Violet Vallaya
Google Cloud has taken a significant stride into the Web3 arena with the launch of its EigenLayer Mainnet node operator, marking a notable development for the restaking protocol and its ecosystem.
Sam Padilla, web3 product manager and node operator at Google Cloud, announced the milestone in a post Wednesday, expressing excitement about the successful deployment.
Padilla congratulated the EigenLayer team for the achievement, underscoring the importance of the mainnet launch.
Before this, Google Cloud actively participated in EigenLayer’s “Operator Working Group,” collaborating with 65 other operators and solo stakers, as revealed by statements from EigenLayer developers.
Currently listed as a node operator on the Goerli testnet for EigenLayer, Google Cloud web3 enables stakers to stake ether (ETH) across multiple platforms simultaneously. The protocol, which went live for stakers in June, had previously only accommodated operators focusing on security enhancements and asset delegation on the testnet.
The deployment of Google Cloud’s mainnet operator represents a pivotal step in realizing EigenLayer’s overarching vision for a robust and decentralized staking ecosystem.
Google’s foray into Web3 gained momentum with the formation of its blockchain arm in January 2022. Subsequently, the company introduced the Blockchain Node Engine later that year, simplifying the process for developers to run blockchain network nodes.
Before integrating with EigenLayer, Google Cloud demonstrated its interest in staking by becoming a Polygon validator in September.
To enhance interoperability across blockchains, Cloud partnered with LayerZero in October last year, serving as the default oracle for verifying transactions between different chains.
However, the tech giant’s expanding presence in the Web3 domain has sparked discussions about its potential impact on decentralization, with some stakeholders expressing concerns over the dominance of a major cloud computing service in the ecosystem.
EigenLayer’s recent Mainnet activation introduced EigenDA, a novel data availability solution. Despite certain limitations, such as the absence of slashing, the launch marks a significant milestone toward the protocol’s full maturity.
