Coinbase Wallet App Update Disables NFT Functionality at Apple’s Request

Apple is demanding that Coinbase pay a 30% tax on gas fees used to transfer in-app NFTs

article-image

Blockworks exclusive art by Axel Rangel

share

Coinbase Wallet application users are caught in the fray over Apple’s in-app purchase system that takes a 30% cut from app developers who annually make more than $1 million through the ‌App Store‌.

The tech giant is now trying to collect 30% of the gas fee of any NFT transaction that occurs on the Coinbase Wallet mobile app as well, according to Coinbase Wallet’s Twitter account on Thursday.

Loading Tweet..

In the meantime, Coinbase Wallet pushed an app update that cuts out NFT functionality because it claims that Apple made it disable the feature until NFT gas fees could be paid through its in-app purchase system.

However, this may leave users unable to transfer non-fungible tokens to other wallets, or “gift it to friends or family” via the Coinbase Wallet iOS anymore.

As a workaround, Wallet users can import their recovery phrase into a non-IOS wallet dapp to regain access to NFT transfers, such as the Coinbase Wallet browser extension, Metamask or Trust Wallet, bearing in mind security best-practices.

Apple taking a bite

Apple’s policy change “is akin to Apple trying to take a cut of fees for every email that gets sent over open Internet protocols,” Coinbase said.  

And it is also “clearly not possible” because Apple’s in-app purchase system “does not support crypto, so we couldn’t comply even if we tried,” it added. 

Coinbase Wallet says it is willing to help Apple to overcome what it hopes is an “oversight on Apple’s behalf” — one that protects their profits at the expense of consumers and developers.

The 30% fees has also been a contentious point for Fortnite publisher Epic Games who sued Apple in 2020 for not allowing it to use its own payment platform instead of in-app purchases through the App Store.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template.png

Research

The march toward an interoperable and onchain-by-default internet depends on reliable messaging and value transfer across heterogeneous domains. Crosschain protocols now process >$1.3T in combined annual transfer volume and secure tens of millions of user interactions, yet no single design dominates.

article-image

The goal, per Santiago Santos, is to make crypto a relatable piece of tech for people who may not even understand it

article-image

Stripe stablecoin unit aims to operate under a federal charter enabling regulated stablecoin issuance and custody services

by Blockworks /
article-image

Will TradFi make crypto better or create more problems than it solves?

article-image

Subtle decisions by risk curators saved Aave from significant turmoil

article-image

The new Rootstock Institutional unit aims to connect professional investors to Bitcoin-native yield and liquidity strategies anchored in BTC’s security layer

by Blockworks /
article-image

DOJ files record civil forfeiture against more than 127,000 BTC linked to scam activity

by Blockworks /