Bitcoin News
Daily diary of what's happening with Bitcoin.
Forbes contributor Jon Matonis (@JonMatonis) describes Apple’s introduction of Passbook and explains why Apple has rejected Bitcoin apps from being available on the App Store. Excerpts:
“Apple has launched mobile payments on iOS and competing virtual payment systems, including bitcoin, must be terminated.”
“Basically, it boils down to this. Apple realizes that, with their current installed base of 400 million active credit card details, the mobile payments war at the point of sale is largely theirs to lose. Why complicate the strategy by offering competing currencies and competing systems on the iPhone platform?”
“Bitcoin poses a more specific threat because, as its own independent, nonpolitical currency, the third-party legacy players (i.e., VISA, Mastercard, banks) can be bypassed which would disrupt Apple’s partnerships with dongle players like Square and iZettle.”
“Bitcoin payment apps have already demonstrated the effectiveness of QR codes and scanning at the point of sale.”
“PayPal is a unique and interesting exception. Having been in the App Store since the very beginning, PayPal has the volume and clout to the point of where rejecting it would harm Apple more than PayPal.”
To use bitcoin with iPhone, it boils down to three options:
- Use a web-based hosted eWallet or hybrid wallet
- Jailbreak the iOS device
- Buy an Android (join the 1 million people per day who do)
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A post on Bitcoin Money blog (@BitcoinMoney) reviews the analysis and recommendations from SWIFT regarding global payments, and adds to it with how Bitcoin can compete. Excerpts:
“Because Bitcoin doesn’t need to be introduced to a country by a bank or mobile network operator and needs no government sponsor or prior approval it can start to become entrenched, organically. Bitcoin doesn’t need a bilateral agreement to have interconnectivity between the sender in one country and the recipient in another. Bitcoin used for mobile payments doesn’t need multiple variants, each different due to specific requirements before each target nation would grant approval.”
“Bitcoin is the one-size-fits-all mobile payments system that clears all the hurdles this SWIFT research and analysis presents.”
- http://www.bitcoinmoney.com/post/23218328771
- http://bit.ly/J7tfuq (SWIFT White paper)
Jon Matonis (@JonMatonis)’ latest article in Forbes covers the release of the Blockhain app for Apple products. Excerpts:
“Be your own bank? There’s an app for that”.
“Run by Ben Reeves, the small company has released several reliable services and products for the thriving bitcoin community including charts, statistical data, the web-based My Wallet, an Android wallet app, and most recently an impressive bitcoin wallet app for Apple’s iOS”.
“Addresses are clickable to display a QR code and you can also scan QR codes to make payments. Keys are stored securely on your phone and encrypted on Blockchain’s servers so if you lose your phone, no sweat — you’re protected”.
“Why approve the Blockchain app at this time when it was mysteriously rejected before? Maybe Apple no longer wanted it as an illicit app on the Cydia website”.
A post on Bitcoin Money blog (@BitcoinMoney) describes how iPhone and iPad users now have an app for Bitcoin. Excerpts:
“The app is free and can be installed on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Wthin seconds of clicking Install the app can begin receiving bitcoins”.
“The creator of Blockchain.info, piuk, reported a week ago that the Android version was being installed at a rate 50% higher than its shunned iOS brethren”.
“Persistance did pay off. Finally, Blockchain v1.9.2 with full wallet capabilities was approved after an appeal and is now available from the App Store globally”.
“That a variety of desktop, web-based and now native mobile apps for Bitcoin are now available to well over half the world’s population is really something quite remarkable. The pace of innovation in the Bitcoin-related space is accelerating.”
