Cloudflare to Launch Its Own Ethereum Validator Nodes 

Cybersecurity provider Cloudflare is planning to launch its own Ethereum validator nodes.

In a blog post called “Proof of Stake and our next experiments in web3,” cybersecurity company Cloudflare announced its support for the development and deployment of Ethereum.

The post outlines the company’s plans to launch and fully stake Ethereum validator nodes on the Cloudflare global network as the Ethereum blockchain transitions to proof-of-stake with its long-awaited “Merge.” Cloudflare announced that Ethereum would benefit from the launch of validator nodes on its network by achieving even more global decentralization. For example, areas like Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle-East, and Africa will have access to its validator nodes.

Cloudflare commits to helping research and experiment with the next generation of blockchains. It also stresses that it has not and will not run proof-of-work infrastructure on its network.

After its initial entry into the blockchain space with a gateway to the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), Cloudflare announced its experimental Ethereum Gateway three years ago. It allows users to interact with the Ethereum network without installing any additional software on their computers.

By running validator nodes, Cloudflare further commits to a path “that balances the clear need to drastically reduce the energy consumption of Web3 technologies and the capability to scale the Web3 networks by orders of magnitude.” The company also announced that it would likely not stop at validator nodes. However, projects with partners in “cryptography, Web3, and infrastructure communities” would come in the future.

“The Merge” is Ethereum’s long-awaited shift from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. It was announced later this year, and the first successful shadow fork has already occurred. Analysts expect The Merge to have a significant bullish impact on Ethereum.