15-8-2025 – Google has abandoned its proposed policy to impose strict licensing requirements on non-custodial cryptocurrency wallets in the Play Store after backlash from the crypto community. The initial plan, announced on August 13, would have required wallet providers, including MetaMask and Phantom, to comply with rigorous regulations across 15+ countries, such as U.S. FinCEN registration or EU MiCA compliance, sparking concerns over stifling decentralized finance (DeFi) principles.
In the last week, the MetaMask Android client was suspended by the Google Play App Store @googleplaydev. They cited their policy that bans mining on mobile, which we don’t. Appeal rejected. #ProtectWeb3.https://t.co/rfP4EbOAqv!?zippy_activeEl=cryptocurrencies%23cryptocurrencies
— MetaMask.eth 🦊 (@MetaMask) December 26, 2019
The original proposal mandated custodial wallet providers to secure banking charters or money transmitter licenses and implement Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) programs, measures deemed incompatible with non-custodial wallets’ self-sovereign ethos. Crypto Twitter erupted, with figures like Jack Dorsey, former Twitter CEO, calling the guidelines “terrible.” Google clarified via its Help Center that non-custodial wallets are exempt from the policy, which targets only custodial apps and exchanges. Richard Widmann, Google Cloud’s Web3 Strategy Head, attributed the confusion to imprecise terminology around “software wallets.”Despite the reversal, concerns linger.
Google has de-listed @MannaBitcoin with no warning, notice, or recourse.
I’m still processing this. Not sure what to do.
— Adam Simecka (@AdamSimecka) August 13, 2025
Adam Simecka, founder of non-custodial wallet MannaBitcoin, reported Google delisted his app without notice, removing it from search results and erasing five-star reviews. This echoes Google’s uneven history with crypto, including past bans on mining apps and news platforms, later reinstated. Meanwhile, Google has pursued Web3 partnerships, such as with Coinbase for crypto payments and Sequence for gaming solutions, signaling selective support for blockchain innovation. The crypto community should monitor Google’s enforcement of custodial wallet regulations and any further actions impacting non-custodial apps.
