News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by saurik on Sunday December 29, 2019 @01:11PM (#21907373)
On a desktop computer by far the most common "dApp browser" is MetaMask, which is merely a Chrome/Firefox extension. The mechanism is simply "a web browser" that gives the web page the ability (via some injected JavaScript object) to "request an Ethereum transaction be executed" (which costs money to do, and might even simply be the transfer of money). If it were possible to make browser extensions for MobileSafari people likely wouldn't bother making entire replacement browsers, as the experience is categorically worse.

Alternative browsers--built using Apple's browser--exist on the App Store; the issue here is that users are paying for something via a mechanism that isn't in-app purchases: Apple wants all payments in the world to flow through them, and so the idea of a decentralized payment future is incompatible with the App Store.

Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by cdiddy2 on Sunday December 29, 2019 @01:54PM (#21907661)
Wouldn't they remove regular Bitcoin and ethereum wallets too if they were trying to control payment flows
Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by toomim on Sunday December 29, 2019 @09:31PM (#21910313)
They did for quite a while. It was only relatively recently that Tim Cook reversed the policy and allowed crypto wallets to appear on iOS.
Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by saurik on Sunday December 29, 2019 @02:01PM (#21907710)
As far as I can tell, they model those apps like banking apps, or Venmo, or PayPal, which you will note are all also allowed. However, they model stuff you do with these dApp browsers as direct payments for a service. Apple has a rule in their App Store review guidelines that if you sell something, you must do it via in-app purchase.
Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by cdiddy2 on Sunday December 29, 2019 @02:53PM (#21908035)
Most dapps are more similar to investing like a tdameritrade, which is allowed in the app store. I guess that doesn't apply to all dapps though.
Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by newnewpdro on Sunday December 29, 2019 @09:17PM (#21910229)
And yet you can purchase things in conventional e-commerce using a web browser on an iphone without Apple getting their cut.

How is this any different?

Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by saurik on Sunday December 29, 2019 @10:07PM (#21910479)
I am not defending Apple. I think Apple's behavior here should be illegal. I am merely stating what warped logic Apple seems to be locally applying here based on my understanding of the situation, from the perspective of their ludicrous, vague, and inconsistent policies.
Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by saagarjha on Sunday December 29, 2019 @10:10PM (#21910493)
E-commerce presumably falls under “physical goods” in Apple’s eyes, which is allowed.
Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by newnewpdro on Sunday December 29, 2019 @11:19PM (#21910773)
Which seems rather arbitrary, it's not like you can't buy digital goods from Steam over the web.

This is yet another reason we must fight these proprietary app walled gardens. It's a clear regression from the open web.

Re:Coinbase Wallet to remove DApp browser to comply with App... by m-p-3 on Monday December 30, 2019 @09:54AM (#21913664)
For a while, you couldn't have Steam Link on iOS because it would be "bad" for Apple if you did buy a PC game through a live stream of your desktop.

https://9to5mac.com/2019/05/15/steam-link-ios-launch/