Interestingly, Twitter, amidst the layoffs, race to find a new CEO, and competition with other social media platforms, is still adding new features and updating existing ones on the platform. Yesterday, the company (via @TwitterBusiness) demonstrated the ability to search for the prices of stocks as well as cryptocurrencies including bitcoin ($BTC) and ethereum ($ETH) on the search bar.
Actually, the microblogging platform is using a TradingView plug-in to incorporate cryptocurrency prices into search results. Simply entering a ticker for a cryptocurrency or stock will return its current value and a price chart thanks to this integration. Moreover, the result features a connection to the Robinhood trading app.
“When you Tweet the symbol of a major stock, ETF, or crypto currency with a $ in front of it (like $BTC), people on Twitter see a clickable link that takes them to search results. Starting today, these search results will include the pricing graphs for major symbols,” Twitter said.
You can also search for symbols directly, without clicking on a link within a Tweet. Most symbols with and without the $ sign will work in search (QQQ or $QQQ). The company says, “In the coming weeks, we’ll refine the user experience and expand our coverage of symbols.”
When Jack Dorsey was Twitter’s CEO, he introduced a closed-to-similar feature called Tip, confirming that the company had earlier showed interest in cryptocurrency. Tips allowed users to add links to select third-party payment services to their Twitter profiles. When you turn on Tips on your profile, people can support you by tapping on your Tips icon to send you money or Bitcoin off-platform via the third-party payment services and platforms you have added.
Elon Musk, the current CEO, is responsible for the $1.5 billion in bitcoin investments that Tesla, an electric car manufacturer, made before his takeover. He also tweeted that this is “One of many product improvements coming to financial Twitter!”
In November, the CEO said in a Twitter Spaces meeting with some advertisers that he intends to turn Twitter into a bank.
Musk mentioned payments in his opening remarks, saying, “I think there’s this transformative opportunity in payments,” with the ultimate goal of “enabling people on Twitter to be able to send money anywhere in the world instantly and in real-time.”
