2013-02-27 gizmodo.com.au - Will The Commonwealth Bank Support Bitcoin?

[julz]

Will The Commonwealth Bank Support Bitcoin?

Luke Hopewell
2013-02-27

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/02/will-the-commonwealth-bank-support-bitcoin/

...
So why aren’t big banks supporting Bitcoin yet? Well according to a tweet from the Commonwealth Bank, we just might see it in the future.
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This might just be the Commonwealth Bank’s social media team being nice and doing its job, but it’s not absurd to think that a big bank could get involved in the Bitcoin game in future, is it?

Even conversations I have had with senior Commonwealth Bank executives demonstrate that the bank is certainly aware of Bitcoin at a decision-making level, so what’s stopping it from being here tomorrow?
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Either way, we have asked the Commonwealth Bank about their position on Bitcoin and will update you when we hear back.

With over 700Billion in assets - this is a pretty big bank. I think this is just a polite tweet - nothing more... so yes, for now I'm pegging this as absurd!

[Foxpup]

With over 700Billion in assets - this is a pretty big bank. I think this is just a polite tweet - nothing more... so yes, for now I'm pegging this as absurd!

It's not just a big bank. The Commonwealth Bank was actually Australia's central bank before the establishment of the Reserve Bank of Australia in 1960, and was not fully privatised until 1996. They've also been well aware of Bitcoin for quite some time now. This is big news.

[dissipate]

With over 700Billion in assets - this is a pretty big bank. I think this is just a polite tweet - nothing more... so yes, for now I'm pegging this as absurd!

It's not just a big bank. The Commonwealth Bank was actually Australia's central bank before the establishment of the Reserve Bank of Australia in 1960, and was not fully privatised until 1996. They've also been well aware of Bitcoin for quite some time now. This is big news.

This is not big news. This is a company giving a standard line for a feature request that they probably didn't even fully understand. If they did understand it, they wouldn't say they were going to pass it off to their development team because adding Bitcoin would certainly not be just a technical decision. It would have to filter through all kinds of decision makers in the bank.

Nothing to see here folks.

[odolvlobo]

Currency Tycoon @CurrencyTycoon
Hey @CommBank - You seem to be hip with technology. So... will you offer bank balances in Bitcoin anytime soon?
 CommBank ✔ @CommBank

@CurrencyTycoon Hi, thats a great idea! we'll be sure to pass this on to our development team. Stay tuned to twitter for future updates.
10:25 PM - 26 Feb 13

It was obviously an automated (or at least scripted) response. Nothing to see here.

[Seal]

Currency Tycoon @CurrencyTycoon
Hey @CommBank - You seem to be hip with technology. So... will you offer bank balances in Bitcoin anytime soon?
 CommBank ✔ @CommBank

@CurrencyTycoon Hi, thats a great idea! we'll be sure to pass this on to our development team. Stay tuned to twitter for future updates.
10:25 PM - 26 Feb 13

It was obviously an automated (or at least scripted) response. Nothing to see here.

Such a standard PR response... totally

[Piper67]

Wow! I wasn't expecting this for another year at least...

[TraderTimm]

Gizmodo has always been critical and snarky about Bitcoin. This is probably another going-through-the-motions kind of article where they exclaim with great surprise that a large bank won't deal with BTC. Then they'll add some snark at the end about how the whole thing is doomed.

Typical.