Coinbase forced by Apple to stop NFT transfers on its iOS wallet app
Jose Martinez Calderon

Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) said Thursday it has disabled customers from sending non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the cryptocurrency exchange's iOS wallet app given Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) in-app purchase system. 
"Apple's claim is that the gas fees required to send NFTs need to be paid through their In-App Purchase system, so that they can collect 30% of the gas fee," Coinbase wrote in a series of Twitter posts. 
In response to Apple's (AAPL) demands, Coinbase (COIN) said it cannot comply with the requirement "even if we tried" due to the fact that the iPhone maker's in-app purchase system does not support crypto. 
Apple (AAPL) "has introduced new policies to protect their profits at the expense of consumer investment in NFTs and developer innovation across the crypto ecosystem," said Coinbase, while noting the 30% tax makes it a "lot harder" to transfer NFTs to other wallets. 
In response to the policy change, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal said âWhen someone imposes rules that canât be followed, you should ask why."
NFTs, which are tradable blockchain-based digital tokens that each represent a unique asset, gained tremendous popularity in 2021, though the broader crypto market downturn has hampered demand for much of the past year. 
In June, Coinbase card can be used with Apple Pay and Google Pay.