Popular Bitcoin Lightning wallet app Wallet of Satoshi has suddenly vanished from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States.
The disappearance was first noticed earlier today when crypto community members reported being unable to find the Wallet of Satoshi app on the US versions of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Searches for the app simply returned no results or redirected to other competing wallet apps.
The Bitcoin Lightning wallet was still available for download in other countries like Australia and Singapore at the time of its removal in the US, however.
Disappearance of the Leading Bitcoin Lightning Wallet
The reason behind the company’s decision to pull its app from US stores is still unclear. In an X post, Wallet of Satoshi stated that they have made the “difficult decision” to stop serving US customers for now, but hinted that the move could be temporary depending on “future developments.”
To our valued Wallet of Satoshi community in the United States of America,
We’ve dedicated ourselves to providing the best Bitcoin experience with Wallet of Satoshi, being at the forefront of Lightning usability and adoption. However, we’ve made the difficult decision to remove…
— Wallet of Satoshi (@walletofsatoshi) November 24, 2023
Despite the removal, existing US users of Wallet of Satoshi retain full access to their Bitcoin funds and can transfer their assets to other wallets if desired.
Wallet of Satoshi’s Meteoric Rise
Wallet of Satoshi has seen massive growth recently in its Bitcoin Lightning transactions. Industry expert Kevin Rooke noted that the platform was on pace to process over 1.1 million Lightning payments in November, which would be its highest-ever monthly volume.
Lightning Network is a layer-2 solution built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain to enable fast, scalable, and low-cost Bitcoin transactions. Wallet of Satoshi is one of the most popular mobile apps for transacting on Lightning.
Wallet of Satoshi banned in the US? pic.twitter.com/S44qN5UI2U
— ck (@ck_SNARKs) November 23, 2023
The reasons behind Wallet of Satoshi’s exit from the US market are still unclear. Apple has faced criticism in the past for its restrictive policies toward crypto apps, however.
Last year, Apple temporarily removed the popular Ethereum wallet MetaMask from its App Store due to unspecified policy violations. And just this week, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple by crypto app developers alleging anti-competitive practices regarding crypto payments on iOS.
The disappearance has left US bitcoin users frustrated, as the app provided a convenient way to use the Lightning Network for payments and transfers. For now, US customers will have to rely on other Bitcoin Lightning wallets while Wallet of Satoshi figures out its standing in the country.
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