A coalition of influential Web2 giants, including Microsoft, Tencent, and 16 others, has teamed up with Consensys to support the decentralization of the Infura Network—a vital gateway to Ethereum for much of the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector.
The objective behind these partnerships is to enhance the decentralization of the Infura network, aiming to safeguard Web3 services that rely on it, such as the MetaMask wallet, from potential disruptions.
According to Andrew Breslin, Consensys' senior product manager, the significance of these partnerships lies less in the specific companies involved and more in their prominence, indicating a collective drive among high-profile entities toward decentralizing the blockchain infrastructure stack.
The launch of the Decentralized Infura Network (DIN) in the fourth quarter is slated to address Infura’s centralization challenges, given that Consensys currently controls the network, resulting in a single point of failure. Breslin highlighted the limitations in partnering due to the substantial complexity and cost involved in running services like Infura. He emphasized the thriving ecosystem of Web3 infrastructure providers offering complementary services.
The DIN's initial offerings will include failover support for Ethereum and Polygon networks, which ensures rerouting traffic to DIN partners during outages, thereby ensuring enhanced long-term uptime.
By providing a more reliable and censorship-resistant gateway to Ethereum, DIN intends to empower decentralized applications (DApps) by reducing dependency on a single service provider in a single location. Infura, developed by Consensys, presently serves as the primary access point for most DApps seeking real-time on-chain data from the Ethereum blockchain.
Centralization concerns were evident in 2020 when MetaMask temporarily malfunctioned due to an Infura outage, impacting various centralized exchanges and DeFi projects. Decentralizing blockchain data providers on the Infura network is crucial to fortify resilience against censorship, preventing potential shutdowns via organized attacks or legal actions.
Breslin emphasized that the current partnership is not finalized and aims to expand to include other "highly reliable" internet infrastructure providers to participate in the DIN, stressing the importance of collaborative efforts for the network's long-term success. The current phase involves joint collaboration between Infura and the 18 partners, intending to pave the way for a decentralized management structure for the DIN in the future.
