Web3 protocol launches “AppChains” on Microsoft Azure

Web3 protocol Ankr announces the launch of its blockchain services Microsoft Azure Marketplace announced. This emerges from a press release that was previously available to BTC-ECHO. Accordingly, Ankr now offers an RPC solution and an “app chain” service for companies on Microsoft’s platform. The new service is the result of a partnership between Ankr and the US tech group that was announced in February.

Via the Azure marketplace, users can buy IT software applications from leading tech companies via a cloud and integrate them into their own processes. The platform has several million corporate customers every month who now have direct access to blockchain solutions.

“AppChains” – by Ankr, for business

The Remote Procedure Call (RPC) marketplace for blockchain nodes from arrival enables independent providers to monetize their node infrastructure. In addition, Web3 developers can benefit from access to Ankr’s increasingly decentralized RPC services. These services are now available to many companies around the world thanks to the launch on Azure. They can use it to create “low-latency blockchain connections” to build and scale their “Web3 projects,” Ankr said in their announcement.

Ankr also enables companies to use “AppChains” via Azure. In addition, they can quickly launch a customizable and scalable blockchain to offer specific Web3 services. In the first version, companies should be able to set up their own supernets on Polygon. Ankr is already working on the implementation of further ecosystems. Meanwhile, the project is expecting a new “surge of customers” and is “preparing its own resources accordingly”, as it is said.

Microsoft goes blockchain?

Application-specific blockchains (AppChains) are very popular with traditional companies because they can be flexibly adapted to individual use cases. This includes banking, CBDCs, gaming and more, as Ankr explains in the press release. AppChains enable fast, low-cost transactions, enhanced user experience, and regulatory compliance. By implementing it on one of the largest software marketplaces in the world, blockchain adaptation barriers for business users can be lowered.

The blockchain service on Azure isn’t Microsoft’s first foray into the crypto space. After announcing the official partnership with Ankr, rumors arose in March about the company’s own wallet prototype in the Edge browser. In addition, the company from the USA recently announced that it is a member of the group blockchain network “Canton” to be. But the project is more like a modification of the original blockchain concept, true to the motto: “DLT yes, blockchain no”. Microsoft is therefore still reluctant to make a direct advance into the sector.

The partnership with Ankr will also initially focus primarily on corporate customers, as a spokesman explains in the press release:

We are excited to partner with Ankr to bring enterprise-class blockchain infrastructure to the Azure Marketplace. Through this partnership, we abstract away the known barriers to seamlessly testing, running and scaling Web3 projects. We look forward to supporting the evolving infrastructure and tooling needs of enterprise customers and developers.

Daniel An, Director of Business Development, Microsoft Web3 & AI