????但是業界普遍推測，蘋果這么做是一種反競爭的守門策略，旨在保護它自己獨有的移動支付系統，而這方面的例子并不少見。從這個角度看，清除Blockchain就可以理解為是對比特幣的鼎力支持——畢竟過去蘋果也在自己的設備中封鎖了所有谷歌公司（Google）的服務，從而讓比特幣業務留在那些優秀的公司手中。不過同時，比特幣開發者們正在努力開發基于網絡的解決方案，讓iOS的用戶可以重新進行比特幣管理。

????而比特幣所面臨的真正障礙并未改變——主要是監管的不確定性和美國銀行不愿意和比特幣交易所合作。不過就算施瑞姆被捕后，紐約的監管者和銀行們也還是針對比特幣積極開展各種深入調查，所以這些問題可能終有解決的一天。

????不管怎么說，有一個最重要的事實一直沒有改變。那就是，比特幣是一個重大創新，它的市場也已走向成熟。盡管很可能其他一些數字加密貨幣會在創新上超越比特幣，但數字加密貨幣的基本模式讓如此眾多的參與者解決了各種問題，因此它最后將被廣泛采用會變成一個既成事實。對網上支付來說，它比現在大多數復雜的信用卡和自動交換中心（ACH）系統要有效得多，也更安全，能大幅削減交易手續費，減少欺詐造成的損失。它能實現真正的點對點支付，成本則近于零。而且它最終能讓微支付模式成為可能。這是自互聯網誕生以來人們就一直在夢想的事情，它也為作家和其他內容創作者開辟了大量潛在的新財源。

????這一切成為現實之前，我們肯定還會看到更多的反復和起伏。但今后五年間，道德失范、管理失誤和那些保守主義者大喊謝天謝地之類的報道將越來越少。（財富中文網）

????譯者：清遠

????But there has been widespread speculation and ample precedent for the idea that Apple is engaging in anticompetitive gatekeeping, in this case to protect its own proprietary mobile payment systems. From this perspective, the removal of Blockchain can be taken as a perverse stamp of approval for bitcoin -- Apple has also blocked Google (GOOG) services from its devices in the past, putting bitcoin in pretty sterling company. Meanwhile, bitcoin developers are hard at work on web-based solutions to put bitcoin management back in IOS users' hands.

????The real obstacles facing Bitcoin haven't changed -- primarily, regulatory uncertainty and the unwillingness of U.S. banks to work with bitcoin exchanges. But even the day after Shrem's arrest, New York regulators and bankers hosted upbeat fact-finding sessions, so those problems may be on the way to resolution.

????Regardless, the most important things that haven't changed are bitcoin's fundamental innovations and the ripeness of its market. Though there is still the distinct possibility that some other cryptocurrency will out-innovate bitcoin itself, the basic cryptocurrency model solves problems for so many constituents that its eventual adoption is something of a fait accompli. It is vastly more efficient and secure for online payments than the current maze of credit cards and ACH systems, promising to reduce merchant fees and fraud losses. It allows true peer-to-peer payments, with near-zero costs. And it finally enables the micropayments model that has been dreamt of since the dawn of the Internet, opening up potentially huge new revenue streams for writers and other content creators.

????We are sure to see more steps backwards and forwards before all of this comes to fruition. But five years from now, a few ethical faults, management catastrophes, and protectionist Hail Marys will barely merit footnotes.