Last year, Apple hinted that it has been following the development of the cryptocurrency industry intently, leading some to speculate that the global electronics and payment giant was preparing to launch its own cryptocurrency or blockchain platform.
Though this prospect was quickly dismissed by Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple has been shown to be researching blockchain technologies in a recent SEC filing and operates two major platforms that have helped potentially millions of people gain exposure to cryptocurrencies — the Apple App Store and Apple Pay.
Through the App Store, hundreds of thousands of users have downloaded cryptocurrency trading apps for popular exchange platforms like Binance, KuCoin, Coinbase Pro, whereas Apple’s payment and wallet service — Apple Pay — has enabled people to directly purchase cryptocurrencies using their credit and debit card at supported brokers.