Google Pay hires former PayPal executive to expand crypto services

According to Bloomberg, Google Pay, one of the leading digital wallets for payments, has hired former Paypal executive Arnold Goldberg, in a bid to expand and accelerate its crypto operations. 

Goldberg will be responsible for heading Google’s payment division to expand the firm’s financial service domain which also includes cryptocurrency-related services. 

Google hires ex PayPal executive to bolster crypto services

According to Bloomberg, the recruitment of Goldberg is a part of the company’s “broader strategy” to include a wider range of financial services including cryptocurrencies. 

Commenting on the growing demand for cryptocurrency, Google’s president of commerce Bill Ready stated:

“Crypto is something we pay a lot of attention to. As user demand and merchant demand evolves, we’ll evolve with it.” Ready told Bloomberg. 

As part of the process, Google will be paying more attention to making its payment services robust by being “a comprehensive digital wallet” that includes digital tickets, airline passes, and vaccine passports. Google is also working on integrating more payment features in its wallet within search and its shopping service, to help users see “the entire array of financial services out there.”

Arnold Goldberg, who will be heading Google’s payment division previously worked with PayPal as a chief architect and general manager of the firm. 

Google has lately been engaging itself with various crypto companies such as Bitpay and crypto exchange Coinbase. Bill Ready further stated that the company is looking forward to more associations like these in the future.  

In April 2021, Google partnered with crypto exchange Gemini to assist users in purchasing Bitcoin through google pay using fiat currency via debit or credit cards. The company had also partnered with crypto exchange Bakkt allowing customers to purchase goods and services using select cryptocurrencies through their google pay wallet. 

Launched in 2015, Google Pay is a digital wallet for consumers to track expenses and make online digital payments with an active user base of nearly 150 million.