Infura, the world’s leading web3 API provider developed by Consensys, has announced a partnership with 18 other internet infrastructure companies, including Microsoft and Tencent Cloud, to create Infura’s Decentralized Infrastructure Network (DIN). The aim of DIN is to make Web3 more accessible, reliable, and efficient. The announcement was made at the Decentralized RPC Summit during DevConnect in Istanbul.
DIN, led by Infura, will include Microsoft, Tencent, and other companies such as Grove and Covalent as cornerstone members. They will build an initial, federated version of DIN that will pave the way for the progressive decentralization of the network.
“We are immensely grateful to all our partners who have been part of the journey to build the Decentralized Infrastructure Network with us over the past year,” said E.G. Galano, co-founder of Infura. “Since we announced DIN, the response from the community has exceeded our expectations. Together, we have achieved remarkable progress and eagerly anticipate the continuation of this journey as we bring the power of DIN to Web3 developers and users.”
The launch of DIN with the initial cohort of 19 partners is a significant step towards progressive decentralization for one of the most popular web3 API services. While Infura already provides core infrastructure backend for popular web3 products like MetaMask and the Ethereum Name Service, DIN is part of Infura’s effort to support a variety of blockchain APIs in recognition of the growing importance of the multi-chain world.
DIN’s first two features will be failover protection on Polygon and Ethereum, enabling users to shift RPC traffic from one DIN partner to another to maintain service in case of an outage. In the coming weeks, Infura users will be able to opt-in to DIN’s failover protection, resulting in less centralization and more uptime for dapps and developers.
By adopting a decentralized approach, DIN aims to increase networks and overall uptime, providing more accessible access to blockchains as more partners join. In the coming months, failover protection via DIN will be added for Arbitrum, Avalanche C-Chain, and Optimism.
DIN is inspired by the ethos of Ethereum and web3, which encourages collaboration alongside competition. The goal of the network is to work with existing RPC providers and create new infrastructure that can complement existing solutions.
“While other infrastructure providers are in an arms race to gobble up market share, Infura has gone in a wholly different direction by starting DIN,” said Erik Ashdown, head of ecosystem for Covalent. “By working with partners who have already optimized parts of the stack to better serve the developer, this really embodies the ethos of crypto and the phrase ‘a rising tide raises all ships.'”
Building a new public good network that can serve as a foundational layer of an improved Internet is a significant undertaking. The first iteration of DIN will be federated around the original group of partners, and in the coming months, DIN expects to welcome more members and release a collaborative roadmap for the progressive decentralization of the network.
“By contributing to DIN, we’re not just helping to stand up an open protocol, we’re architecting a revolution for developers where permissionless innovation becomes the norm,” said Austin Roberts, Founder and CEO of Rivet.
The partnership between Infura and the 18 other pioneering internet infrastructure companies signifies a significant step towards creating a more accessible and efficient web3 ecosystem. As the decentralization of internet infrastructure becomes increasingly important, DIN aims to provide developers with a powerful new way to connect to Ethereum and other top-tier blockchains. With the launch of DIN and its failover protection features, Infura users can expect less centralization and more uptime for their applications. As DIN welcomes more members and continues its progressive decentralization, it is set to revolutionize the blockchain industry and foster a more collaborative and innovative environment for developers.
More detail via Cointelegraph here… ( Image via Cointelegraph )
