Google have been conspicuously quiet about Bitcoin for 6 years. What gives?

[Carlton Banks]

For the whole time the Bitcoin network has existed, Google has never once endorsed, denigrated or even alluded to Bitcoin. Not even once.

For instance, I've increasingly been seeing .99 cent Youtube videos creep into low volume channels for several months now. And because it doesn't seem quite plausible that Google can really afford all the bandwidth they serve up on Youtube, you can see how more pay-per-view content would help them out. It's a perfect use case for bitcoin, and a move like that could send the perception of Bitcoin up in the public's estimations (and possibly alos the exchange rate, too).

Are there any other blatant opportunities to commericalise bitcoin that Google has passed up on since the network started in 2009?

[RGBKey]

For the whole time the Bitcoin network has existed, Google has never once endorsed, denigrated or even alluded to Bitcoin. Not even once.

For instance, I've increasingly been seeing .99 cent Youtube videos creep into low volume channels for several months now. And because it doesn't seem quite plausible that Google can really afford all the bandwidth they serve up on Youtube, you can see how more pay-per-view content would help them out. It's a perfect use case for bitcoin, and a move like that could send the perception of Bitcoin up in the public's estimations (and possibly alos the exchange rate, too).

Are there any other blatant opportunities to commericalise bitcoin that Google has passed up on since the network started in 2009?

I don't think it's so much a matter of whether or not it would be beneficial to them, more whether or not people that view bitcoin with a bad light would start to view Google with a bad light. True, they are a very progressive company, but it still might be too risky for them, with a lot of unknowns.

[Carlton Banks]

Can we be sure that Google are not "too big to discredit"? Could Bitcoin endorsement really damage them that much?

[unamis76]

They are probably waiting on nation wide acceptance and regulation of Bitcoin. As for regulation, they can get a chair and wait until infinity

[RGBKey]

Can we be sure that Google are not "too big to discredit"? Could Bitcoin endorsement really damage them that much?

I'm not so sure it's a matter of "too big to discredit", more just a buisiness decision, it might not make business sense to accept bitcoin for anything right now.

[Carlton Banks]

Can we be sure that Google are not "too big to discredit"? Could Bitcoin endorsement really damage them that much?

I'm not so sure it's a matter of "too big to discredit", more just a buisiness decision, it might not make business sense to accept bitcoin for anything right now.

What, like their almost certainly loss-making, free-at-point-of-use video streaming service? That sort of business case?

[pedrog]

I remember answering a survey by Google about bitcoin, it was something like "What do you want us to do with bitcoin?".

Mike Hearn often talked about that, much enthusiasm in engineering team around bitcoin and they even had someone in compliance department studying it.

Also: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1vvfxz/google_confirms_their_payments_team_is_working_to/

[NeuroticFish]

They may be quiet about Bitcoin, but they were not completely quiet about crypto.
I remember that for April 1st, 2014, when Dogecoin had very good times, they were "hiring" "Software Dogengineer".
If you are familiar with Dogecoin "way of writing" you'll find it in Google's announcement.






So my conclusion is that if they were so quiet indeed about Bitcoin.. it is rather strange.

I remember answering a survey by Google about bitcoin, it was something like "What do you want us to do with bitcoin?".

Ah, so they were not so quiet after all. Thanks!

[gentlemand]

They may be quiet about Bitcoin, but they were not completely quiet about crypto.
I remember that for April 1st, 2014, when Dogecoin had very good times, they were "hiring" "Software Dogengineer".
If you are familiar with Dogecoin "way of writing" you'll find it in Google's announcement.

Doge was a thing a while before the coin came along.

It seems lots of google people have alluded to BTC off the record. Perhaps they're aware that a full on endorsement might upend a nascent technology before it goes somewhere or make them look dumb if it fails. It could still go either way.

[Carlton Banks]

I remember answering a survey by Google about bitcoin, it was something like "What do you want us to do with bitcoin?".

Mike Hearn often talked about that, much enthusiasm in engineering team around bitcoin and they even had someone in compliance department studying it.

Also: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1vvfxz/google_confirms_their_payments_team_is_working_to/

Brilliant, I was hoping to draw some information like this out.

So, the truth is slightly more nuanced than my OP; Google don't have any kind of moratorium on Bitcoin, as they are engaging with it internally, just not commerically. Could a news story not be squeezed out of that information somehow? I know plenty of journalists use sites like this for, er, research  

[pedrog]

I remember answering a survey by Google about bitcoin, it was something like "What do you want us to do with bitcoin?".

Mike Hearn often talked about that, much enthusiasm in engineering team around bitcoin and they even had someone in compliance department studying it.

Also: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1vvfxz/google_confirms_their_payments_team_is_working_to/

Brilliant, I was hoping to draw some information like this out.

So, the truth is slightly more nuanced than my OP; Google don't have any kind of moratorium on Bitcoin, as they are engaging with it internally, just not commerically. Could a news story not be squeezed out of that information somehow? I know plenty of journalists use sites like this for, er, research  

Here, don't know if it's legit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/2g9c0j/satoshi_email_leak/

Relevant part:

1) legal uncertainties will be an ongoing issue for a long time. There's a ton of bitcoin interest inside Google - the internal mailing list has over 100 people on it, there are at least 5 or 6 engineers developing Bitcoin related software and we also have a regulatory compliance expert on board. But some of it is being held up by lawyers who are uncomfortable with the general philosophy of the project. Ultimately, Bitcoin is sailing against the prevailing political winds and it's unclear whether Google has the energy for (yet another) argument with lawmakers and regulators.

I remember hearing Mike Hearn saying something in those lines at talks or interviews.

[brg444]

Here tinfoil hat theory   :

Mike Hearn has been Google's mole in Bitcoin since the beginning.

Not only are they very interested in it, they have plans to compromise it and eventually become one of the major node service provider after their agents manage to bloat the blockchain enough so that only them and a couple other major corporations can run it.

Enjoy your morning!

[Carlton Banks]

Here tinfoil hat theory   :

Mike Hearn has been Google's mole in Bitcoin since the beginning.

Not only are they very interested in it, they have plans to compromise it and eventually become one of the major node service provider after their agents manage to bloat the blockchain enough so that only them and a couple other major corporations can run it.

Enjoy your morning!

It's not impossible, or even implausible, but sort of pointless to speculate really. You'll never find out for sure, because someone acting in that sort of role will typically sign agreements and/or be subject to devastating blackmail (or simply assessed as reliably loyal). People who played those kind of roles in history very rarely, if ever, talk candidly, even when some unexpected evidence becomes public.

[LiteCoinGuy]

at least you can follow the price with google:

http://www.google.com/finance?q=CURRENCY:BTC

iam pretty sure that alot of people are working on bitcoin over there. bitcoin is a free tool like the internet.

[RGBKey]

Maybe I am wrong, and I hope to god I am because google integrating bitcoin even somehow would mean a massive jump in adoption.

[Carlton Banks]

They may be quiet about Bitcoin, but they were not completely quiet about crypto.
I remember that for April 1st, 2014, when Dogecoin had very good times, they were "hiring" "Software Dogengineer".

Could there be some significance to the date on which they posted the advertisement? If this is the only "official" public relations that Google have engaged in regarding cryptocurrency, then that's also very interesting.

[countryfree]

I guess Google doesn't like BTC because it doesn't control it. I'm pretty sure they're working on their own crypto solution. I'm expecting them to launch some kind of Apple pay or Samsung pay competitor. The huge risk to BTC is that they could make it as a native app in Android.

[RGBKey]

I guess Google doesn't like BTC because it doesn't control it. I'm pretty sure they're working on their own crypto solution. I'm expecting them to launch some kind of Apple pay or Samsung pay competitor. The huge risk to BTC is that they could make it as a native app in Android.

They already have Google Wallet, that's their solution. Have you really never heard of it?

[futureofbitcoin]

Can we be sure that Google are not "too big to discredit"? Could Bitcoin endorsement really damage them that much?

I'm not so sure it's a matter of "too big to discredit", more just a buisiness decision, it might not make business sense to accept bitcoin for anything right now.

What, like their almost certainly loss-making, free-at-point-of-use video streaming service? That sort of business case?

You mean youtube, one of the most profitable businesses ever made?

[Carlton Banks]

Can we be sure that Google are not "too big to discredit"? Could Bitcoin endorsement really damage them that much?

I'm not so sure it's a matter of "too big to discredit", more just a buisiness decision, it might not make business sense to accept bitcoin for anything right now.

What, like their almost certainly loss-making, free-at-point-of-use video streaming service? That sort of business case?

You mean youtube, one of the most profitable businesses ever made?

That's them. Convince me the profits came from their business model, I'm genuinely interested to find out.

Has anyone ever clicked on a Google Ad? Not accidentally, but because it really was what your were looking for? It has happened to me, and I can count the number of times on one hand. I think I'm fairly typical in this respect. Does that really sound like the business model that generated one of the most profitable businesses ever?