XPLA, a blockchain network developed by South Korean gaming giant Com2uS, has brought on board Google Cloud as its first volunteer validator.
The latest collaboration is expected to leverage Google Cloud’s robust infrastructure to enhance the growth and innovation of web3 games.
At present, the XPLA network is actively voting on the formal implementation of this volunteer validator system, and the proposal has garnered unanimous support with 100% votes in its favor at the time of reporting.
“We hope to accelerate the growth and innovation of web3 games based on the secure and high-performance Google Cloud infrastructure.”
Jack Buser, general director of Google Cloud Game Industry Solutions.
XPLA operates on Tendermint, the backbone of the Cosmos network, and is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine. Its gaming portfolio includes notable titles like “The Walking Dead: All-Stars,” “Summoner’s War: Chronicles,” and “Ace Fishing: Crew,” which are part of the emerging “play-to-own” blockchain gaming trend.
This is not the first time Google Cloud has ventured into the blockchain space, having previously served as a validator for various networks such as Solana, Tezos, Aptos, the Ethereum scaling network Polygon, and the DeFi network Celo. Additionally, the platform has partnered with Coinbase to facilitate cryptocurrency payments.
While the XPLA network’s decision to employ volunteer validators is hailed as a move toward a more transparent web3 ecosystem, it raises certain concerns within the blockchain community.
Traditionally, validators are incentivized with direct token rewards for their contributions to network stability and transaction verification. XPLA’s model deviates from this norm, redirecting potential earnings to a community pool instead of individual validators.
This approach, although innovative, poses questions about the long-term motivation and reliability of validators in the absence of direct token incentives.
The success of this model largely depends on the voluntary participation of entities like Google Cloud and the effectiveness of the community pool in maintaining network integrity and participant engagement.
Following the announcement, the XPLA token experienced a downturn, declining over 7% in the last 24 hours and currently trading at 0.273, as per data from CoinMarketCap.
