iEthereum, Apple and the Future of App Store Payments

Foreword
This essay is speculative and conceptual. It does not assert affiliation between iEthereum and Apple Inc., nor does it claim that Apple is actively implementing blockchain technology. It is instead a creative and philosophical exploration grounded in technical possibility and legal context.

Introduction: A Perfect Storm of Law, Technology, and Opportunity

On April 30, 2025, a federal judge ruled that Apple Inc. had violated a standing court order to reform its App Store practices. The underlying issue: Apple’s anti-competitive stranglehold on in-app payments and developer autonomy. As the company faces escalating legal scrutiny and reputational risk, we are left with a pressing question — how can Apple transform its ecosystem to comply with law, restore developer trust, and future-proof its infrastructure?

This essay explores one radical possibility: the integration of iEthereum, a lightweight, immutable ERC-20 token, as a permissionless value transfer layer within Apple's ecosystem. Could such a mechanism serve as both legal compliance and innovation? Could it actually enhance the App Store's functionality and fairness?

I. The Legal Backdrop: Why Apple Is in Trouble

In Epic Games v. Apple, the court found that Apple violated California's competition laws by preventing developers from directing users to alternative payment methods. The injunction mandated that Apple must allow developers to communicate with customers about off-platform purchases and enable alternative payment methods.

Despite the ruling, Apple was accused of implementing a 27% commission on off-app purchases and using deterrent messaging to dissuade users from leaving the ecosystem. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled these steps as willful non-compliance, referring Apple and a key executive to federal prosecutors for criminal contempt.

The issue isn’t simply legal — it's philosophical. Can a closed ecosystem adapt to open protocols without undermining its own foundations? Or, must it collapse under the weight of its own contradictions?

II. Enter iEthereum: A Hypothetical Apple Product

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