Apple threatens Damus App to Remove Bitcoin Tipping Feature or Face Removal from the App Store

Apple has issued a warning to the decentralized social media app, Damus, to comply with its guidelines or face removal from the App Store.
The warning is specifically targeted at Damus’s “zaps” feature, which allows users to earn bitcoin on posts.

Apple, the renowned tech giant, has issued a stern warning to Damus, a decentralized social media application. The warning stipulates that Damus must adhere to Apple’s guidelines or risk being removed from the App Store within a fortnight. This move by Apple has ignited a significant discussion within the tech and cryptocurrency sectors.

The central issue revolves around Damus’s “zaps” feature, which enables users to earn bitcoin on their posts, a mechanism that Apple has taken issue with. According to the Nostr protocol, upon which Damus is built, “Zaps are essentially tips. These tips are transmitted over the Lightning network at the speed of light, with virtually no transaction fees.”

To facilitate bitcoin payments and tips directly on the platform, Damus had integrated a Layer 2 Lightning Network widget. However, Apple’s guidelines mandate that if tips or donations are connected to or associated with receiving digital content, they must utilize in-app purchases.

William Casarin, the principal developer of Damus, has indicated that to comply with Apple’s guidelines, the zaps feature will likely need to be removed. While this action ensures the app’s continued presence on the App Store, it also signifies the loss of a significant feature for Damus.

Damus has contended that it neither sells digital goods nor provides features for selling digital goods. It merely facilitates peer-to-peer transactions, akin to Venmo or CashApp. However, if Apple proceeds with the removal of the Damus app, it could significantly impact bitcoin applications attempting to innovate on lightning

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