Apple aping in? Maybe. Next iPhone to feature ‘Tap to Pay’, enabling crypto payments

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The cryptoverse is buzzing today over a few things – for example Russia’s move towards crypto adoption, and Apple’s next iPhone effectively enabling crypto transactions.
You can read about Russia’s crypto-legalisation news here. Meanwhile, the Apple update is probably causing even more excitement and interest, due to its further sense of legitimisation of the crypto industry from a stupendously big household name in tech and popular culture.
We just introduced Tap to Pay on iPhone, a great way for millions of small businesses to accept contactless payments right from their iPhone. It’s easy, secure, and will be coming out later this year. https://t.co/w6P6oS7grm
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 9, 2022
Okay, so Apple hasn’t directly come out and said it’s facilitating crypto transactions, but today it did announce plans to launch a new “Tap to Pay” feature for its upcoming iPhone. This will essentially turn that smartphone into a point-of-sale device for companies and the general public.
So where does crypto come in?
According to Apple, its Tap to Pay feature will extend support to “Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards and other digital wallets”.
And, as observed by Finbold, Cointelegraph and others, this means that unless Apple ends up placing a direct barrier for it, customers who are using crypto-enabled payments cards such as Coinbase Card, Crypto.com Visa, Mastercard and more, would be able to use their crypto to make payments via the new Tap to Pay service.
In its statement, Apple also announced that Stripe, an Irish-American fintech, will be the first platform to offer the Tap to Pay feature on the iPhone, adding that “additional payment platforms and apps will follow later this year”.
Back in August 2021, the crypto-exchange giant Coinbase integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay, enabling users to another way to buy crypto assets on its platform.
And, as Stockhead reported in November, Apple CEO Tim Cook has also expressed his interest in the crypto space, revealing that he finds the technology “interesting” and would consider integrating Bitcoin payments on the Apple Pay service.
Today’s news looks like it could be a step towards that crypto-bullish outcome.
"Apple Pay users will technically be able to use iPhone’s Tap to Pay feature to make crypto payments across mainstream merchants and businesses. "
– Coin TelegraphNot a direct feature for BTC trxns, but a technical solution that will enable it.
— Bitcoin Archive (@BTC_Archive) February 9, 2022
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