Bing announced today they have beaten Google out the gate with the launch of a native Bitcoin conversion tool. Yandex was the first search engine to offer such a tool, and now that Bing has one we’re left to wonder whether or not Google will follow suit.
Bing broke the news today on their blog:
As Bitcoin (the peer-to-peer payment system and digital currency) makes headlines and captures the world’s attention, we thought it was only natural to give you an easy way to track real-time fluctuations. Starting today, you will find instant Bitcoin conversions at the top of your Bing results
Bing also explains how the conversions can be triggered. If you want to convert an amount of US dollars into Bitcoin, the search would look like: “$50,000 USD to BTC”. Or if you want to know the value of a single bitcoin at a given time just type in “one bitcoin” into the search box.
In December, Yandex launched a similar Bitcoin conversion tool. Google and Yahoo have yet to show any support for Bitcoin conversion, despite having the ability to convert all other forms of currency. Now that Bing has beaten them to the punch, they will likely feel a greater sense of urgency to add Bitcoin conversion to their search engines.
