Catenaa, Friday, August 15, 2025- Google said Wednesday it does not plan to restrict non-custodial cryptocurrency wallets on its Play Store, clarifying confusion sparked by an earlier post that appeared to signal a ban in multiple countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
The tech giant said in a post on X that such wallets “are not in scope of Google Play’s Cryptocurrency Exchanges and Software Wallets Policy” and that its Help Center will be updated to reflect the clarification.
The controversy arose after Google published a blog post outlining new requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and software wallets, with a compliance deadline of Oct. 29. The post stated that in the U.S., developers must be registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and licensed as a money transmitter, or be a federally or state-chartered bank. Similar guidance was issued for the U.K. and European Union.
The initial language suggested non-custodial wallets, which allow users to control their own private keys, could be affected, prompting swift criticism on social media.
Google’s statement followed a report from The Rage that first flagged the apparent restriction. While custodial wallet providers and exchanges will still need to meet the updated requirements, non-custodial wallet applications remain unaffected by the new rules.
