What you need to know
- Apple has allowed NFT app Sticky back on its App Store after it was suddenly removed.
- The app had been available for several months before it was removed without warning.
- It's because Sticky's "NFTs" weren't saved to a public blockchain.
Apple has allowed NFT app Sticky back onto its App Store, following an update that allows users to export their collectibles to a public blockchain.
As reported by TechCrunch:
Lammiman created the mobile-native "NFT" marketplace app Sticky, which had been live on the App Store for several months before Apple removed it. During this time, Apple approved over half a dozen updates to the app that used the term "NFT" in the same manner that ultimately led to the app's removal. But Apple eventually told Sticky that it was misleading to use the term "NFT" for digital collectibles than weren't minted to a public blockchain. It did not give Sticky time to make changes to the app before pulling it down, Lammiman said.
The report comes in the context of Apple's lack of official guidelines around the use of NFTs on iOS, which the report says "has made it hard for app developers to know where the line is in terms of what's permitted and what's not," citing apps like OpenSea and Rarible that have been permitted for use browsing and viewing NFTs, but not buying or selling.
The report notes that Sticky "had been operating in a hazy area" because it uses a private, proprietary ledger. Describing its NFTs as "collectibles" but not "securities, convertible currencies, or investments," Sticky's "NFTs" aren't minted to the public blockchain, which Apple had previously decided is misleading enough to not have Sticky available on its App Store. Sticky even allowed users to mint NFTs on Sticky's ledger, but they could only be sold within Sticky. Transactions were made using "StickyCoin", not a cryptocurrency, but a virtual one bought using in-app purchases. The developer says they were just trying to play by Apple's rules:
"Apple has several restrictions on cryptocurrency apps," he said. "Although none of the rules appear to explicitly forbid offering an in-app currency that is also a cryptocurrency, we thought it would be best to avoid that issue, so StickyCoins are just a regular in-app currency."
The report goes on to note that many users agreed with the sentiment, citing reviews labeling the app as misleading.
After its removal, Sticky submitted an update that would let users export their NFTs to a public blockchain, which appears to have been enough to appease Apple. The app returned to the App Store on April 7.
