emerging

The Unbundling of Platform Monopolies: App Store Economics in Transition

Tracking the regulatory and policy shifts forcing major platforms to open their payment ecosystems and distribution channels, fundamentally altering the economics for independent software developers.

1 itemsFirst seen: 2/20/2026Last activity: 2/20/2026

Trajectory

accelerating85% confidence

Mounting global regulatory pressure and legal challenges are accelerating the breakdown of traditional walled-garden app store payment models.

Watch for: More developers will adopt and promote out-of-band payment systems, leading to a fragmented but potentially more profitable monetization landscape for independent creators.

Timeline (1 events)

Aug 27, 2021★ Pivotal

App Store Payments Will Have Increased Competition

This item introduces a significant regulatory and policy shift regarding platform monopolies and developer economics, which does not fit into the existing active arcs.