Blockchain CEO calls Apple 'gatekeeper to innovation,' says Bitcoin app removal signals payments pus
The CEO of Blockchain, which had its Bitcoin wallet app removed from the App Store on Thursday, called Apple a "gatekeeper to innovation" and believes the company is cracking down on possible competitors for an unannounced payment system leveraging iTunes account holders.
Explaining the removal of his iOS Bitcoin wallet app from the App Store, Blockchain CEO Nicholas Cary told CNBC he believes the title was pulled because Apple is planning to launch a competing revenues service.
"Apple has telegraphed they'll do something on top of the hundreds of millions of credit cards they have on their system," Cary said. "Bitcoin represents a major threat to any revenue model they may try to build. Anything they do with credit cards is not going to be innovative. Bitcoin is."
He goes on to name the merits of a crypto-currency like Bitcoin, which includes no fees, no chargebacks and assuages privacy concerns. That last point is somewhat contentious given a number of high-profile hacks, some worth over $1 million.
As for Apple's move into payments, Cary cites the company's weaning off of Google apps in iOS 7. He claims the removal of Blockchain's app is akin to that of Google Maps, adding that Apple will build out a revenue model based on iTunes' credit card-carrying account holders.
Unlike Blockchain, however, Google's apps were not completely shut out of the App Store. The Internet search giant still has a strong presence on iOS including Google Maps and Gmail, both direct competitors to major Apple products.
Commenting on Bitcoin wallet alternatives, of which there are none on iOS, Cary said Android is now the platform of choice for "Bitcoin enthusiasts."
"It is hard to gauge when they want when they only give you a terse e-mail for saying that your app was removed for something they don't tell you about," Cary said. "What Apple has done now is demonstrate they're in a position to be a gatekeeper on innovation."
When asked if suing Apple was an option, Cary quickly replied that such action is unnecessary. Instead, he would rather innovate and make Bitcoin an established form of currency.
"I'd much prefer to work with Tim Cook and the team at Apple and demonstrate on how they're missing out on the greatest innovation of our time," he said
Explaining the removal of his iOS Bitcoin wallet app from the App Store, Blockchain CEO Nicholas Cary told CNBC he believes the title was pulled because Apple is planning to launch a competing revenues service.
"Apple has telegraphed they'll do something on top of the hundreds of millions of credit cards they have on their system," Cary said. "Bitcoin represents a major threat to any revenue model they may try to build. Anything they do with credit cards is not going to be innovative. Bitcoin is."
He goes on to name the merits of a crypto-currency like Bitcoin, which includes no fees, no chargebacks and assuages privacy concerns. That last point is somewhat contentious given a number of high-profile hacks, some worth over $1 million.
As for Apple's move into payments, Cary cites the company's weaning off of Google apps in iOS 7. He claims the removal of Blockchain's app is akin to that of Google Maps, adding that Apple will build out a revenue model based on iTunes' credit card-carrying account holders.
Unlike Blockchain, however, Google's apps were not completely shut out of the App Store. The Internet search giant still has a strong presence on iOS including Google Maps and Gmail, both direct competitors to major Apple products.
Commenting on Bitcoin wallet alternatives, of which there are none on iOS, Cary said Android is now the platform of choice for "Bitcoin enthusiasts."
"It is hard to gauge when they want when they only give you a terse e-mail for saying that your app was removed for something they don't tell you about," Cary said. "What Apple has done now is demonstrate they're in a position to be a gatekeeper on innovation."
When asked if suing Apple was an option, Cary quickly replied that such action is unnecessary. Instead, he would rather innovate and make Bitcoin an established form of currency.
"I'd much prefer to work with Tim Cook and the team at Apple and demonstrate on how they're missing out on the greatest innovation of our time," he said
Comments
I include myself in that category, and we are not as ubiquitous as we'd like to think we are.
Remember, the litmus test is this is: Would your grandpa use it?
Fact: Apple didn't say why they pulled the app. Which is strange and I'm sure frustrating to the developer, but they should attempt to communicate with Apple developer relations instead of jumping on the conspiracy bandwagon on CNBC.
Fact: Apple doesn't talk about future products or plans. Not sure how you could claim Apple "telegraphed" anything, unless you get your worldview from tech sites that echo the same rumors, but treat them like they were fact?
Which reminds me.
Has anybody ever play a drinking game where you take a shot whenever Tim Cook says the word 'phenomenal' or 'incredible' in a keynote?
That could get nasty.
Smells like a bull took a dump. This sounds like more of the same Fandroid / Slashdot member / anti-anything-not-Linux / free-as-in-freedom hacker / Bitcoin / math nerd / Richard Stallman eating the dead skin off the bottom of his bare feet / anarchist / BitTorrent / Silk Road / fight-the-power mentality pervasive in tech / Internet circles.
Fact: Apple didn't say why they pulled the app. Which is strange and I'm sure frustrating to the developer, but they should attempt to communicate with Apple developer relations instead of jumping on the conspiracy bandwagon on CNBC.
Fact: Apple doesn't talk about future products or plans. Not sure how you could claim Apple "telegraphed" anything, unless you get your worldview from tech sites that echo the same rumors, but treat them like they were fact?
Lol its probably true about what this guy is saying though... Although Bitcoin is gonna have to either be regulated or will get shut down in the near future. Too easy to money launder.
Sorry, I don't get what he's whining about.
At this point, we don't know what the legality of bit-coins is. Apple is totally within its right to pull it and wait for the congress to clarify this.
Even I don't know what the heck is going on with it and rather not deal with it until governments around the world confirms the legality as well as the regulations.
Just ask this guy.
http://business.time.com/2014/01/27/bitinstant-ceo-charlie-shrem-arrested-for-alleged-money-laundering/
Smells like a bull took a dump. This sounds like more of the same Fandroid / Slashdot member / anti-anything-not-Linux / free-as-in-freedom hacker / Bitcoin / math nerd / Richard Stallman eating the dead skin off the bottom of his bare feet / anarchist / BitTorrent / Silk Road / fight-the-power mentality pervasive in tech / Internet circles.
Hey! Don't lump us Math Nerds in with all those creepy, smelly hippy anarchists.
In reading the article, it sounded like Cary was just saying "hey Apple! buy my company!"
It's amazing and terrifying how people on this web site will defend Apple no matter what. This is simple anti-competitive behavior.
Don't be naive. That means they would have to ban US currency too. Also, virtually every other currency in existence. Also PayPal.
Don't you people get that, by allowing Apple (or Google) to ban/approve apps and content, you no longer have control over your own personal lives.
Anti competitive? Apple doesn't have anything in the same category.
PayPal plays with real money. Bit coin is nothing. Many govts don't consider it legal tender.
Um , worried about apps being banned? Don't get an iPhone.
Jeez dude... Get a grip. Or cash in your Bitcoins for some mellower crack.
"Also PayPal" what?
Then welcome to 2008 since Apple started curating their App Store from the start.
It's amazing and terrifying how people on this web site will defend Apple no matter what. This is simple anti-competitive behavior.
Don't be naive. That means they would have to ban US currency too. Also, virtually every other currency in existence. Also PayPal.
Don't you people get that, by allowing Apple (or Google) to ban/approve apps and content, you no longer have control over your own personal lives.
No, it isn't an anti-competitive behavior, especially since bitcoin has not been clarified as a legal currency in US. It's already been banned completely in Russia and practically in China as well.
Also, WTF, smartphones == our personal lives? Smartphone is just a luxury item, we can live without it.
Apple have the right to control what gets into their own app stores and on their platform, just as Microsoft does on their Windows, Xbox, Sony on their Playstation, Google on Android and so on.
You're not entitled to have anything you want on your smartphones, just as you're not entitled to play Xbox Games on Playstation consoles.
Just as stores are not entitled to carry everything you want, just as you are not entitled to let anybody in your house, etc.
You don't like it, go make your own smartphone, your own OS, and your own apps. Nobody's forcing you to get Android nor iOS devices, just as nobody's forcing you to give up control of your life.
That puts you in an awful prediciment if 10 foot poles ever become an illegal form of currency.