Google’s latest crypto feature enables some Ethereum wallet addresses to have their Ether (ETH) balances tracked straight off of the Google search engine — saving the need to make the trip to Etherscan.
The feature was first made public by the principal of Google Ventures, Han Hua, in an Oct. 11 tweet.
Well done, blockchain address is now available in Google Search! pic.twitter.com/7IuKv1gddR
— Han⚡️ (@hhua_) October 11, 2022
But Cointelegraph’s attempt to search for a Bitcoin (BTC) address revealed a no-show on Google. Angel investor Stephen Cole was not impressed, tweeting “Does Google not know about Bitcoin?”
Cointelegraph also tried several different Ethereum addresses — most of which didn’t work. So, the functionality is very limited at present and may improve over time.
Nonetheless, recent efforts suggest Google is playing a key role in onboarding internet users to the world of blockchain-based services and Web3.
The new feature comes in addition to Google’s partnership with crypto exchange Coinbase on Oct. 11 to allow its customers to pay for cloud services in crypto, which is expected to take effect in early 2023.
Google also got in on the Ethereum Merge hype by embedding a countdown ticker until the point at which Ethereum transitioned from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS).
Related: Near Protocol partners with Google Cloud to support Web3 devs
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 do an “enormous amount of work in the background,” adding:
“This crypto winter is clearly different as established firms continue to deploy their balance sheet [to crypto investments] and might even leapfrog the incumbents.”
But while Google’s efforts are welcome, Thielen believes a mass adoption event for Web3 could come “when the iPhone can be used as a crypto wallet.”
“If and when this happens, the crypto industry will go from 100 miles an hour to 250 miles in a heartbeat,” he added.
Community reaction
Vittorio Rivabella, developer relations manager of Web3 development platform Alchemy, said the news of Google’s new Ethereum address search feature was “bullish.”
However, SadPanda.blockchain, the former editor-in-chief at Web3ArtBlog.NFT, wasn’t so thrilled with the news, arguing that Google “will sell our blockchain data to advertisers in order to target us via our wallets!”
Now @Google will sell our blockchain data to advertisers in order to target us via our wallets! hurry up up @unstoppableweb @matthewegould @sandy_carter with Sovereign Data Control to the mases. Now everyone with a wallet address will realize that they need an NFT domain #UDfam https://t.co/kzMZq7jijx
— SadPanda.blockchain (@drumkoon) October 11, 2022