Bitcoin may be the most popular cryptocurrency, but the entire crypto industry is quickly becoming mainstream. Bitcoin may be in crisis right now, but it had a terrific 2021 after several years in a bear market. The rise of NFT and the dawn of the metaverse have also contributed to the growing rise of cryptocurrency. Unsurprisingly, big tech companies are watching. And Google is one of them. The company is looking to bring a radical new Google Pay experience to Android devices that could include handling digital money like bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
You can already use an Android device or an iPhone to trade bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. You don’t need Google Pay or Apple Pay to trade or spend bitcoins. Therefore, Google does not have to support crypto transactions directly. All you need to do is load up an app like Coinbase, Robinhood, or PayPal to start buying and selling cryptocurrencies like bitcoin on a mobile device.
But there’s no doubt that integrating Android’s native support for bitcoin and other digital currencies could make managing the wallets managing your cryptocurrency even easier. Especially in a world in transition to a place where blockchain technology could become mainstream. The NFT revolution is proof of that. Web3, or the future of the Internet, is another. A decentralized internet will require support for various blockchains, likely far beyond bitcoin. And that will require support for crypto payments.
This is where Google Pay support for cryptocurrencies could play a vital role. And Google has already confirmed its interest in expanding Google Pay support for cryptocurrencies.
Will Google Pay support bitcoin trading?
Actual details of buying, selling, or storing bitcoins in the Google Pay wallet are not available. But Google has confirmed Bloomberg that he’s charting a new course for Google Pay after dropping a push into banking. Support for cryptocurrencies will be one of them.
Google has hired former PayPal executive Arnold Goldberg to lead its payments division. PayPal also supports trading bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.
It’s unclear when you’ll be able to store bitcoins in your Google Pay wallet. Or if you’ll be using your Google Pay bitcoin and crypto balance to pay for goods in stores through Google Pay – that’s something PayPal supports too.
But Google Commerce President Bill Ready has confirmed that Google Pay will offer a wider range of financial services. This includes cryptocurrencies. Ready joined Google in 2019 after serving as COO of PayPal.
The redesign will turn Google Pay into a “complete digital wallet”. This means support for digital tickets, airline passes and vaccine passports. Regarding the bitcoin element of Google Pay, Ready said that Google wants more partnerships in the crypto space.
The company has already entered into agreements with Coinbase and Bitpay that allow users to add debit cards from these exchanges to Google Pay. These cards allow users to spend bitcoins and other cryptos by turning them into regular fiat currency. Google Pay only facilitates fiat payments. But Google Pay does not yet accept crypto transactions.
“Crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to,” Ready said. “As user demand and merchant demand evolve, we will evolve with it.”