“Crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to,” says Google’s president of commerce Bill Ready.
Key Takeaways
- Google may be preparing for a foray into the world of cryptocurrency.
- The company has hired a former PayPal executive and partnered with Coinbase and Bitpay.
- The specifics of Google’s crypto plans are unclear, but its entry into the industry would have massive implications.
Google has hired former PayPal executive Arnold Goldberg to run its payments division in a move geared toward broadening its users’ access to financial services, including cryptocurrencies. Despite historically shying away from crypto, now Google is more actively considering the industry, according to statements from the company’s president of commerce, Bill Ready.
Google Mulls Crypto Plans
Per Bloomberg today, Alphabet Inc.’s Google has hired a new vice president and general manager for its payments and emerging markets division, former PayPal executive Arnold Goldberg.
The payments and emerging markets division is part of Google’s Next Billion Users initiative. Bill Ready, Google’s president of commerce who himself used to be PayPal’s chief operating officer, emphasized that the hiring move was part of Google’s broader expansion into more financial services, including cryptocurrencies.
Moreover, Peeyush Ranjan has been promoted to general manager of Google’s consumer payments services. Ranjan is a Google engineer who spearheaded Google Pay’s expansion in India, which is the nation in which Google Pay has been the most successful.
The company has also joined forces with crypto exchange Coinbase and digital currencies payment provider BitPay to allow users to store their crypto assets in “digital cards,” though users will still spend in fiat rather than crypto. Ready stated that Google has plans for more of these types of partnerships.
Despite the fact that Google still will not accept digital assets as payments, Ready emphasized that “crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to,” and that “as user demand and merchant demand evolves, we’ll evolve with it.”
Though its crypto plans are still not fully fleshed out, Ready alluded to Google’s ambitions to the be ultimate connector of the entire consumer finance industry.
In a perhaps unintentional ode to the promise of Web3, the executive said:
“Helping more activity occur on a free and open web—that naturally pays dividends to our overall business.”
Disclosure: At the time of writing, the author of this piece owned BTC, ETH, and several other cryptocurrencies.
The information on or accessed through this website is obtained from independent sources we believe to be accurate and reliable, but Decentral Media, Inc. makes no representation or warranty as to the timeliness, completeness, or accuracy of any information on or accessed through this website. Decentral Media, Inc. is not an investment advisor. We do not give personalized investment advice or other financial advice. The information on this website is subject to change without notice. Some or all of the information on this website may become outdated, or it may be or become incomplete or inaccurate. We may, but are not obligated to, update any outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate information.
You should never make an investment decision on an ICO, IEO, or other investment based on the information on this website, and you should never interpret or otherwise rely on any of the information on this website as investment advice. We strongly recommend that you consult a licensed investment advisor or other qualified financial professional if you are seeking investment advice on an ICO, IEO, or other investment. We do not accept compensation in any form for analyzing or reporting on any ICO, IEO, cryptocurrency, currency, tokenized sales, securities, or commodities.
Coinbase Visa Debit Card Adds Apple Pay, Google Pay
Coinbase is linking its debit card with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Coinbase Unveils Debit Card Update Coinbase has integrated Apple Pay and Google Pay into its debit card, the…
Google, Coinbase, CNBC… Gosh, That IS A Cozy Day In Crypto
Be careful what you wish for. The cryptocurrency community has been ardent in its support for institutional investors. Passionate about mass adoption. And borderline crazy at times about decisions that…
Google Is Rethinking Its Stance Against Crypto Ads
Google has updated its advertising policy, clearly delineating which cryptocurrency companies are able to advertise on its services. Crypto Companies Must Be Registered In a new statement, Google has stated…
Is Time on our Side? The Case for Bitcoin’s Lengthening Cycles
One of the many unique features of BTC is its halving process, which is often accompanied by a bullish movement and preceded by bearish consolidation. Bitcoin’s halving events have been…
