The Gliph core team is very pleased to announce that Bitcoin transfers have returned to the Gliph iOS mobile application. In today’s release, we have not only returned Bitcoin transfers between Gliph users, we’ve added the ability to scan QR codes and pay using Bitcoin.

Apple, Bitcoin and Gliph

The call from Apple Worldwide Developer Relations came just before Thanksgiving last year. Without much elaboration as to why, Apple told us the Gliph iOS app would need to remove the ability to send Bitcoin or risk being pulled from the App Store.

That event kicked off months of publicity in reaction to our blog post on the state of Bitcoin in the App Store and Google Play. The press feasted on the controversy of Apple’s behavior and Gliph became something of a poster-child for Bitcoin’s fight for mainstream acceptance.

If you wiped away the media hype, and focused on the appeal letter we made public, you would find the real reason why Apple should not have made that choice in the first place:

“By inhibiting the creation of Bitcoin apps Apple holds innovation back from the world. We are witnessing the dawn of a massive technological innovation. The potential impact of virtual currencies stretches further than any company or platform.”

At Gliph, we feel Bitcoin is a transformative technology. We also love developing software for the iOS platform. It was challenging to understand how this company we respected deeply would rule against Gliph and Bitcoin.

When Apple unveiled updates to its App Store Review Guidelines to allow “approved virtual currencies” at WWDC 2014, we became optimistic Apple had thoughtfully considered the language of our appeal.

Gliph’s new approval confirms Apple is now allowing apps featuring Bitcoin transactions in the App Store. We’re proud to have taken the lead in pushing for this important change.

For more information about the new version of Gliph for iOS, please check out this blog entry.