If Google was initially put off by cryptocurrencies, it has certainly changed its tune. It had banned any form of crypto advertising on its search engine before reversing the decision in September of last year to start allowing certain types of ads. Its Play Store still tries to maintain a clean crypto image, working to prohibit malicious apps from making their way to users’ devices (although sometimes it misses). Google even started including different types of crypto in its currency conversion list last year, which really gave enthusiasts a lot to talk about. Now, the tech giant is rolled out a new feature that seems to legitimize its stance a little more. The symbol for Bitcoin Core (BTC) has been added to the Google Keyboard.
The crypto symbol, a capital letter serif B traversed with two vertical lines, is unmistakable to anyone in the community. Until now, there hasn’t been an easy way to include in the text of any written piece, but that is changing. While Google has only included the capability in its keyboard for iOS devices, it shouldn’t take too long for it to make its way to Android.
Tim Copeland points out, “To access it, make sure you’re using the Google keyboard, not just the default Apple one, and hold down the dollar symbol to see a pop up of several of the world’s major currency symbols. The Bitcoin symbol is located on the far left.”
While the new keyboard layout doesn’t necessary equate to a sudden and drastic increase in crypto adoption (although the recent bull run was timed nicely with its introduction), it is still a step in the right direction. Copeland states, “But, it is a major endorsement by the web giant that has so far stayed away from cryptocurrencies, although a recent ban on advertising crypto projects was recently lifted suggesting Google might be warming to crypto: A small step, but a positive one.”
Microsoft apparently includes the BTC symbol for some of its applications by incorporating the Unicode “Alt+20BF” into their functionality; however, it doesn’t work across all versions of the applications.
Google hasn’t announced when they will be adding the Bitcoin SV symbol.
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