RIF Labs has announced that developers can now launch an RSK Smart Mainnet node on Microsoft’s Azure BaaS offering, becoming one of the few public blockchains supported by Microsoft’s Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) marketplace.
The integration provides a simplified process for setting up an environment that facilitates the development of decentralized applications (dApps) and services supported by the Bitcoin blockchain. This enables users to deploy and configure an RSK blockchain network in minutes, instead of setting up local servers and manually installing and maintaining the nodes.
“dApp developers can now focus on building their product since they don’t have to worry anymore about spending hours in setting up and maintaining the node. Microsoft’s support will be key to accelerate the adoption of RSK technologies and the Bitcoin ecosystem.”
Microsoft has for several years provided BaaS support for enterprise blockchains, such as R3 and Hyperledger Fabric. However, it’s one of the few cloud providers to support public blockchain development, making it a natural partner for RIF Labs’ continued work in bringing smart contract capabilities to the Bitcoin blockchain.
The developer environment provided by Azure’s BaaS allows blockchain developers to learn and fail fast at a low-cost, making continued dApp experimentation on the RSK network significantly easier for blockchain and traditional developers alike.
“Making development as easy and seamless as possible is vital to realizing blockchain technology’s full potential. Microsoft’s endorsement of RSK Smart Contract Network is critical in bridging the gap to mass adoption, which in turn will help unleash the power of the Internet of Value.”
This will be especially important in the months ahead, as RIF Labs launches new protocol implementations for RIF OS including off-chain payments, data storage, data feeds, and secure communications.
Additionally, the ability to set up multiple nodes with a one-click process gives developers the opportunity to expand the RSK network at minimal upfront cost, while also providing new opportunities to obtain mining rewards via storage rental on the nodes themselves.
This will be key to maintaining the decentralized structure of the network as developers increasingly look to take advantage of Ethereum-like smart contract capabilities secured by the hashing power of the Bitcoin Network.
“Through Microsoft Azure Marketplace, customers around the world can easily find, buy, and deploy partner solutions they can trust, all certified and optimized to run on Azure. We’re happy to welcome RSK Smart Contracts to the growing Azure Marketplace ecosystem.”