The Celo Foundation has recently announced an important partnership with Google Cloud. As part of this collaboration, Google Cloud is now running a validator on the Celo network, contributing to the overall security and stability of the platform. 

This development comes on the heels of a previous announcement in April, where Google Cloud and the Celo Foundation pledged their support to sustainability-focused startups in the Celo ecosystem.

Expanding The Celo Ecosystem With Google Cloud

By running a validator on the Celo network, Google Cloud joins a diverse group of validators that includes industry giants like Deutsche Telekom, as well as ecosystem contributors such as impactMarket, a protocol focused on human empowerment. 

This collaboration not only strengthens the security of the Celo network but also underscores the growing interest and involvement of major players in the blockchain industry.

Validators play a critical role in any blockchain network by verifying and validating transactions. They ensure that transactions are legitimate and meet the network’s consensus rules, thus maintaining the integrity and security of the entire system. 

With Google Cloud now serving as a validator on the Celo network, users can have increased confidence in the efficiency and reliability of the platform.

Furthermore, the collaboration aims to leverage Google Cloud’s Blockchain Node Engine, a fully managed node-hosting service, to streamline and expedite operations for participants in the Celo network. 

By utilizing this solution, cLabs seeks to facilitate seamless integration of Celo 2.0 with the Ethereum network and its vibrant community.

The integration of Google Cloud’s Blockchain Node Engine will provide a range of benefits for participants in the Celo network. 

One of the key advantages is the ability to relay transactions reliably and securely without waiting for nodes to sync. This feature will greatly enhance the efficiency of node operations, saving valuable time and resources for developers and users within the ecosystem.

The Celo ecosystem has already gained significant traction, with over 1,000 projects spanning more than 150 countries. 

Notable decentralized applications (dApps) such as GoodDollar and Grassroots Economics have been instrumental in driving real-world impact through their innovative solutions.

To streamline and accelerate the recently approved transition to the Ethereum ecosystem, cLabs will leverage Google Cloud’s Blockchain Node Engine, a fully managed node-hosting service. 

Blockchain Node Engine will facilitate time-intensive node operations for participants in the Celo network, by relaying transactions reliably and securely and not waiting for nodes to sync. Easing the way for Celo 2.0 to align with the Ethereum network and its community.

Currently, the Celo ecosystem consists of over 1,000 projects in more than 150 countries, including decentralized applications (dApps) such as universal basic income (UBI) distributor GoodDollar and community inclusion currencies (CICs) on Grassroots Economics, both of which are unlocking real-world impact, with 80,000 and 20,000 active users, respectively, in over 180 countries. 

Overall, this partnership between the Celo Foundation and Google Cloud goes beyond simply running a validator. Google Cloud has also become a trusted cloud infrastructure provider for cLabs, the core contributor of the Celo blockchain. 

This support enables startups within the Celo ecosystem to build and scale Web3 applications on Google Cloud’s robust infrastructure. 

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView.com