Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#1

Post by hfinney » Sat, May 07, 2011, 9:34 PM UTC

Bitcoin app rejected by Apple
bitcoin.org

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#2

Post by thinkcomp » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:00 PM UTC

This really should not be a surprise to anyone. If Bitcoin is not already illegal (and I have reason to believe it is due to most states' money transmitter laws), it's almost guaranteed that it will be soon.

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#3

Post by hunterowens » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:01 PM UTC

Gavin Andresen of Bitcoin will be live on This Week in Startups this Tuesday at 1:00pm PDT talking more about these challenges and benefits of Bitcoin if anyone is interested.

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#4

Post by jnhnum1 » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:08 PM UTC

thinkcomp wrote: post #2

This really should not be a surprise to anyone. If Bitcoin is not already illegal (and I have reason to believe it is due to most states' money transmitter laws), it's almost guaranteed that it will be soon.

If this is illegal, then I think there's a freedom of speech issue here given that essentially the protocol is just sending messages (with no copyright infringement or anything like that) to peers...

Edit: of course, you could say the same about other digital transmission of currency, but it seems different due to bitcoin not being tied directly to any "real currency". Then again, IANAL.

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#5

Post by sirlancer » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:16 PM UTC

Trying to release a Bitcoin app on Apple's app store may preclude cautionary tales of how not to get noticed. Bringing something like this into the mainstream could otherwise be hazardous to a protocol and community that are just beginning to bloom. Perhaps this mobile market isn't ready for such a powerful application.

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#6

Post by fleitz » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:20 PM UTC

thinkcomp wrote: post #2

This really should not be a surprise to anyone. If Bitcoin is not already illegal (and I have reason to believe it is due to most states' money transmitter laws), it's almost guaranteed that it will be soon.

Nothing could be better for bitcoin than the gov't asserting that it's money in court.

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#7

Post by viraptor » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:22 PM UTC

hunterowens wrote: post #3

Gavin Andresen of Bitcoin will be live on This Week in Startups this Tuesday at 1:00pm PDT talking more about these challenges and benefits of Bitcoin if anyone is interested.

Thanks for heads up. Time to buy some bitcoins before media pushes the value up again...

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#8

Post by sebkomianos » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:22 PM UTC

On the very same topic udibr states it's not clear whether it will be accepted by Google for Android as they removed tethering apps quite recently.

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#9

Post by sirlancer » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:23 PM UTC

jnhnum1 wrote: post #4

thinkcomp wrote: post #2

This really should not be a surprise to anyone. If Bitcoin is not already illegal (and I have reason to believe it is due to most states' money transmitter laws), it's almost guaranteed that it will be soon.

If this is illegal, then I think there's a freedom of speech issue here given that essentially the protocol is just sending messages (with no copyright infringement or anything like that) to peers... Edit: of course, you could say the same about other digital transmission of currency, but it seems different due to bitcoin not being tied directly to any "real currency". Then again, IANAL.

When does money start to become "real currency"? Numbers on an ATM machine are only representative of the physical currency that I can extract from a bank. A message on an IM window could essentially mean the same thing: "Thanks for helping me move my couch, I'll get that $20 over to you by tomorrow". So at what point does the rubber meet the asphalt and how will Apple enforce this down the road?

Re: Bitcoin app rejected by Apple

#10

Post by fleitz » Sat, May 07, 2011, 10:26 PM UTC

sirlancer wrote: post #9

jnhnum1 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If this is illegal, then I think there's a freedom of speech issue here given that essentially the protocol is just sending messages (with no copyright infringement or anything like that) to peers... Edit: of course, you could say the same about other digital transmission of currency, but it seems different due to bitcoin not being tied directly to any "real currency". Then again, IANAL.

When does money start to become "real currency"? Numbers on an ATM machine are only representative of the physical currency that I can extract from a bank. A message on an IM window could essentially mean the same thing: "Thanks for helping me move my couch, I'll get that $20 over to you by tomorrow". So at what point does the rubber meet the asphalt and how will Apple enforce this down the road?

We don't have 'money' anymore, we have currency. USD is not money, it's currency and fiat currency at that. US Dollars are backed by an obligation to give you more US Dollars in the future.

If you had liberty dollars then you'd have money.

To directly answer your question, money becomes currency when you transfer representations of value instead of value. (eg. A piece of paper obliging the barer to receive something of value)

Pennies, especially pre-2000 pennies would be considered money as the store of value is the metal not the face value.