>>domano+(OP)
I read some speculation that the delay was to keep this objectionable crypto payment development under wraps until they were ready to launch.
>>lvs+k3
Yep. I posted this on a different Signal HN submission, but the very next commit on April 22nd, 2020 was when they first began working on the integration.
>>yunohn+Ma
It could just be an arguably-legitimate desire to keep the hot new feature secret until the big announcement; this particular bit is... sub-optimal... but it doesn't seem like it needs to be nefarious.