On September 29, Polygon Labs made an announcement that Google Cloud has joined the Polygon Proof-of-Stake network as a validator.
Google Cloud now stands among over 100 other validators responsible for validating transactions on the layer 2 Ethereum network of Polygon. As stated in a tweet from Polygon Labs regarding the partnership:
"The same infrastructure used to power @YouTube and @gmail is now helping ensure a fast, low-cost, accessible Ethereum Polygon protocol for everyone."
Validators on the Polygon network play a crucial role in securing the network by operating nodes and staking MATIC, actively participating in the proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. While the majority of Polygon's validators remain anonymous, Google Cloud is now part of a network that includes Deutsche Telekom, one of Europe's largest telecommunications companies.
Google Cloud characterizes its association with Polygon Labs as an "ongoing strategic collaboration." In addition to its role as a validator, Google Cloud Asia Pacific released a YouTube video titled "Polygon Labs is solving the future of Web3 for everyone."
Polygon Labs recently initiated "Polygon 2.0," an effort to upgrade the Polygon network. The current phase, known as "Phase 0," encompasses three polygon improvement proposals (PIPs) numbered 17 to 19. PIP 17 entails the transition from MATIC to the new token POL, while PIPs 18 and 19 address support work, such as providing a technical description of POL and updating the Gas token. These changes are slated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023, as per Polygon's plan.
