Major technology companies, including Microsoft and Tencent, have become part of the Decentralized Infura Network.
Infura noted that these collaborations represent a significant achievement in the process of decentralization, enhancing the censorship resistance of its network.
investograph 
ConsenSys, a prominent blockchain software company, has forged partnerships with major tech giants, including Microsoft and Tencent, as well as 16 other Web2 companies, to contribute to the decentralization of the Infura network. Infura serves as a crucial access point for numerous decentralized finance (DeFi) applications operating on the Ethereum blockchain. This collaborative effort, named the Decentralized Infura Network (DIN), is set to launch in Q4, aiming to address the centralization risks associated with Infura and provide more reliable and censorship-resistant access to Ethereum for decentralized applications (DApps). DIN is introducing features such as failover support, allowing traffic redirection during outages to enhance network uptime.
Andrew Breslin, the Senior Product Manager at ConsenSys, emphasized that the significance of these partnerships lies not only in the companies involved but in their shared commitment to decentralizing various layers of the blockchain infrastructure stack. The DIN initiative is a response to the centralization challenges posed by Infura, currently under the control of ConsenSys, which could potentially result in a single point of failure. The federated phase of DIN involves collaborative efforts between Infura and its 18 partners, functioning as equal partners during a temporary trial period. Breslin envisions the future governance of DIN as a decentralized autonomous organization or another governance structure that democratically involves each partner in shaping the network's direction.
The DIN launch represents a critical step toward ensuring the reliability and censorship resistance of Ethereum access for DApps, particularly in the face of past outages that affected services relying on Infura. By decentralizing data providers on the Infura network, DIN addresses concerns about censorship resistance, as centralized data providers can be vulnerable to shutdown through targeted attacks or legal action. This initiative marks a broader movement within the blockchain space to enhance decentralization, with the federated phase acting as a pivotal step before transitioning to a more decentralized governance structure for DIN in the future.
