KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Google Cloud’s Blockchain RPC service offers developers up to 100 requests per second and one million daily requests on its free tier for Ethereum applications.
- BigQuery hosts public blockchain datasets covering Bitcoin, Ethereum, and numerous additional blockchain networks, including Avalanche, Arbitrum, Cronos, Fantom, Near, Optimism, Polkadot, Polygon, and Tron.
- Blockchain Node Engine provides fully managed Ethereum nodes that eliminate the infrastructure overhead of running and maintaining dedicated validator or archive nodes independently.
- Kyle Quintal, Head of Engineering at 0xArc, confirmed that Google Cloud’s RPC service delivers fast response times following EIP1474 standards with reliable free-tier access.
- Google Cloud expanded its Web3 startup programme through Blockworks to provide cloud credits, technical mentorship, and infrastructure support for early-stage blockchain companies.
Google Cloud launched its Blockchain RPC service in September 2024, entering a market dominated by Alchemy, Infura, and QuickNode. The service provides blockchain data access through a managed endpoint that requires only one line of code to integrate.
The platform introduced three core blockchain products for developers: Blockchain RPC for on-chain queries, BigQuery public datasets for analytics, and Blockchain Node Engine for validator infrastructure. However, Google Cloud has announced that both Blockchain RPC and Blockchain Node Engine will be discontinued on 15 December 2026, with customers advised to migrate to QuickNode.
This article examines each product’s capabilities, pricing structure, and practical use cases for developers building blockchain applications in 2026.
Blockchain RPC: Managed Access to On-Chain Data
Google Cloud’s Blockchain RPC provides a Remote Procedure Call endpoint for querying blockchain networks. Developers interact with the Ethereum mainnet and testnets through a scalable API that follows EIP1474 standards.
The free tier includes up to 100 requests per second and one million requests per day, according to the official announcement. That capacity handles most development and testing workloads without cost.
Integration requires changing a single endpoint URL in existing application code. The service is fully compatible with Ethereum’s JSON-RPC standard, which means no SDK changes or library modifications.
Kyle Quintal, Head of Engineering at 0xArc, validated the service directly. “Google Cloud’s Blockchain RPC offerings deliver fast response times,” Quintal stated. “Coupled with the fact that Google Cloud follows the EIP1474 standards and has the free-tier option, we integrated its service into our system right away.”
Nalin Mittal, Web3 Product Lead at Google Cloud, led the service launch. The product targets both startups needing quick blockchain access and enterprises requiring the reliability of Google’s global infrastructure.
Most blockchain developers currently rely on multiple RPC providers to ensure application uptime. Google Cloud‘s entry adds a provider backed by enterprise-grade infrastructure and service-level agreements.
BigQuery Public Datasets for Blockchain Analytics
Google Cloud’s BigQuery service hosts public blockchain datasets that enable SQL-based queries against on-chain transaction data. Analysts can query token transfers, smart contract interactions, and wallet balances directly.
The platform added 11 new blockchains to its public dataset repository, including Avalanche, Arbitrum, Cronos, Fantom, Near, Optimism, Polkadot, Polygon, and Tron, according to Google Cloud’s expansion announcement.
First-party managed datasets offer faster query performance and lower slot consumption compared with community-maintained alternatives. Curated tables cover ERC20, ERC721, and ERC1155 token transactions alongside wallet balance snapshots.
Bitcoin datasets now include Satoshis and Ordinals data, enabling researchers to track inscription activity alongside standard transaction flows. Enhanced precision through UINT256 UDF support handles cryptocurrency decimal calculations accurately.
Pricing follows BigQuery’s standard model based on data scanned per query. A free tier allows researchers and small teams to explore blockchain data without upfront infrastructure investment.
The analytics capability distinguishes Google Cloud from pure RPC providers like Alchemy or QuickNode. Developers can combine on-chain data with off-chain business data within the same warehouse environment.
Node Engine and Google Cloud’s Web3 Startup Programme
Blockchain Node Engine provides fully managed Ethereum nodes through Google Cloud’s infrastructure. The service eliminates the operational overhead of provisioning, syncing, and maintaining dedicated blockchain nodes.
Node Engine supports validator nodes for Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network, enabling staking operations without managing physical or virtual server infrastructure. Documentation is available through Google Cloud’s portal.
Google Cloud also expanded its Web3 startup programme in partnership with Blockworks. The programme offers cloud credits, technical mentorship, and go-to-market support for early-stage blockchain companies building on Google infrastructure.
Competing cloud providers have launched similar offerings. Amazon Web Services provides managed blockchain services through its Managed Blockchain product, and Microsoft Azure offers blockchain-as-a-service templates.
Google Cloud’s advantage lies in its BigQuery integration, which allows developers to combine node data with analytics workflows. That combination of infrastructure and data capabilities is not available from pure Web3 infrastructure providers.
The competitive landscape for blockchain cloud services will likely intensify as enterprise adoption of smart contracts and tokenized assets grows through 2026 and beyond.
What’s Next?
Google Cloud has announced that Blockchain RPC and Blockchain Node Engine will be retired on 15 December 2026. Existing Blockchain RPC endpoints will be deleted after the shutdown, and Google recommends migrating workloads to QuickNode. BigQuery public blockchain datasets remain available as Google’s primary blockchain data offering.
Enterprise blockchain adoption continues to accelerate as on-chain tokenized real-world assets have grown to roughly $31 billion in value (excluding stablecoins) as of mid-2026. Cloud infrastructure providers that offer integrated blockchain tooling continue to compete for developer adoption in this expanding market.
FAQs
What blockchain networks does Google Cloud’s RPC service currently support?
Google Cloud Blockchain RPC supports Ethereum mainnet and Ethereum testnets. Google Cloud has announced that the service will be discontinued on 15 December 2026, with customers encouraged to migrate to QuickNode rather than expect additional network support.
How much does Google Cloud’s Blockchain RPC service cost to use?
The free tier provides 100 requests per second and one million daily requests at no charge, making it accessible for development, testing, and smaller production workloads.
Which blockchains have public datasets available in Google Cloud BigQuery?
BigQuery hosts public blockchain datasets covering Bitcoin, Ethereum, and numerous additional blockchain networks, including Avalanche, Arbitrum, Cronos, Fantom, Near, Optimism, Polkadot, Polygon, and Tron.
Can Google Cloud Node Engine run Ethereum validator nodes for staking?
Blockchain Node Engine supports fully managed Ethereum validator nodes, allowing operators to participate in proof-of-stake consensus without managing dedicated server infrastructure or node synchronization.
How does Google Cloud’s blockchain offering compare with Amazon Web Services?
Google Cloud differentiates through BigQuery integration that combines on-chain data with off-chain analytics, while AWS Managed Blockchain focuses primarily on infrastructure provisioning and node management.
Is Google Cloud Blockchain RPC compatible with existing Ethereum development tools?
The service is fully compatible with Ethereum JSON-RPC standards and requires only changing the endpoint URL in existing applications, with no SDK modifications or library changes.
Does Google Cloud offer support programmes for blockchain startup companies?
Google Cloud’s Web3 startup programme, launched with Blockworks, provides cloud credits, technical mentorship, and go-to-market support specifically for early-stage blockchain companies building applications.
References
- Introducing Blockchain RPC Service for Web3 Builders (Google Cloud Blog, September 2024)
- Data for 11 More Blockchains in BigQuery Public Datasets (Google Cloud Blog)
- Google Cloud Pushes Forward in Web3 With Cloud Startup Programme (Blockworks)
- Blockchain Node Engine Documentation (Google Cloud)
