Breakthrough: Google Play says "yes" to blockchain and NFTs

Google Play is now opening itself up to NFTs and blockchain-related assets. Here's what happened.

Product developer Joseph Mills announced In a Google blog post, that the company has changed its policy toward NFTs. Apps that rely on NFTs can now be listed in the Google Play Store. The intention is to "increase user loyalty through NFT Rewards," as it says in the blog post. After all, they are aware of the relevance of blockchain-based apps.

Strict rules for labeling

However, Google is very strict about labeling. The Internet company requires apps to clearly indicate when NFTs and tokens are used. Above all, the company warns app developers not to make false promises about profit expectations, etc. Apps that fall under the gambling category and use NFTs are completely banned. The gambling part marks a barrier for Google.

According to the blog post, the new guidelines were developed in collaboration with industry developers such as Reddit. In the future, the company plans to take an even broader approach to the crypto sector. For example, the topic of secondary market trading is planned to play a more important role in the future.

Apple app store under pressure

Google's move can be seen as a strong signal. Not only because of its impressive market power, but also because it has been very strict on crypto apps in the past. The fact that they are now apparently changing their tune is likely to put particular pressure on Apple. The Apple App Store is considered even more restrictive regarding crypto apps compared to Google Play.