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Apple stifles the release of the Uniswap mobile wallet for unknown reasons
(Kitco News) - Uniswap Labs, the company behind the development of the top decentralized exchange (DEX) in the crypto industry, has announced the launch of the Uniswap wallet, a self-custodial, open-sourced mobile app that is currently available as a limited early release through Apple TestFlight.
The new wallet lets users swap tokens and seamlessly switch between the Ethereum, Polygon network, Arbitrum and Optimism networks, track their ERC-20 and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and monitor any Ethereum wallet address. It also enables the ability to connect with any decentralized application (dapp) that operates on the mainnet or layer-two network via Wallet Connect.
Advanced functionalities enable users to use Web3 apps operating on different networks at the same time, and allow users to back up their seed phrase manually or encrypted in the iCould.
Unfortunately for Uniswap, Apple isn’t fully onboard with the new wallet, which is the reason for its limited release through Apple TestFlight.
“So why a limited early release from a team committed to access for anyone?” Uniswap tweeted. “Simply put, Apple won’t green-light our launch, & we don’t know why. We submitted our mobile app months ago – and even though we are 100% compliant with their specifications, we’re still stuck in limbo.”
Uniswap elaborated on the situation in a post explaining how to get early access to the wallet launch, saying that Apple approved the “first build” of the wallet in October but rejected the final build “just a few days before our December launch.”
Despite being in compliance with Apple’s guidelines, the wallet has yet to be approved, so Uniswap elected to open early access for “a few thousand Testflight users.”
“That means it's functionally the same, safe to use, and can be updated to the App Store version after Apple approves it,” the DEX wrote. “We like Apple products – that's why we built our wallet for iOS. But this experience has reminded us why we got into building open, accessible technology in the first place.”
Early access codes will be distributed to those selected for the program via community channels over the next two weeks, with attendees at the ongoing ETHDenver conference getting first access.
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DeFi users can now use fiat to purchase crypto on Uniswap |
This is just the latest instance of Apple imposing limitations on cryptocurrency applications available in its App Store.
In October, the company updated its App Store guidelines to include a 30% commission on all non-fungible token (NFT) sales that take place on dapps listed in the App Store, and placed limitations on the ability of such apps to allow users to make purchases using alternate payment methods.
Coinbase, the top U.S.-based crypto exchange, has also had issues with Apple’s App Store policy, announcing in December that the tech company blocked the ability for Coinbase Wallet iOS users to send NFTs and would not allow Coinbase to update its app to the latest iteration until it disabled the feature.
According to Coinbase, Apple wanted the 30% commission rate to also apply to the cost to conduct the transaction, known as the gas fee, which the exchange pointed out “is clearly not possible” based on how NFTs and blockchains work.
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