Court Rules Apple Can't Charge Fees on Third-Party Links, Boosts Crypto Apps

A federal court has issued a ruling that prohibits Apple from collecting fees on links outside of its iOS apps and from banning links to third-party websites. This decision is part of the ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, which centers around Apple's restrictions on the American market. Epic Games, the creator of the popular game Fortnite, has been at the forefront of this dispute, arguing that Apple's practices are anticompetitive and stifle innovation.

The court's decision highlights Apple's dominant position in the app market and its use of this dominance to limit the financial success of crypto apps. The ruling states that Apple has willfully ignored a previous court injunction from 2021, which ordered the company to cease its anticompetitive practices. The court found that Apple's actions have continued to interfere with competitive practices and have further damaged other businesses, including crypto startups. The court emphasized that Apple's interference with app developers' ability to communicate with customers and its charging of fees for services on third-party websites are unacceptable.

This ruling is expected to have significant implications for the crypto industry. Crypto apps will now have the freedom to experiment with different business models without being burdened by Apple's high fees. This could potentially ignite a "massive" bull rally for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, and Cardano. The court's decision to disallow Apple from monitoring developers' purchases or requiring them to report their dealings with clients outside of the app is a major victory for developers and consumers alike.

Apple's anticompetitive practices have previously hindered the growth of crypto apps, particularly in the NFT market, which often involves various monetary practices outside of an app. The court's ruling aims to rectify this by ensuring that Apple does not engage in such practices in the future. The ruling also disallows Apple from restricting link usage for particular categories, which could further open up the market for crypto apps.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney hailed the ruling as a significant victory for developers. He noted that developers can now use their payment services alongside Apple’s app, which is a major benefit for crypto companies looking to provide iOS services without paying Apple a fee. Sweeney also pointed out that this ruling will benefit consumers, as the savings from not having to pay Apple's fees will be passed on to them. He emphasized that Apple must compete in the market like everyone else and that competition is good for business, as it ensures that the best products will prevail.