Google launched Thursday that it is introducing a cloud-based node engine service for Ethereum developers and projects.
Google’s service, which is officially named Blockchain Node Engine, is a “fully managed service.” This means that customers won’t have to hire their own teams to keep their nodes running and monitor them. Instead, Google says that it “actively monitors the nodes and restarts them if anything goes wrong.”
The Blockchain Node Engine also has a number of security features, such as Google’s Cloud Armor, which is made to stop denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that spam networks and slow them down.
Google says that its nodes will also be protected by a virtual private cloud (VPC) firewall, which lets users choose the permissions they want. Customers can also choose where in the world their nodes are placed.
Nodes, that also are containers that run code for crypto networks, are an important part of Web3 and are needed for networks like Ethereum to work properly. The more nodes a network has, the more it can spread out, grow, and stay safe.
Google is cognizant of the fact that it already operates on a worldwide scale and wants to be a major participant in the Web3 infrastructure market. By providing such cloud-based services, Richard Widmann, Google’s Head of Web3 Strategy, previously stated at the Mainnet conference that he is attempting to “create a gigantic bridge” between the traditional tech business and Web3.
“In those situations where the underlying infrastructure is at fault, then the more providers offering high quality node infrastructure like that of Google Cloud, the more redundancy we have in place and the less likely end users will see disruption,” Tromans said.
A network’s overall security can be enhanced by expanding the node count. There are hundreds of backup nodes available worldwide in case any nodes experience technical difficulties or need to be shut down for any reason.
At this point in time, Google is only enabling nodes for Ethereum; however, the company has plans to expand its Node Engine service to accommodate additional networks.
“We recognize that other chains are gaining momentum, some of which we also plan on supporting in the future,” Tromans told.
Those who know how Google feels about crypto and Web3 won’t be surprised by this Node Engine news. Google said earlier this year that it had put together a team of people who work on digital assets and Web3 services that run in the cloud.
In January, Google called blockchain technology a “tremendous innovation” and said it planned to develop node validators as a service and data hosting services for the blockchain histories of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Polygon, to name a few.
Even though Google’s launch of Node Engine is a big deal for Web3 infrastructure, it may cause some people to worry about how much power it gives to a few companies. Widmann knows that this could happen, and he doesn’t want Google to take over Web3. “If everything is running on Google, I will be the first to say that is a problem, frankly,” Widmann said.
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