So now it’s official. Bitcoin has finally become truly mainstream. Microsoft has added it as a currency option in Excel.

Bitcoin’s Path To Mainstream Status

There are a number of hurdles one must overcome to become truly mainstream, and Bitcoin just crossed the big one. Microsoft has added the cryptocurrency as a currency option in its Excel spreadsheet program.

New currency options in Microsoft excel pic.twitter.com/nqjUcKGqzL

— Dennis Parker (@Xentagz) May 27, 2019

Here are just some of the other important steps to mainstream acceptance that Bitcoin has attained:

• Celebrity endorsements – From dead rappers (a big plus), to Miss Universe, to the latest influx of NFL stars. They all love(d) themselves a bit of Bitcoin.
• Be more popular than Star Wars, Ed Sheeran, and the British Royal family. And Elon Musk.
• Be seen in Starbucks – Okay, so we’re still waiting for this one, but we’ve been promised it’s on the way.
• Feature in a Kurt Russell film – An often overlooked, but nevertheless essential step into the heart of the people. Post-apocalyptic dystopias would be nowhere without Russell.

Microsoft ︎ Cryptocurrency

Of course, Microsoft has long had its beady corporate eye on the crypto-space. Back in 2017, it set out an ambitious strategy to jump on the blockchain bandwagon. Most recently, this has seen it become an integral partner in several luxury brands’ move into blockchain authentication.

On a more Bitcoin-specific note, it is developing a Digital ID system on the Bitcoin blockchain and is a major investor in the Bakkt Bitcoin-futures platform.

Not forgetting that Bing is one of the market leaders when it comes to blocking cryptocurrency ads… no wait, hang on.

The Bitcoin Community Doesn’t ︎ Microsoft

Naturally, the cryptocurrency community has shown a healthy amount of skepticism when it comes to Microsoft. After all, the company does have some previous when it comes to adopting popular ‘new’ technologies.

In general, the modus operandi has been:

• Technology becomes popular
• Microsoft wishes it had thought of the idea first
• Microsoft tries to buy the technology, with no success
• Microsoft creates its own poorly implemented version of the technology
• Poorly implemented version becomes the industry standard

So you can see why folk are concerned… Still, surely Microsoft can’t mess up the simple addition of a currency symbol?

And this does mean we finally hit the big time, baby!

Have you tried bitcoin in Microsoft Excel? Share your experiences below!

Images via Shutterstock

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