Apple moves to implement App Store fees for NFT transfers

December 6th 2022

Coinbase recently announced the removal of the ability to transfer NFTs using the Coinbae Wallet app. Apple's position, apparently, is that it should collect 30% of the network gas fee used to move crypto assets from wallet to wallet. NFTs are purchased and traded peer-to-peer between issuers and owners. At face value, it may seem consistent for Apple to collect its fee for in-app purchases, but Gas fees are charged to perform any blockchain task on the Ethereum network, including moving between two wallets the same person owns.

Coindesk:

"For anyone who understands how NFTs and blockchains work, this is clearly not possible," Coinbase said. "Apple's proprietary In-App Purchase system does not support crypto, so we couldn't comply even if we tried."
The dispute is the latest in a months-long saga between Apple and the NFT community. In October, Apple officially refused to exempt NFT trading from its 30% App Store fee, a policy that has kept marketplaces like OpenSea from offering NFT trading within its mobile app.