Launched on the App Store in 2013, but then banned for its use of Bitcoin, monkey flinging mobile game SaruTobi is back on iPhones, with the claim that it’s the first iOS game to integrate in-app purchases using Bitcoin.
The technology works on ZBD’s Bitcoin-based payment system, which uses the Lightning network to enable fast, crypto micro-payments.
Famously, satoshis are Bitcoin’s base currency unit, with 1 Bitcoin consisting of 100 million sats. At the current Bitcoin price, one dollar is worth 920 sats, making each sat worth 0.92¢.
In terms of how the tech is integrated into the game, players can earn sats through gameplay – funding by in-game advertising – and then spend them to unlock boosts, upgrades and other utilities. In this way, ZBD reckons the system doesn’t interrupt gameplay while also lowering the barrier to entry for users who might otherwise never make a purchase.
Players can also send their sats out of the game to their ZBD wallet for use in other supported games or accumulate until they can cash them out entirely.
“Apple’s approval of Bitcoin microtransactions in SaruTobi is a historic shift. The tech for open, developer-driven payments has existed for a while. What’s changed is the regulatory environment which has cracked open the gates. By integrating Lightning directly into the game, we’ve created a frictionless experience that gives players new ways to engage, spend, and earn value,” commented ZBD’s CTO André Neves.
Using SaruTobi as a test case for the technology and having gained Apple’s approval, Neves hopes that other developers will start adopting it too.
“With Bitcoin, developers can now create payments that are instant, programmable, and borderless down to the cent or less. This isn’t just about payments. It’s about rewriting how games monetize, engage, and grow,” he added.
Check out SaruTobi’s App Store page here.