In a major shift that could change the future of mobile crypto apps, Apple has updated its App Store guidelines — and it’s all thanks to Epic Games’ long-standing antitrust battle.

This week, a U.S. court ruled that Apple “willfully” violated a previous injunction by restricting developers from guiding users to external payment options. Now, Apple has no choice but to allow apps in the U.S. to include buttons, links, and CTAs that direct users to NFT collections and other third-party purchasing methods.

It may sound technical, but the impact is real: this update could unlock a new era of crypto-native mobile innovation.

For years, developers building around NFTs and Web3 had their hands tied. Apps like OpenSea let users browse NFTs — but buying them? Not so easy. That’s starting to change.

As Farcaster’s Wojciech Kulikowski put it: “This could kick off a generational golden crypto bull run.”

Apple’s changes won’t apply to in-app purchases just yet (like coins or power-ups), and many restrictions around mining, ICOs, and crypto rewards still exist. But the direction is clear: more freedom, more innovation, and more opportunity for creators and developers in the crypto space.

While Google took the leap in 2023, Apple has now stepped into the game. And the game just got a lot more interesting.