Google Cloud Partners with Voltage to Support Bitcoin Lightning Network

A new partnership has been announced between Google Cloud and Voltage, aimed at enhancing the global influence of the Bitcoin Lightning Network. The collaboration is set to enable Google Cloud, a giant in the cloud computing industry, to deliver Bitcoin-based solutions globally and aid Voltage in broadening its operations.

Voltage’s CEO, Graham Krizek, articulated the mutual benefits, stating, “Voltage will exploit Google Cloud to serve our larger customers better, particularly those needing nodes established in specific geographic regions like the UK or Asia.” He further added that Google would utilize “Voltage as their outsourced Bitcoin and lightning team to help companies interested in integrating Bitcoin or Lightning into their services.”

Google Cloud’s Welcoming Stance on Lightning vs Apple’s Resistance

The latest development sparked considerable attention on social media, reflecting Google’s increasing comprehension and embracement of Bitcoin and Lightning. Intriguingly, Google Cloud’s receptive attitude towards Lightning starkly contrasts Apple’s recent actions. Apple removed Damus, a decentralized social media protocol supportive of Lightning, from the App Store, revealing a reluctance towards the Lightning network. However it later got unsuspended again.

Google Cloud’s parent company, Alphabet, oversees the popular payment platform Google Pay, which serves hundreds of millions of users across more than 15 nations. Moreover, Google Ventures (GV), Google’s investment arm, has displayed a growing interest in Bitcoin, blockchain, and Web3 companies since 2020.

Regardless of Apple’s dismissal of the Lightning-friendly Damus app – a decision that frustrated former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey – Lightning continues to capture the interest of billion-dollar corporations around the world. Major crypto exchanges Binance and Coinbase recently pledged Lightning integrations, and a leading Mexican company has started exploring Lightning.