Here’s what happened in crypto today

Today in crypto, Apple has eased crypto application rules following a court order, the CIA is treating Bitcoin a national security issue, the EU is set to ban anonymous wallets and privacy coins.Apple softens crypto app rules, 'hugely bullish' for crypto industryCrypto app developers are now free to direct users to payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem without restrictions or hefty fees, after a United States district judge ruled that Apple violated an injunction in its antitrust legal battle against Epic Games.“The Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction, which was issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in an April 30 court filing.“Effective immediately, Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases,” Rogers added.Rogers reiterated, “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence.”Bitcoin is a matter of national security — Deputy CIA directorThe US Central Intelligence Agency is increasingly incorporating Bitcoin (BTC) as a tool in its operations, and working with the cryptocurrency is a matter of national security, Michael Ellis, the agency’s deputy director, told podcast host Anthony Pompliano.In an appearance on the market analyst and investor’s show, Ellis told Pompliano that the intelligence agency works with law enforcement to track BTC, and it is a point of data collection in counter-intelligence operations. Ellis added:"Bitcoin is here to stay — cryptocurrency is here to stay. As you know, more and more institutions are adopting it, and I think that is a great trend. One that this administration has obviously been leaning forward into.""It's another area of competition where we need to ensure the United States is well-positioned against China and other adversaries," Ellis said.Although Ellis's comments point to Bitcoin maturing as an asset, they also reflect the increased involvement of governments and institutions in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This increased involvement runs contrary to the libertarian and cypherpunk ethos originally inherent in crypto.European Union to ban anonymous crypto and privacy tokens by 2027The European Union is set to impose sweeping AML rules that will ban privacy-preserving tokens and anonymous cryptocurrency accounts from 2027.Under the new Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR), credit institutions, financial institutions and crypto asset service providers (CASPs) will be prohibited from maintaining anonymous accounts or handling privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies, such as Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC).“Article 79 of the AMLR establishes strict prohibitions on anonymous accounts [...]. Credit institutions, financial institutions, and crypto-asset service providers are prohibited from maintaining anonymous accounts,” according to the AML Handbook, published by European Crypto Initiative (EUCI).The regulation is part of a broader AML framework that includes bank and payment accounts, passbooks and safe-deposit boxes, “crypto-asset accounts allowing anonymisation of transactions,” and “accounts using anonymity-enhancing coins.”