Cross-chain protocol Axelar and tech giant Microsoft have recently formed a partnership to connect public and private blockchains. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Axelar, as it becomes the first cross-chain protocol to be listed on Microsoft’s Azure marketplace. Through this venture, Axelar will gain access to Microsoft’s vast user base, consisting of tens of thousands of companies utilizing Azure, the cloud service developed by Microsoft.
Galen Moore, the spokesperson for Axelar, expressed enthusiasm about the potential of this initiative, stating that it opens up possibilities for integrating established internet technology with public blockchains in ways that are truly meaningful for users. By joining the Azure marketplace, Axelar will provide developers with a range of tools and resources, including the AxelarJS software development kit (SDK) and general message passing, which enables independent integration of functionality across blockchains and databases.
One of the key areas of exploration in this partnership will involve the integration of public and private blockchains to support artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Sergey Gorbunov, co-founder of Axelar, emphasized the importance of multi-layered trust in AI. He highlighted the need to ensure that models are trained on the correct data, prevent leakage of private data into models, and guarantee accurate results from AI queries. Gorbunov believes that combining private and public blockchains is the solution to establishing trust in AI. Blockchains can provide a foundation of trust, ensuring data integrity, and maintaining jurisdictional boundaries, while connections to public blockchains can verify and establish trust across all consumers.
Microsoft’s Azure marketplace offers a staggering array of more than 25,000 applications and services for developers and businesses, and blockchain technology powers at least 200 of these solutions. Axelar, with its support for 43 blockchains, is well-positioned to contribute to the expanding blockchain ecosystem within Azure.
This partnership comes after Axelar successfully raised $35 million in Series B funding last year, propelling its market value above $1 billion. The funding round saw participation from prominent investors such as Dragonfly Capital, Polychain Capital, and North Island Ventures.
In conclusion, the collaboration between Axelar and Microsoft signifies a significant step in bridging the gap between public and private blockchains. By joining the Azure marketplace, Axelar gains access to a vast user base and the opportunity to integrate established internet technology with public blockchains. Furthermore, the exploration of using blockchain to enhance trust in AI demonstrates the potential benefits of combining private and public blockchains. As Axelar continues to expand its support for various blockchains, its partnership with Microsoft sets the stage for further innovation and development within the blockchain space.