Bitcoin wallet iPad app

Blockchain.org blasted Apple Wednesday after its bitcoin wallet app was removed without any notice or explanation – after two years and 120, 000 downloads.

That leaves no native bitcoin wallet apps available on iPhone and iPad App Stores following the earlier removals of Coinbase, Gliph and CoinJar.

“These actions by Apple once again demonstrate the anti-competitive and capricious nature of the App Store policies that are clearly focused on preserving Apple’s monopoly on payments rather than based on any consideration of the needs and desires of their users, ” Blockchain states in a lengthy response.

Apple’s action has observers speculating that the tech giant is poised to enter the mobile payments arena in a bigger way, and is stifling potential bitcoin-servicing competitors.

But Apple now risks alienating millions of bitcoiners and altcoiners. Google’s Android mobile OS has not restricted any bitcoin wallet apps.

“Unlike Apple, Google has accepted hundreds of bitcoin-related applications even though they also compete against the company’s own payment system Google Wallet, ” said Blockchain in its scathing statement.

Even Coinbase, the popular Silicon Valley-based startups and one of the fastest-growing bitcoin payment processors, had its iOS app removed just three weeks after it launched.

Says Blockchain: “The decision attacks a nascent and innovative technology that is empowering more than 2.5 million users on a vast variety of computing devices, around the world by giving them unfettered and complete control over their money, while disrupting centralized payment systems controlled by corporate behemoths, such as Apple.”