Google declares war on non-custodial wallets

[Pmalek]

Disclaimer: I don't use mobile apps as wallet software, only PC, but I can feel your frustration.

I am not a fan of them either, especially not for hot wallet use. But there have been situations where I needed one. I also use Blue Wallet as one of my companion apps for my Jade airgapped hardware wallet. I initially installed it over the Play Store but I know there are alternative ways to download it (like GitHub) if one day it completely disappears from the Store. I also use MetaMask on my Android when I need to have stablecoins on the go.

[apogio]

Disclaimer: I don't use mobile apps as wallet software, only PC, but I can feel your frustration.

I am not a fan of them either, especially not for hot wallet use. But there have been situations where I needed one. I also use Blue Wallet as one of my companion apps for my Jade airgapped hardware wallet. I initially installed it over the Play Store but I know there are alternative ways to download it (like GitHub) if one day it completely disappears from the Store. I also use MetaMask on my Android when I need to have stablecoins on the go.

Yeah I am not really trying to imply that it’s bad, just that people around here have solid knowledge in order to avoid possible scams etc.

And to be absolutely honest I have used BW as well only for watch-only my multisig vault.

Plus if I ever needed to do frequent transactions via LN I would have an LN wallet like Phoenix.

[jcojci]

Did Google don't know that when it comes to the Internet, they can download anything they want from the source? They don't have to use Google Play if they prohibit it. We can go to the wallet website and download it directly from their site.

I guess Google has been force by the regulator doing that. They don't like people using the non-custodial wallet apps because they don't know who their customers are. The regulator make a deal with the wallet developer to add something to the wallet so the regulator knows the customer.

The government wants to controlling the privacy but they don't tells it transparently. They will say that what they do now will be part of privacy, but it is not.

[Emikoyumi]

From what I understood, this is a plan of the US government. Because if this process becomes successful, they will be able to regulate and control all users. That is why the government and big companies want to track these things. When these things come under their control, then all users’ privacy will decrease. And people will be forced to use custodial wallets. The reason is that they will have both control and profit in their hands.

So if we are not careful now, when this process is fully completed, there will be no way left. For this, I think we should focus more on alternative app stores and open-source wallets.

[DiMarxist]

Does the non custodial wallets need google to exist or survive? Those wallets operate and working without the use of Google and they have their own websites and apps so if google thought they can stop those wallets then they are just wasting their time. It would have been better if they focus on their search engine business and not fighting to stop unrealistic battle.
They are fighting to stop those wallets so that users of bitcoin will navigate to custodial wallets. I strongly believe that this fight is sponsored by custodial wallets company and the government executing it.

[mcdouglasx]

I don't know why the thread title says "Google declares war on...", really Google has nothing to do with that but it's the government that demands that it not publish them at least those that are not licensed, in this case Google only avoids having legal conflicts, but I don't know to what extent this is a problem, for example I trust more in downloading from the wallet page, than from the Playstore itself, which is widely known that malicious people have been able to sneak into the store apk intended for scam in general.

[Alpha Marine]

I appreciate everyones concern and, to be honest, it sounds bad, but seriously... calm down! It's not going to be the end of the world, even if they do it.

Allow me to elaborate:

The huge majority of people, don't do self-custody anyways, they either buy and keep in CEXs or they buy ETFs. So, this leaves a minority (the rest of us) who seriously care about bitcoin's true intention and do self-custody. But, we 're not like the rest of the world, we will find our workaround.

I think you miss the point. The point is not whether we can get alternatives. There will always be alternatives to things like this. I don't think I've ever downloaded a wallet from Play Store, and I use an android device. The point is, this is how it starts. It starts with very small and relatively insignificant things. They start like this and give one excuse, like "it's been used for fraud and other illegal activities", and later on, it will be more significant stuff like making it compulsory to have your bitcoin and other crypto in a CEX.
If it truly has no significance whatsoever and we have nothing to worry about, then they wouldn't have done it. However, the fact that a company as big as Google is willing to dissatisfy a section of its customers this way suggests that it has significance.

What even makes it funnier is that they always make it seem like they have the best interests of the public at heart, when in reality, they just don't care. This way, it makes it easy to gaslight people who don't buy the bullshit. For example, when they make it seem like criminals use non-custodial wallets, then you, who oppose them or use non-custodial wallets, are criminals, after all, "if you have nothing to hide, why are you scared?".

You don't expect big companies to come out and say, "We want your personal data so we can use it however we want" They will tell you they use it to prevent crimes like child pornography, fraud, money laundering, etc and then go ahead to assure you that your privacy is safe. If you kick against that, it's easier to gaslight you and make it seem like you're hiding something illegal. In the end, they always seem like the good guys.

[takuma sato]

If you are downloading things from some Google curated app thing you are already doing it wrong since you are not even checking checksums of the downloaded files with what the author provided, let alone pgp encryption verification measures.

[Pmalek]

Does the non custodial wallets need google to exist or survive?

No, but it's definitely easier. You also expose your software to a much bigger potential user base. You don't need the Play Store because you can download .apk files from the official websites, GitHub, F-Droid, or you can use GrapheneOS, for instance. But like I said, it helps to have your software visible in front of a huge audience.

If you are a writer, you can self-publish your books but it helps to sign a contract with a publishing house.
Musicians can create and release their own music but it helps to work with a big record company.
You can be an actor without working in Hollywood but we know where the biggest deals are made.

Etc., etc.

[NotATether]

The huge majority of people, don't do self-custody anyways, they either buy and keep in CEXs or they buy ETFs. So, this leaves a minority (the rest of us) who seriously care about bitcoin's true intention and do self-custody. But, we 're not like the rest of the world, we will find our workaround.

That's the misfortune of all this. A good majority of people can and will still keep all of their coins on some exchange. So considering the population who actually holds Bitcoin properly, by self-custody, is so low, news like this tends to get swept under the rug with relation to the larger population on the internet. Even if Crypto Twitter can be quite vociferous in their opposition to this.

[apogio]

That's the misfortune of all this. A good majority of people can and will still keep all of their coins on some exchange. So considering the population who actually holds Bitcoin properly, by self-custody, is so low, news like this tends to get swept under the rug with relation to the larger population on the internet. Even if Crypto Twitter can be quite vociferous in their opposition to this.

Exactly!

Example:
Consider someone who has $5000 worth of Bitcoin on Coinbase. They're not going to care if Google removes BlueWallet from the Play Store. They don't even know what BlueWallet is. Perhaps, they don't even understand anything about Bitcoin except for the fact that it has a long-term increasing price.

[Amuro]

This will enable phishing campaigns on an unprecedented scale.
Many people will lose their funds because they do not know where to download wallet APKs and verify PGP signatures.

Sighs another win for centralization and loss for decentralization. Basically decentralization is actually losing every single day that passes and it's not fair. These open source non custodial wallets are safer and better than their centralized counter part and even though the creators don't really make money from them it's sad they're still being targeted.

I think it's high time we had a trusted site compiling all open source softwares for safe downloads especially for wallets.

And what happens when the government starts taking down these websites you have suggested we start relying on? Maybe we should start thinking of building decentralized websites and doing so on a decentralized internet, if there's anything like that. What I think about all this is that the governments are rather too powerful and influential and have built-in structures that you needed far-reaching strategic insight to even begin to contend with.

That's the misfortune of all this. A good majority of people can and will still keep all of their coins on some exchange. So considering the population who actually holds Bitcoin properly, by self-custody, is so low, news like this tends to get swept under the rug with relation to the larger population on the internet. Even if Crypto Twitter can be quite vociferous in their opposition to this.

We simply have to concede the fact that Bitcoin is no longer strictly a peer-to-peer money that Satoshi envisioned. Even those of us who seemingly are holding or storing it properly are doing so for one reason - speculation. We are hoping to get rich with Bitcoin, not to use it as a form of payment. Since the price of the coin is rising and people like us are storing or hoarding it, the government vultures would naturally want to have a share of our 'loot' through taxation. This is simple logic. Is Bitcoin still a currency people use in transferring value? Maybe. Are most people who really know about it hoarding it like gold to 'make a killing' off it? Yes. So the government wants their share of the loot.

[Ronsbit]

Google ban on non custodial wallet does not hold any water, it doesn't affect the crypto space as there would always be an alternative means to downloading wallet apps. Majority of the wallet apps do have download link on their website so whatever decision google comes up with is their own concern as the community can do without them. I believe the wallet app company does know what to do to save their business and also to regain their user or customer base.

I am in support of a thread being created here by a mod with list of the genuine wallet apps to be ban and also general wallet app links on the thread for the community members to see and make use of it. Maybe it could be pinned here by a mod for easy view and access since this is a technical and wallet discussion board.

[Lucius]

That's the misfortune of all this. A good majority of people can and will still keep all of their coins on some exchange. So considering the population who actually holds Bitcoin properly, by self-custody, is so low, news like this tends to get swept under the rug with relation to the larger population on the internet. Even if Crypto Twitter can be quite vociferous in their opposition to this.

Maybe that was the case 5+ years ago, but it seems to me that today there are many more coins in non-custodial wallets than are held by CEXs. Some estimates/analyses when I last read about it speak of around 1.8 - 2 million BTC being held in CEXs wallets, which considering the almost 20 million mined coins, is maybe a maximum of 10% that are being stored in such a bad way.

I don't know if the situation has changed with regard to spot ETFs which mostly use the custody services of CEXs, but it seems to me that all the coins they buy just move from CEX wallet A to CEX wallet B.

[m2017]

Very concerning news - Google Play is going to ban non-custodial wallet apps for US and EU users, on December 2025. That's in just four months.

This is the result of the "centralization" of app stores. Either everyone does as they say, or - ends up outside their stores.

There should be more alternatives in the world of mobile apps. Otherwise, everyone will end up in "digital slavery".

This seems to be part of the broader trend of companies and government attacking privacy.

The whole world will move in this direction. At one speed or another. All countries, one way or another, will try to regulate this niche more and more. It is inevitable.

Alternate app stores are required immediately.

And even better - alternative mobile OS, and even better - phones.

Decentralized app store? Otherwise, this app store will be blocked, and the creators will be held legally responsible for creating a platform that distributes "free" apps. This will happen as soon as the app store acquires a noticeable user base and "interferes" with the fight against privacy.

[mindrust]

Very concerning news - Google Play is going to ban non-custodial wallet apps for US and EU users, on December 2025. That's in just four months.

This is the result of the "centralization" of app stores. Either everyone does as they say, or - ends up outside their stores.

There should be more alternatives in the world of mobile apps. Otherwise, everyone will end up in "digital slavery".

Pray that we still have personal computers and linux which we can modify in any way we want.

Google doesn't even want that as they are killing adblock software with their new chrome browser. They say adblock software adapted to the situation and but they are wrong. Their newer, adapted versions are not as useful as the older ones.

Soon they will enforce computers on us which we can't modify in any way just like their cell phones I am afraid.

Look at those new electric vehicles, some people seem to love them. All I see is iphones with wheels. They ain't no cars that's for sure.

[LoyceV]

Really? "Unlicensed" Bitcoin wallets? What's that? Where can I get a license to be allowed to create a random number? At the Ministry of Coin Flips?

/sarcasm

It seems that we have no reason to panic, for now, as Google themselves have clarified that non-custodial wallets are not included in their policy.

You may want to add this to the OP.

I would even go as far as saying when people were downloading wallets from the centralized google store, it was a loss of decentralization and when they shut down it can be categorized as a win.

What we need to reach better security in the decentralized world are these 3:
1. 100% open source software
2. Reproducible/deterministic builds
3. Signed binaries

Except for, when downloading that on your Android phone, it's more complicated to install than a click in the Play Store. I tried installing custom (Youtube) software on an Android mediabox, and it worked but took a lot of time. But after a few weeks, when I needed an update, I had to manually do all that again (and gave up). The average Android user isn't going to manually do that, they'll just go for the centralized wallet account approved by their government at a centralized exchange.

Pray that we still have personal computers and linux which we can modify in any way we want.

Good point, I'll start collecting more spare laptops

Google doesn't even want that as they are killing adblock software with their new chrome browser.

Luckily, there are other browsers out there. Google is in the business of earning money from ads, they abandoned their "don't be evil" a long time ago.

Soon they will enforce computers on us which we can't modify in any way just like their cell phones I am afraid.

Let them try!