Google Cloud, the cloud computing and data storage unit of the technology giant Google, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Flare blockchain to join the network as a validator. The cloud unit has become the latest corporate institution to join the growing list of validators on Flare, verifying blocks, confirming transactions, and proposing new updates to the protocol. These efforts contribute to bolstering security and fostering the overall growth of the Flare blockchain ecosystem.

Google Cloud to Provide Infrastructure Solutions to Flare

According to a Monday press release, Google Cloud will also serve as a key infrastructure provider for the Flare Time Series Oracle (FTSO). This oracle, known for its high decentralization, plays a pivotal role in providing accurate price data on the Flare network. The move makes the company the 100th organization to embrace FTSO while serving as a validator for the flare network. The active participation of Google Cloud in both validation and infrastructure provision is expected to play a crucial role in reinforcing Flare’s commitment to decentralization and advancing accessibility to decentralized data across diverse applications and other chains.

“As the blockchain for data, we are excited that Google Cloud is joining our existing decentralized network of infrastructure providers who contribute to Flare. Our work together will help deliver a more robust decentralized smart contract platform that places decentralized data at its core,” said Hugo Philion, co-founder and CEO of Flare. The protocol said it is on a mission to provide decentralized applications to both its ecosystem and other networks with high-quality access to decentralized data, including price and time data series, blockchain event and state data, and Web2 API data.

Flare Joins Google for Startups Program

James Tromans, the head of Web3 at Google Cloud, emphasized the importance of data access at scale to elevate relevant blockchain use cases and enhance global adoption of the technology. Tromans stated that the company's becoming a validator on the Flare network will help support the protocol’s mission of providing real-time data to decentralized applications. In parallel, Google Cloud said the protocol has become part of the Google for Startups Program, which aims to accelerate the growth of Web3 startups.

The Google program is expected to accelerate the growth of Web3 startups by providing developers on the Flare network access to financial support from the US-based tech giant and its business partners. Reacting to the news of the partnership with Google Cloud, the network’s native token FLR surged 15% to around $0.02 with a market cap of $656 million at press time, according to CoinMarketCap data.