Google Cloud launching a blockchain node-hosting service that supports Ethereum

Dubbed the “Blockchain Node Engine,” the service will allow developers to rely on Google Cloud to deploy a new node, ideally making the process easier, faster, and more secure, the company said in a blog post.

Blockchains rely on networks of nodes, or computers that run software to verify transactions and store historic data, and, in turn, nodes are very important for decentralized, peer-to-peer networks, and require proper management. 

Being “fully managed,” the Google Cloud Blockchain Node Engine will monitor the nodes for developers and handle any potential issues that might arise.

The two “main challenges” the Blockchain Node Engine will address are “the time it takes to launch a node, and the pain of keeping it up and running,” James Tromans, who leads Google Cloud Platform’s Web3 product, tells Fortune. “Blockchain Node Engine reduces these pain points, and furthermore affords developers complete control over where their nodes are deployed.”

Similar services exist but offer fewer perks, according to Tromans. “You can use a JSON-RPC service, but then you’re sharing nodes with many other customers and you do not retain configurability, such as the region within which the node is deployed or who can access your node,” he said.

Ethereum, the most-used blockchain, will be the first supported by the Google Cloud Blockchain Node Engine.

“Ethereum is an excellent starting point based on the size of the ecosystem,” Tromans said, “but we recognize that developers are innovating on several other chains, some of which we also plan on supporting in the future.”