Apple allows Bitcoin! iOS game Sarutobi launched on the App Store: Players can buy items using the Lightning Network and earn Sats.

The iOS game "Sarutobi," which was previously rejected by Apple for offering Bitcoin payment functionality, has finally been approved by Apple. Players can now directly purchase items and retry levels using Bitcoin's Lightning Network (Lightning Network), and even earn the smallest unit of Bitcoin, "sats." (Background: TOFU Story log in LINE Mini Dapp: game points can be exchanged for LINE Points, USDT, or KAIA, creating a new daily payment experience.) (Additional context: I play war games with AI: GPT o3 is the crafty overlord, DeepSeek is the war maniac, while Claude is like a sweet naïve one.) Tech giant Apple has always been cautious towards Crypto Assets, but according to a report by AppleInsider, Apple exceptionally approved the first iOS game with built-in Bitcoin Lightning payments, "Sarutobi," on July 9th. Players can now directly use Bitcoin's Lightning Network (Lightning Network) to purchase items, retry levels, and even earn the smallest unit of Bitcoin, "sats." From delisting to rebirth: the key changes in SaruTobi. It is worth mentioning that "Sarutobi" was launched in 2013 by developer Christian Moss and publisher MandelDuck, but was initially rejected by Apple for integrating Bitcoin features. This return to the stage sees "Sarutobi" not only retaining its casual gameplay of "swinging ninja monkeys and collecting bananas," but also embedding the ZBD (Zeusbolt) SDK into the game, allowing micro-transactions to run through the Lightning channel. This way, players can purchase enhancement items for under a cent and will receive sats as a reward immediately after a successful transaction. In the latest interpretation of the "App Store Review Guidelines" 3.1.5, Apple has also accepted the handling of Crypto Assets transfers through approved third-party services, as long as it does not bypass the official IAP for selling digital goods. Lightning reduces fees to 0.003%. The Lightning Network settles off-chain, with speeds nearly instantaneous and average costs around 0.003%, far lower than the credit card processing fees of over 1.5%, and significantly below Apple's fixed 30% cut. ZBD CTO Max Leonard described: "We make Bitcoin as lightweight as liking something." At this rate, players can earn 100 satoshi (about 0.01 USD) a day, which is sufficient to cover multiple retries or small items, creating a closed loop of "earn and use." Past micro-payments that were compressed by high costs can now appear in mobile games in bulk. Legal and market pressures have opened the walls. It is noteworthy that Apple's shift in attitude is backed by lawsuits from Epic Games, the EU's Digital Markets Act, and other pressures. Starting in 2024, Apple must provide alternative payment options in Europe; U.S. courts have also questioned its monopolistic cut. To reduce regulatory risks, Apple chose to partner with regulated third-party services rather than opening self-hosted wallets. Thus, "SaruTobi" becomes the first wave of benefitting cases. The next wave of change: opportunities for developers and players. "SaruTobi" demonstrates to developers the integration of Lightning under compliance, making high-frequency, low-value transactions possible. Market feedback shows that payments arrive "in seconds" and can cover game expenses, offering players a fresh experience. However, technical aspects still have issues with channel liquidity and routing stability to resolve, and Apple will need to continue reviewing self-hosted wallets. Yet, as transaction friction shrinks to mere fractions, the economic basis of the 30% cut has been re-evaluated. The next wave of mobile game revolution may very well be hidden between the barely perceptible satoshis. Related reports: Analyzing the power games behind USDC: Is Coinbase's acquisition of Circle's only challenge the price? Bybit becomes the first centralized exchange to list Tokyo Games Token ($TGT), assisting AAA-level Web3 games to take flight. Hideo Kojima says "I haven’t played games for so long that the protagonist forgets their skills," prompting a question about why this inspires the web3 industry. This article was first published in BlockTempo, the most influential Blockchain news media.