Apple Just Opened the Door to Mass Crypto Adoption: The Impact of iOS 18.1 on Web3 and USDC Payments
Apple latest move has got me genuinely excited.
With iOS 18.1, Apple is finally opening its NFC chip to third-party apps.
This means a huge deal for web3 with USDC and Apple Pay
I can't overstate how significant this could be
Here's my breakdown 👇👇
• Apple's move democratizes NFC access on iPhones. Previously, only Apple's Wallet and Apple Pay could use this technology. Now, crypto wallet apps can leverage it too.
• It paves the way for alternative payment methods like USDC tap-to-pay. Circle (USDC) CEO Jeremy Allaire has already announced that it's coming soon.
• USDC, the leading dollar-backed stablecoin, will become a mainstream payment option to 1.4 billion iPhones..
How I envision this will work?
Imagine tapping your iPhone at a point-of-sale (PoS) terminal to pay directly with USDC. The PoS would communicate the necessary transaction details to your wallet app, you'd confirm with FaceID, and the USDC payment would be settled on-chain.
The best part? Eventually it can extend to other stablecoins, NFTs, and many other use cases.
Combining this NFC capability with high-speed, low-fee chains like Solana or Avalanche could revolutionize how we think about everyday crypto transactions. We're talking about truly frictionless, direct-to-merchant crypto payments.
This feels like that moment where mass adoption finally kicks in.
It's about Apple "accepting" crypto being the first step towards providing the infrastructure for mass adoption.