Microsoft announced today that Bing is now capable of currency conversions with Bitcoin. To figure out how much a Bitcoin is worth in a particular currency or how much of a Bitcoin it’s possible to afford with a given amount of money, just use “btc” in currency conversions in place of another currency. For example, searching for “20 usd to btc” shows that a $20 bill is worth less than 0.03 Bitcoins.
The new feature comes out of a collaboration with Coinbase, a service that allows users to store their Bitcoins in an online wallet. Interestingly, Bing beat out Google in the race to allow users to figure out how much their Bitcoins are worth in real money. It’s yet another play by tech companies to try and capitalize on the emerging market of Bitcoin enthusiasts as well as people who are just intrigued by the cryptocurrency.
Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne said last month that he thinks major online retailers like Amazon will have to start accepting Bitcoin to tap into its growing market share, though security and regulatory concerns still seem like major hurdles towards its broader adoption. Still, having readily-accessible currency conversion tools will be a key part of helping people who aren’t already Bitcoin aficionados understand the currency.
