Google Search adds Bitcoin calculator

Posted On 17 Jul 2014

Google has integrated an automatic Bitcoin calculation tool with its search engine.

The price of Bitcoin will appear when users search for “Price of BTC” or “Bitcoin price.” You can also check the price of Bitcoin converted to other currencies and vice-versa.

Google has partnered with Coinbase – a digital wallet that allows users to purchase, use, and accept Bitcoin – to support the Bitcoin conversions. The tool builds on Google’s addition of Bitcoin to a currency tracker in Google Finance in June. That feature lets users see a graph of current and past Bitcoin values.

Forbes reports that the digital currency conversion and price search function also work on Google’s mobile search engine, and are supported by Google’s Voice Search.

Google’s announcement follows the February decision by Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, to automatically convert currency denominations to BTC, and Yahoo! Finance’s decision to launch a price conversion offering in June.

CoinDesk reports that investors should note that, as per Google’s disclaimer policies, search results may not reflect real-time value. The Inquirer tried both “Price of BTC” and “Bitcoin price” in Google Search seconds apart and received two slightly different results, which the news outlet said is likely due to the fast moving nature of Bitcoin.

About the Author

Katherine Fletcher is a writer and editor based in London, Ontario, Canada. With a graduate degree in journalism, Katherine spent more than five years curating news on Canadian higher education for a marketing consultancy. Her interest in reporting on Bitcoin stems from her belief that digital currency is, and will continue to be, a disruptor in how we conceive modern currency.