Source: iStock/allanswart

In the cryptoverse, where we’re all looking for signs of increased adoption with bated breath, even the smallest things can bring hype. Today we have a new one - it seems that almost everyone in the cryptoland is checking their iPhones for the Bitcoin symbol.

It looks like the Google keyboard on iPhones now has a Bitcoin sign when you long press the dollar sign, among all the other currencies. However, no one knows when exactly it was added and why Google's product is not available on Android phones.

To access it, make sure you’re using the Google keyboard, not just the default Apple one, and hold down the dollar symbol to see a pop up of several of the world’s major currency symbols. The Bitcoin symbol is located on the far left. Although the symbol shares some similarities with the Thai Baht currency, the Baht has a single line all the way through - as opposed to Bitcoin’s two lines at the top and bottom of the capital B.

Wow I just noticed that the ₿ symbol is now the first currency when u long press $ on Google keyboard...



Does everyone know this? Bitcoin is becoming pervasive everywhere @APompliano pic.twitter.com/2hWDuBit3X — JP [ ₿⚡️] (@jpthor__) February 18, 2019

Of course. But the news is not about how easy or difficult it is to write it, but rather the importance that Bitcoin has taken in everyday life which motivates a giant like Google to integrate it alongside $ , ¥, and € on a mainstream software. — ¥ves ₿ennaïm⚡️🌿 (@ZLOK) February 19, 2019

Some enthusiasts have taken this to mean that adoption is coming - while more extreme ones already see a bull run in the future. Although this may not mean anything, a small sign of endorsement is certainly good, especially with the recent rally.

However, this feature is not available on Android phones yet, and there is no indication that it could become available any time soon. Also, not every Google keyboard on iPhone offers this possibility, as users from Scandinavian countries as well as France claimed on Twitter that they could not find the option. Additionally, some users complain that when they click the symbol, it turns into ₱, the symbol for the Philippine Peso - but it is possible that this is just a temporary glitch.

Meanwhile, PC users may not know that they can type the Bitcoin symbol since June 2017, as it is part of the Unicode 10.0, with code point U+20BF (₿). Since only a few fonts contain the Bitcoin symbol, a special font was created by user Theymos, head administrator of the BitcoinTalk forum. The font consists of only the Bitcoin symbol (BTC) used in the glyph for the capital letter B. The text “BTC” can be entered and styled with this font, causing it to be replaced entirely with just the symbol on those systems that support this font, while on other systems the text “BTC” is retained. Similarly, copying and pasting text will still retain “BTC.” This method is used on BitcoinTalk and the Bitcoin Wiki.