14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors started floating about that Google was interested in incorporating Bitcoins, but the company is denying everything. While the company didn’t completely rule out the idea, a spokesperson said that it wasn’t currently on their list.
Despite there being quite solid evidence that Google was interested in Bitcoins, namely some screenshots of messages sent between a Redditor and Google’s Vic Gundotra and Sridhar Ramaswamy (senior VP for Wallet), the company is denying it.
“As we continue to work on Google Wallet, we’re grateful for a very wide range of suggestions. While we’re keen to actively engage with Wallet users to help inform and shape the product, there’s no change to our position: we have no current plans regarding Bitcoin,” a spokesperson told The Next Web.
The screenshots mentioned in the Reddit post feature a message from Ramaswamy in which he says “We are working in the payments team to figure out how to incorporate Bitcoin into our plans.”
The author of the post swears by his screenshot, saying that there’s been no alterations to the pictures. Furthermore, he says that Ariel Bardin, vice president of payments has asked him to facilitate a Google Moderator and ask “What would I want Google to do with Bitcoin?” 672 suggestions have been registered so far by 1,971 people, while over 25,000 votes have been cast.
Bitcoins have been getting more and more attention in the past few months, especially as their value skyrocketed, climbing as far as $1,200 (€880).
More and more governments are expressing their opinions about the cryptocurrency, some shutting the door and others choosing to open it, seeing an opportunity for the future. Businesses are starting to embrace Bitcoins too, and even universities are accepting payments made in the virtual currency.
Being accepted by Google in such a way would pave the way for Bitcoin.