ConsenSys and AMD partner on blockchain cloud infrastructure

W3BCLOUD touted as ‘first independent cloud computing blockchain infrastructure’

Blockchain heavyweight ConsenSys is partnering with hardware giant AMD and Abu Dhabi-based Halo Holdings to develop W3BCLOUD – a new cloud solution built for blockchain workloads.

It’s no surprise that ConsenSys is in charge of software duties for the new platform and that it will be powered by AMD hardware, given their respective expertise. Halo Holdings is an investment management firm that focuses on large-scale technology transactions and private equity.

The firms say they hope to provide the first independent cloud computing blockchain infrastructure tailored for governments and commercial enterprises. Their main focuses are on preserving the much-vaunted security of a blockchain database while increasing its notoriously impractical transaction throughput (number of transactions per second).

ConsenSys already provides cloud hosting with its Kaleido Blockchain Business Cloud suite, launched with AWS in May last year. ConsenSys said it launched Kaleido to accelerate enterprise blockchain implementation, and the W3BCLOUD press release basically echoes the same ambition.

However, the partnership with AMD signals a ramping up of ConsenSys’s cloud aspirations as the alliance will allow it to leverage optimised drivers. AMD is no stranger to blockchain drivers and already has created special drivers for cryptocurrency mining.

ConsenSys is a global body of technologists and entrepreneurs that advocates, researches and develops decentralised applications. It was founded in 2015 by Joe Lubin, co-founder of popular dAPP platform Ethereum.

Though ConsenSys is one of the most respected and financed groups in the blockchain space, it was no less immune to the crypto winter of 2018. In December it was forced to cut 13 percent of its 1,100 staff, a figure The Verge said could rise to as much as 50 or 60 percent.

“Bolstering the compute power of blockchain networks with AMD’s leading-edge technology will be of great benefit to the scalable adoption of emerging decentralized systems around the globe,” said Joe Lubin.

“The combination of hardware and software will power a new infrastructure layer and enable an accelerated proliferation of blockchain technologies.”