Popular DeFi wallet MetaMask, with 21 million monthly users, was pulled off the Apple App Store for a few hours on Saturday. Although the crypto wallet app has now been restored, there has been no official explanation of the reason behind this incident.
FYI: We‘re aware that MetaMask isn’t currently available for download on the App Store. This is and not related to anything malicious, and our team is working hard to resolve it ASAP. We expect MetaMask to be back on the App Store shortly, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
In addition, the development team behind the wallet also admonished users against downloading fake versions of its application on the App Store. Such a warning is not far-fetched, as users have lost assets to bad actors through fake crypto wallets.
Most recently, American billionaire Mark Cuban lost $870,000 of digital assets in a hack that he attributed to downloading a counterfeit version of the MetaMask wallet. An hour after MetaMasks statement, the crypto wallet returned to the Apple App Store. However, the reason for the initial removal remains largely unknown.
What Could Have Prompted This Event？
One possible explanation for MetaMask‘s temporary absence from the Apple App Store could be Apple’s service policies, which are designed against apps with “background processes” such as crypto mining.
In 2019, MetaMask experienced a similar issue, which resulted in its removal from the Google Play Store for a week.
Other possible reasons behind the DeFi wallet‘s suspension from the Apple App Store include trademark compliance, as in the case of PayPal and the TokenPocket wallet app in 2021. However, that is highly unlikely, considering MetaMask’s massive brand and long operation time.