Sam Padilla, a web3 product manager and node operator at Google Cloud, announced in an X post on April 10 that the Google Eigen Layer mainnet operator is now operational. The EigenLayer team was congratulated on the successful mainnet launch. Previously, Google Cloud had participated in EigenLayer’s “Operator Working Group” with 65 other operators and solo stakers.
The developer behind EigenLayer stated that Google Cloud web3 is a node operator on the Goerli testnet for EigenLayer, a restaking protocol that allows ether (ETH) to be staked on multiple platforms simultaneously. The protocol was made available for stakers in June, but until now, operators enhancing security and enabling stakers to delegate assets have been limited to the testnet. The deployment of Google Cloud’s mainnet operator represents a crucial milestone for EigenLayer’s vision.
Google Cloud introduced a web3 startup program in April 2023 and had already showcased interest in staking by becoming a Polygon validator in September. However, Google Cloud’s investment was relatively small, holding the second-smallest stake among over 100 validators. Its entry into web3 has sparked debate, as some view the presence of the large cloud computing service as a potential threat to decentralization.
