Google’s search engine just got an upgrade. Now, you can type an Ethereum address on the search bar and check the amount of ETH in your wallet. The new feature works via Etherscan, a website that provides data on the Ethereum blockchain.
While the new addition saves the need to make the trip to Etherscan, some crypto news publications reported that many Ethereum addresses didn’t show up in the search. However, given that the feature was added just a day ago, on 11 October, the functionality may improve over time, and Google is releasing the feature gradually.
Han Hua, Principal of Google Ventures, announced the feature to the public via a Twitter post, saying, “blockchain address is now available in Google Search.”
Community concerns
Despite the integration of ETH addresses with the Google search engine, it still needs some finetuning to offer hassle-free services to users. However, Google’s efforts are commendable and sets the tech giant to play a pivotal role in onboarding internet users to the world of blockchain-based services and Web 3.0.
But given Google’s reputation with ads, some users are on the fence about this new integration. SadPanda.blockchain, the former editor-in-chief at Web3ArtBlog.NFT, is the prominent among them. The comic writer expressed his concerns arguing that Google “will sell our blockchain data to advertisers in order to target us via our wallets!” and went on to create a comic strip about the incident.
Source:SadPanda.blockchain
Google bullish on crypto
The search engine giant has been vocal about its bullish attitude toward crypto. During the much-anticipated Ethereum transition from proof of work to proof of stake, Google matched the hype around the Merge by embedding a countdown ticker. The search engine upgrade to search ETH addresses also coincides with another significant announcement from the tech giant. Google recently announced that it would start using Coinbase to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin to make payments for cloud services early next year.
Regardless of how the new functionality is performing or how the industry has responded, it is admirable to see a web 2 company like Google stepping up to the next iteration of the internet which relies heavily on blockchains to function.
