Just Another Partnership? Google Cloud Teams Up With LayerZero

Google Cloud x LayerZero

LayerZero and Google Cloud announced the integration of Google Cloud as a new “oracle” option for applications built on LayerZero. As a refresher, the oracle role in LayerZero is responsible for verifying that messages have been processed by a source chain in a cross-chain message request.

Applications built on LayerZero can now choose from a list of four different oracle options including Google Cloud, Chainlink, Polyhedra’s zkLightClient, and an oracle managed by Polygon and Sequoia.

Unlike previous additions to LayerZero’s supported oracle providers, Google Cloud will replace the Polygon/Sequoia managed oracle as the default configuration for applications that want to use LayerZero as a plug-and-play cross-chain solution. This is the first time that LayerZero has changed its default configuration since its launch in March 2022. While Google Cloud will now be the de facto verification standard for LayerZero, the protocol still allows applications to employ a modular approach by choosing other providers or combining multiple configurations for added verification guarantees.

Implications

A few months ago, we covered why LayerZero’s Series B investors were valuing the network on par with many established L1 networks at a $3 billion valuation. Specifically, we detailed how LayerZero’s architecture allowed LayerZero Labs to outsource a considerable amount of its infrastructure development and focus on onboarding new applications and securing strategic partnerships. The partnership with Google Cloud becomes the latest example of this strategy continuing to play out in real time.