Google Play changes policy toward blockchain-based apps, opening door to tokenized digital assets

Google has updated its mobile software marketplace policy to allow application developers to integrate digital assets like NFTs into their games through its Play app store, the company’s group product manager Joseph Mills announced on Wednesday.

As part of the policy update, Mills stated that apps must be “transparent with users about tokenized digital assets” and developers can’t “promote or glamorize any potential earning from playing or trading activities.”

Apps that aren’t in line with Google Play’s Real-Money Gambling, Games and Contests policy or fit eligibility requirements also can’t accept money for chances to win assets, including NFTs. “This includes, but is not limited to, offering mechanisms to receive randomized blockchain-based items from a purchase such as ‘loot boxes,’” Mills said.

Those limitations could potentially prevent NFT newcomers from being duped into believing that buying these tokenized assets could result in massive gains — an oft-used marketing tactic for some projects in the space.

This new change will also allow apps and games on Google Play to reconceptualize “traditional games with user-owned content to boosting user loyalty through unique NFT rewards,” Mills noted.

The company anticipates users will begin seeing in-app and game experiences later this summer, as a select group of developers are helping to test out the new policy ahead of its wide rollout to all developers on Google Play later this year.