• Bitcoin Lightning infrastructure provider, Voltage, has partnered with Google Cloud to expand its global hosting capacity. This partnership will allow Voltage users to create Bitcoin Lightning nodes globally, enhancing the accessibility of the Lightning network.
• Voltage’s protocol facilitates efficient money transfers over the Lightning network and enables microtransactions, helping businesses to improve customer retention and increase customer value. Collaborating with Google Cloud’s infrastructure will aid in serving these needs better, further promoting Bitcoin Lightning’s global adoption.
• This partnership is part of Google’s growing involvement in the crypto industry. Other recent collaborations include Google accepting crypto payments for its cloud services via Coinbase, becoming a Solana validator, and partnering with Polygon Labs to provide automated access to Polygon blockchain nodes.

Voltage, a renowned Bitcoin Lightning infrastructure provider, is joining forces with Google Cloud to bolster its global hosting capacity and extend its geographical locations. This strategic partnership, announced on May 19, underlines the increasing alignment of tech giants with the crypto world, with significant implications for the South African crypto market.

The partnership enables Voltage users to establish Bitcoin Lightning nodes anywhere across the globe, with initial operations earmarked for Iowa, Netherlands, and Singapore. This move has the potential to democratise the creation of Lightning nodes, thereby increasing the accessibility and use of the Lightning network worldwide.

Voltage, well-known for its protocol that aids in facilitating money transfers over the lightning network, offers a cost-effective alternative to existing options. By broadening the reach of businesses globally via the Lightning network, Voltage believes it can be a game-changer. This could be particularly relevant for South Africa, a region seeing an increase in crypto adoption, where businesses could harness the Lightning network’s potential for more affordable and efficient cross-border transactions.

In addition to facilitating global transactions, Voltage enables microtransactions. Such transactions can significantly aid businesses in boosting customer retention, cutting acquisition costs, and enhancing the lifetime value of customers. By leveraging Google Cloud’s world-class infrastructure and expansive network, Voltage can better serve these needs, thus further promoting Bitcoin Lightning’s adoption globally.

Graham Krizek, Voltage’s founder and CEO, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership on social media, tweeting that it signalled Lightning’s mainstream breakthrough. This view resonated with many within the crypto community, who responded positively to news of the partnership.

Established in 2020, Voltage positions itself as a Lightning as a Service (LaaS) provider, offering payment and finance companies infrastructure solutions for cross-border settlements via the Lightning Network. This partnership could have significant implications for South African businesses, especially those within the financial sector looking to incorporate Lightning Network services.

The Voltage-Google Cloud collaboration is a part of Google’s growing crypto initiatives. Google Cloud, the tech giant’s cloud unit, has been notably proactive in partnering with crypto firms and providing blockchain-centric services.

Late in 2022, Google revealed a partnership with Coinbase, which involved accepting payments for its cloud services in cryptocurrencies. The tech giant also voiced its intent to explore using Coinbase Prime for storing cryptocurrencies.

Around the same time, Google Cloud became a validator for Solana. This move allowed the company to participate in and validate the Solana network, further underlining Google’s commitment to the crypto space.

In April, Google joined forces with Polygon Labs to offer customers automated access to Polygon blockchain nodes through its fully managed node hosting service. Google also pledged to provide cloud services supporting the blockchain network’s new zkEVM scaling solution.

This trend towards more active participation in the crypto space by Google, coupled with strategic partnerships such as that with Voltage, could signal an exciting period of growth and innovation for the crypto market globally and in South Africa.