A recent U.S. court ruling forced Apple to ease restrictions on crypto apps, removing regulatory barriers to in-app Bitcoin payments.
Apple’s iMessage may soon let users transfer Bitcoin directly, potentially putting crypto in the hands of Apple Pay’s vast user base, in a recent market update.
Industry data show roughly 1.56 billion people use iPhones in 2025, about 19% of all global smartphones. Another 624 million have Apple Pay accounts worldwide in 2025.
A native Bitcoin payment feature in iMessage would instantly leverage that reach. Apple has not formally announced any Bitcoin tool.
Crypto analysts note the significance: even a small uptake by Apple’s network could tilt the next adoption cycle.
In recent Bitcoin news, a developer release confirmed an iMessage wallet app for Bitcoin.
On Sept. 23, 2025 Macadamia Wallet, a Cashu-based Lightning wallet, rolled out version 0.4.0, adding an iMessage extension for “eCash” Bitcoin payments.
The Cashu protocol is a Chaumian eCash layer built on Bitcoin that enables private Lightning transactions.
Forum reports confirm the change – users can now “message ecash tokens to other Apple users” via iMessage.
In practice, this means iPhone owners can send Bitcoin (via Lightning/Cashu) directly through Apple’s Messages app without using external links.
Bitcoin news watchers also note Apple’s policy shift on crypto. In May 2025 a U.S. judge ordered Apple to permit external crypto payment links in apps and drop fees on out-of-app crypto purchases.
That ruling, combined with Apple’s existing iMessage app framework, clears legal hurdles for in-chat Bitcoin payments – even if Apple itself has not promoted this feature.
Apple’s ecosystem scale could magnify any new Bitcoin feature. Apple Pay has grown rapidly – an estimated 624 million global users by 2025 – and is accepted at over 90% of U.S. retailers.
Still, Apple has historically kept crypto at arm’s length: aside from Bitcoin-only wallets and the Circle app, Apple restricts cryptocurrencies in its App Store.
The recent court order is easing those rules, but Apple’s focus remains on security and encryption e.g. end-to-end iMessage PQC updates. Any Bitcoin integration in iMessage will live within these constraints.
Apple’s own push for mobile payments shows how quickly new tech can diffuse. For context, global crypto adoption is still modest by mainstream standards.
A 2025 analysis puts worldwide crypto ownership at about 12.4% of internet-connected adults.
Nearly 982 million crypto-related mobile wallets have been installed globally by 2025, a 13.8% jump from the prior year.
Adoption is highest in parts of Asia and the Middle East: for example, the UAE reports 30.4% of its population own crypto.
Even in the U.S., market penetration is mixed. One survey puts 53 million Americans owning crypto (15.6% of the population), while other polling finds roughly 28% of U.S. adults held crypto by 2025.
If even a fraction of Apple’s 1.56 billion iPhone users start using Bitcoin in Messages, that would instantly add hundreds of millions of participants.
By comparison, recent Bitcoin bull runs were driven mostly by large institutional inflows.
For instance, North America saw $2.2 trillion in crypto market transaction volume in the past year, reflecting strong demand but concentrated among existing users and ETFs.
Now, tech integration could attract new retail cohorts. Mobile and social platforms have historically fueled adoption waves (think Venmo, Apple Pay, or even mobile internet).
In that sense, iMessage Bitcoin transfers would represent a novel adoption vector. So does an iMessage Bitcoin feature herald the next cycle? It could be a catalyst, but many factors remain.
The technical groundwork exists – Lightning-based wallets – and Apple’s judge-mandated easing of rules makes implementation feasible.
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