Google is creating a new unit dedicated to “blockchain and other next-gen distributed computing and data storage technologies,” according to a leaked email obtained by Bloomberg.
The blockchain unit will be led by a longtime Google veteran Shivakumar Venkataraman, Bloomberg reports, and will sit in Google’s relatively new Labs division, which is also home to the firm’s research into virtual and augmented reality.
It’s too early to tell whether Google’s blockchain effort is more research-oriented—aimed at shoring up the infrastructure meeting its massive network and storage needs—or if it just wants to boost Google Pay’s transaction volume.
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But mention of “blockchain” inevitably conjures the scenario of Google developing its own crypto. Google could deploy a blockchain in direct competition with JPMorgan’s Onyx project. Or Google’s blockchain could run platforms for the metaverse, such as decentralized projects like Decentraland and The Sandbox already in use.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry