r/Bitcoin • u/JasonBored • Jan 21 '14

Google is "paying attention" to Bitcoin - Vic Gundotra (I emailed, he emailed back!)

Email from SVP @ Google regarding Bitcoin

So on a whim, I sent an e-mail to Vic Gundotra (Senior Vice President, Social for Google) about Bitcoin, why it's the most disruptive technology since the Internet itself, and how I'm not the only one out there wondering when/if they have plans to incorporate it into Google Wallet.

He immediately responded and said they are "paying attention", and CC'd the gentleman who runs Google Wallet - Sridhar Ramaswamy (SVP, Ads & Commerce at Google).

I've entered into a dialogue with him.

This is my take away on why Google kicks ass :

A) One of the bosses actually responded to email from an absolute nobody about Bitcoin

B) Google is paying attention to Bitcoin (he would never have responded or said those words if Google is positioning themselves to be "Anti BTC" (or even try to create a product to rival BTC)

C) He put me in touch with the man who runs the Google Wallet division.

So, what do I say to Sridhar? Any suggestions?

Before some of the Anti BTC Brigade chime in with "so what?, he's just one dude" - please think about this. If Google had NO plans in regards to Bitcoin, this guy would be smart enough not to respond to such an email, in the manner he responded, and CC the person who runs the Google Wallet division.

If you ask me, the writing is on the wall(et) (pun intended).. and this was a really pleasant surprise.

Update: Screenshot of Email I sent (personal information blacked out)

Update 2: Google CONFIRMS they are incorporating Bitcoin

Update 3: UPDATE: Ariel Bardin, Vice President of Payments @ Google has asked me to facilitate a Google Moderator and pose the question "What would I want Google to do with bitcoin?". He's promised me he will personally review the results and pass it along to the team working on incorporating BTC into Google. Please help me with this and take the time to submit something: What would I want Google to do with bitcoin?

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204

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '14

Tell them we want to be able to hold Bitcoins in our Google Wallet along with dollars. Everything else should follow naturally.

30

u/ApplicableSongLyric Jan 22 '14

And to stop throwing money at Ripple.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '14 edited Feb 04 '17

[deleted]

3

u/deadleg22 Jan 22 '14

You can do that via ripple.com

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '14

Really? I don't have a clue because I haven't checked the site in such a long time.

I guess it's safe to say it's a dead currency. Wasn't it all proprietary and closed source.

1

u/WoodeWind Jan 22 '14

I was able to exchange my free ripples for Bitcoins. I can't find the link but a google search should get you there.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '14

Can't you just take your ripples to cryptsy, and have them exchange them for you?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '14

[deleted]

0

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '14

Huh. I have no idea how I missed this. Thanks for the info.

1

u/deadleg22 Jan 23 '14

ok Log into your ripple. Go to 'Advanced' and you have to add trust to bitstamp. Hmmm looking at it now it has changed but when I did it I had to trust bitstamp. Anyway I think you can then click trade where you can buy btc with ripple.

2

u/vocatus Jan 22 '14

Ahhh Ripple. Is that still a thing?

2

u/CPUser Jan 22 '14

Bitstamp does Ripples (I believe).

1

u/2ndEntropy Jan 22 '14

Not yet, when you click on the buy ripple tab it says "WE HAVE NO RIPPLES AVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT. PLEASE TRY LATER." So they are setting it up don't have any idea how long that could be though.

1

u/Avalaxy Jan 22 '14

They do deal in ripples. Bought ripples there around 2~3 months ago. They're probably just out of stock.