Tech heavyweight Google has reportedly recruited an ex-member of PayPal to offer assistance in reinforcing Google Pay, with plans to establish a presence in the crypto sphere. 

Specifically, Arnold Goldberg will reportedly be in charge of the responsibility for operating Google’s payments division, as included within the scope of a push into financial services throughout the firm, including crypto. 

“Crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to […] As user demand and merchant demand evolves, we’ll evolve with it.” Google’s president of commerce Bill Ready additionally revealed. 

Google Pay reportedly functions as an online payment network, designed by Google to enable mobile-based in-app, online and contactless purchases, including Android phones, tablets and watches.

As covered in the scope of the push, Google will reportedly shift its concentration towards becoming a “comprehensive digital wallet” that includes digital tickets, airline passes and vaccine passports, per Ready. 

As the development surfaces, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) reportedly recovered to a high of $42,478 (from a 24-hour low of $41,254), prior to a retrace down to $41,887 at the time of writing, per insights generated by Coinmarketcap.

Google has reportedly been testing the waters in the crypto sphere for a while now, having forged alliances with numerous crypto firms during 2021. 

Ready further revealed that the tech heavyweight has plans down its pipeline to form additional collaborations with other crypto entities. 

In April last year, Google Pay reportedly disclosed details regarding the freshly forged alliance with high-profile crypto exchange Gemini, which will make it possible for the latter’s users to make Bitcoin purchases via Google Pay using fiat currency on a debit or credit card.