At its annual Google I/O conference, Google introduced its long-awaited Web3 platform, Aphelion, aimed at developing and scaling decentralized applications (dApps), metaverses, and tokenized services.

Aphelion is a full-fledged infrastructure that includes:

A Layer 1 blockchain built on the Cosmos SDK;

Aphelion Studio — a development environment supporting smart contracts in JavaScript and Rust;

Aphelion ID — a decentralized identity system with optional KYC integration;

Integration with Google Cloud Web3, enabling developers to deploy nodes, wallets, and NFT marketplaces with minimal costs.

Google representatives stated that the goal of Aphelion is to “make decentralization accessible to billions of people and offer an alternative to centralized platforms in the internet of the future.”

The platform has already received support from Unity, Binance Labs, and Animoca Brands. In the coming months, the first metaverses are expected to launch, including the educational platform LearnVerse and the music project SoundMesh.