Web2 behemoth Google trying to innovate for web3

Quick Take

  • Rather than trying to sell what it already offers to the industry, the search giant instead says it is trying to innovate to serve the needs of the crypto community.
  • “There’s a lot of progress that we can still make, but there’s a lot of opportunity,” James Tromans, head of Google Cloud Platform for web3, said.

Google says it wants to disrupt itself to serve the needs of the crypto community. Rather than trying to sell what it already offers to the industry, the search giant instead says it is trying to innovate.

"Can we add some new products to that suite that actually addresses the specific needs that the crypto community has [and] that maybe other companies will have in the future?" James Tromans, head of Google Cloud Platform for web3, said on The Scoop podcast with Frank Chaparro this week at Paris Blockchain Week, referring the the company's thinking on the matter. "But right now it's sort of the bleeding edge of where people are building."

"There's a lot of progress that we can still make, but there's a lot of opportunity," Tromans said.

Last year, the company launched Google Cloud’s Blockchain Node Engine to help web3 developers build and deploy new products on blockchain-based platforms, and it announced a cloud partnership with Coinbase.

RELATED INDICES

"Google was interested in exploring what it means to take crypto for payment and continuing to commit ourselves and to really not just building these tools but using them ourselves as well," Tromans said. "The relationship was very multifaceted and we're looking forward to working with Coinbase as we go forward to flesh that out."

For more on Frank Chaparro's interview with Google's Tromans and Rich Widmann, head of strategy, web3 and Google Cloud, look for The Scoop podcast, which will be released on Saturday at 5 a.m. EDT.


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Authors

Christiana is a long-time journalist who has written about markets in the Americas, politicians who stashed cash in their underwear and high-end heels, to name just a few. She previously spent six years at Bloomberg, and her work has appeared in the WSJ, LA Times, Insider, Vogue Business and more. Christiana has a bachelor's degree in English from Pace University and a master's degree in journalism from New York University. She completed a master's degree in media psychology for fun.
Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].

Editor

To contact the editors of this story:
Madhu Unnikrishnan at
[email protected]
Nathan Crooks at
[email protected]