Wallet of Satoshi (WoS), a Bitcoin Lightning Payment app, has mysteriously vanished from both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in the U.S. The unexpected move came at a time when the App was close to reaching a significant milestone. The milestone in question is recording 1 million transactions for November.
On November 24, users and members of the crypto community took to social media, particularly on X(formerly Twitter), to share their attempts to locate the WoS app, only to find no results or redirected links leading to competing wallet apps. Interestingly, the WoS app remains available for download on the Australian Apple App Store and the Australian and Singaporean Google Play Store versions.
In response to the confusion, Wallet of Satoshi clarified on social media that it was not banned from the app stores but had made the “difficult decision” to remove the App from the U.S. Apple and Google app stores.
The post did not specify the reasons for this abrupt withdrawal of services in the U.S., leaving room for speculation about a possible resumption based on “future developments.” Existing users in the USA, however, maintain full access to their BTC funds and have the option to transfer their tokens to other wallets.
Apple, known for its strict control over in-app payments and imposing a substantial 30% tax on such transactions, did not immediately provide details or respond to inquiries. The contentious relationship between Apple and crypto platforms seeking an App Store presence has been a longstanding issue, further highlighted by a recent class-action lawsuit filed by dissatisfied PayPal Venmo and Block Cash App users.
This legal action accuses Apple of engaging in anti-competitive agreements with PayPal and Block, limiting the use of crypto technology and payments on iOS. Notably, Apple has a history of removing crypto apps, including delisting the Nostr-based Damus app in June and briefly pulling the MetaMask wallet app from its App Store in October. The disappearance of Satoshi’s Wallet adds another layer to the ongoing challenges faced by crypto apps within the Apple and Google app ecosystems.
