While Google’s feature appears to bode well for crypto adoption, a chief investment officer says a move by Apple would see the “crypto industry go from 100 miles per hour to 250 miles in a heartbeat.”
Google’s latest crypto feature lets multiple Ethereum wallet addresses hold your Ether
ETH
to mark
$1,201
Balances tracked directly by the Google search engine save you the need to make the trip to Etherscan.
The feature was first announced by Google Ventures director Han Hua in a tweet on October 11.
Well done, the blockchain address is now available on Google search! pic.twitter.com/7IuKv1gddR
— Han⚡️ (@hhua_) October 11, 2022
But Cointelegraph’s attempt to search for a Bitcoin
BTC
to mark
$16,789
Address revealed an absence on Google. Angel investor Stephen Cole was not impressed, tweeting: “Doesn’t Google know about Bitcoin?”
Cointelegraph also tested several different Ethereum addresses, most of which did not work. Therefore, the functionality is currently very limited and may improve over time.
Nevertheless, recent efforts suggest that Google will play a key role in bringing Internet users into the world of Web3 and blockchain-based services.
The new feature comes on top of Google’s partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase on October 11 to allow its customers to pay for cloud services in cryptocurrency, which is expected to go into effect in early 2023.
Google also added to the Ethereum merge hype by incorporating a countdown ticker to the point where Ethereum transitioned from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS).
Related: Near Protocol partners with Google Cloud to support Web3 developers
Speaking to Cointelegraph, Markus Thielen, Head of Research at digital asset services platform Matrixport, said we shouldn’t be surprised by Google’s efforts in the Web3 space, as both commercial banks and Web2 companies continue to have a “huge amount of Doing background work.”, added:
“This crypto winter is clearly different as established companies continue to roll out their balance sheets [for crypto investments] and could even outbid the locals.”
But while Google’s efforts are welcome, Thielen believes a Web3 mass adoption event could happen “when the iPhone can be used as a crypto wallet.”
“If and when that happens, the crypto industry will go from 100 miles per hour to 250 miles in a heartbeat,” he added.
Community reaction
Vittorio Rivabella, developer relations manager at development platform Web3 Alchemy, said the news of Google’s new Ethereum address lookup feature was “bullish.”
However, SadPanda.blockchain, the former editor-in-chief of Web3ArtBlog.NFT, was less than thrilled with the news, arguing that Google is “selling our blockchain data to advertisers to target us through our wallets.”
Now @Google will sell our blockchain data to advertisers to target us through our wallet! rush @unstoppableweb @matthewegould @sandy_carter with sovereign data control for the masses. Now everyone with a wallet address will realize they need an NFT domain #UDfam https://t.co/kzMZq7jijx
— SadPanda.blockchain (@drumkoon) October 11, 2022
