Apple and cryptocurrency
May 31st 2021
A job posting at Apple indicates the company is looking to expand the payment process for "alternative payments." The posting includes cryptocurrencies as a qualification, but not the only skill.
Coinbase:
Apple is looking to hire a business development manager with experience in the cryptocurrency industry to lead its â€"alternative payments†partnership program.
In a Wednesday job posting, Apple said candidates should have five years or more â€"working in or with alternative payment providers, such as digital wallets, BNPL [buy now pay later], Fast Payments, cryptocurrency and etc.â€
The Cupertino tech giant said the manager would be Apple’s chief negotiator for the alternative payments space.
â€"The Apple Wallets, Payments, and Commerce (WPC) team is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to lead Alternative Payments Partnerships,†the company wrote.
With this, it seems like crypto-assets may be of interest to Apple. A software crypto wallet fortified by hardware security would be a forward-looking feature for its devices. This would allow customers to easily store and exchange crypto assets, perhaps a part of Apple Cash.
In the realm of wild speculation, Apple could also be in a unique position to issue its own crypto asset, similar to Facebook's Diem ambitions. An Apple coin could link its value to the US Dollar as a stable coin. It seems unlikely Apple would venture into fintech given the regulations. Such a move, however, wouldn't seem any crazier than efforts to develop self-driving vehicles. It depends on Apple's ambitions for new growth markets and how it can leverage its devices and customer base.