- Ankr is partnering with Microsoft to provide enterprise-level blockchain node hosting services via Microsoft Azure for Web3 developers and builders.
- Blockchain nodes serve as a fundamental component of Web3 networks, maintaining copies of the distributed blockchain ledger and verifying the integrity of transactions.
- The partnership between Ankr and Microsoft will provide developers with more opportunities to build blockchain-based applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
In the digital age, where blockchain technology has emerged as a game-changer, Microsoft Corp. and Ankr Inc. have joined hands to provide enterprise-level blockchain node hosting services via the Microsoft Azure cloud solution. This partnership will enable decentralized app developers and builders to purchase blockchain node hosting infrastructure like any other cloud service.
Web3 networks’ infrastructure is built on the blockchain, which depends on nodes. Blockchain nodes serve as a fundamental component of Web3 networks. They maintain copies of the distributed blockchain ledger, act as communication hubs, and verify the integrity of the transactions being added to the network. The primary duty of a node is to confirm the legitimacy of each new “block” of transactions added to the blockchain.
The impact of the Ankr-Microsoft partnership on the Web3 ecosystem
As per the report from CryptoSlate, this partnership will enable builders to launch fully managed enterprise-grade blockchain nodes with customizable memory and bandwidth in any part of the world set to their requirements. This will allow clients to optimize for speed and reliability and efficiently track the performance of nodes across many different blockchains with advanced telemetry.
The builders can also gain low-latency access to blockchains to read and write transactions and track application performance as close to real-time as possible. This increases the reliability of decentralized applications, or dapps, for operations teams and makes them easier to access, update and troubleshoot when something happens.
Notably, Ankr supports over 38 blockchains, including Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polkadot, Near, Fantom, Polygon, and Celo. As a result, this partnership brings yet another enterprise node hosting solution into the industry that gives developers more opportunities to build blockchain-based applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
This partnership is a critical step in bringing blockchain infrastructure to a growing digital economy sector, as stated by Ankr co-founder and Chief Executive Chandler Song. It is also a key indicator of how far the decentralized web has come in integrating with the crucial players in every layer of web systems.
The importance of reliable, scalable, and secure node hosting solutions
Many developers and organizations are exploring how Web3 can help solve real-world business challenges. This partnership between Ankr and Microsoft will enable them to access blockchain data in a reliable, scalable, and secure way, as stated by Rashmi Misra, Microsoft’s general manager of AI and emerging technologies.
Similar services are already being provided by famous companies such as Infura, Alchemy, and Blockdaemon, which provide enterprise-grade node hosting infrastructure on their clouds. Google Cloud also offers Node Engine, which only supports Ethereum blockchain nodes. The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase launched Node in September as part of Coinbase Cloud, which provides enterprise-grade managed node hosting for developers.
With this partnership, the developers and organizations can explore how blockchain technology can help solve real-world business challenges. Blockchain technology can reduce inefficiencies, increase transparency, and streamline operations in various industries. The blockchain’s transparency and immutability make it popular for supply chain management, healthcare, banking, and finance. Builders can quickly launch fully managed enterprise-grade blockchain nodes by leveraging Microsoft Azure cloud with Ankr’s infrastructure.
