in Q1 2023, and customers can now pre-order the wallet on Ledger’s official website. In the future, it will be available from select retailers such as BestBuy in the United States.

The Ledger Stax wallet is priced at $279, a spokesperson for Ledger told Cointelegraph. The device is significantly more expensive than Ledger’s previous wallet, the Ledger Nano S Plus. Officially released in April 2022, Nano S Plus costs $79 at the time of writing. The previous iteration, Nano X, is priced at $149.

Related: Binance makes moves in hardware wallet industry with new investment

According to Ledger, the latest wallet product is designed to make interacting and signing transactions easier with a touch screen and a larger display. “​​Ledger Stax adds to our lineup, rather than replacing anything, allowing customers to choose the kind of experience they want,” the firm’s representative said.

Coinbase claims Apple blocked wallet app release over gas fees

The platform said Apple wanted Coinbase Wallet to disable NFT transactions, introducing “new policies to protect their profits at the expense of consumer investment in NFTs.”

The self-custody crypto wallet from Coinbase said users can no longer send nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, due to interference from Apple.

In a Dec. 1 Twitter thread, Coinbase Wallet said the tech company with a more than $2 trillion market capitalization had blocked the latest release of its app in an effort to “collect 30% of the gas fee” through in-app purchases. The platform claimed Apple wanted Coinbase Wallet to disable NFT transactions, which would introduce “new policies to protect their profits at the expense of consumer investment in NFTs and developer innovation across the crypto ecosystem.”

“For anyone who understands how NFTs and blockchains work, this is clearly not possible,” said Coinbase Wallet. “Apple’s proprietary In-App Purchase system does not support crypto so we couldn’t comply even if we tried. This is akin to Apple trying to take a cut of fees for every email that gets sent over open Internet protocols.”

The wallet app said that users affected by the decision — i.e., those with iPhones — would find it “a lot harder to transfer that NFT to other wallets.” Coinbase added that the block may have been an oversight, calling on Apple to communicate with the firm over any issues.

Related: Coinbase clarifies bug bounty policy in response to Uber extortion verdict

Coinbase first announced it would be adding support for NFTs to its self-custody wallet in December 2021, giving users access through the app to marketplaces like OpenSea. On Nov. 29, the app said it would suspend support for Bitcoin Cash (BCH), XRP (XRP), Ethereum Classic (ETC) and Stellar Lumen (XLM), citing low usage.