Celo Foundation announced that Google Cloud is running a validator on the Celo network, which is helping to strengthen the overall security of the network.
This initiative builds on Google Cloud and the Celo Foundation’s April announcement to support sustainability-focused startups “in the Celo ecosystem with cloud infrastructure on which to build and scale Web3 applications, in addition to providing guidance for the Celo Foundation’s Founders Programs, co-hosting events and workshops for sustainability and innovation in Web3, and being a longstanding cloud provider for cLabs, the core contributor of the Celo blockchain.”
Google Cloud joins a global, diverse set of validators, “including telco leader Deutsche Telekom, as well as ecosystem contributors such as human empowerment protocol impactMarket, who are participating in and validating the Celo platform in efforts to jointly scale blockchain technology to a billion people for mainstream adoption.”
Recently, community members voted 100% “in favor of cLabs’ proposal for Celo to transition from an independent layer-1 blockchain to an Ethereum layer-2 solution to provide scalability, security, and more real-world use cases to the Ethereum ecosystem.” Technical features for this upgrade would include a decentralized sequencer “powered by Celo’s existing validator set, including off-chain data availability through EigenLayer.”
In order 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.”
Xochitl Cazador, the Celo Foundation’s Head of Ecosystem Growth, said:
“Google Cloud and the Celo Foundation have a shared mission to leverage blockchain technology and innovation to bolster sustainable solutions for everyday people and the planet. The Celo community is honored to have Google Cloud choose us, highlighting a mutual commitment to the broader adoption of Web3 tools and for scalable, real-world solutions.”
Carlos Arena, Director, Digital Assets, Google Cloud, said:
“At Google Cloud, we’re focused on strengthening the Web3 ecosystem by offering founders and developers the tools they need to scale their applications.Running a validator on the Celo network builds on our collaboration with the Celo Foundation, and we look forward to helping to enable the growth of the network.”
The Celo Foundation continues to be “a founding partner in Google Cloud’s new Web3 startup program, also announced in April, with up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credits allocated over two years and up to $1M in grants allotted by the Celo Foundation for future mission-driven projects.”