Institutions and the world are moving towards on-chain technology. With this shift, there is a growing need for customizable blockchains that fit specific needs.
But launching and maintaining a blockchain comes with serious challenges. From choosing the right consensus mechanism to keeping up with validating nodes, the whole process becomes slow and economically unviable. However, the Aurora protocol, based on NEAR, aims to simplify it.
Aurora has introduced a new ready-to-use platform called Aurora Cloud Console (ACC) Marketplace. Instead of launching independent blockchains, users can deploy integrated and customizable "virtual chains" in minutes.
Near Protocol, in previewing the announcement, said: "What's the fastest way to launch a chain? Don't launch it. Deploy a virtual chain with Aurora."
Aurora Labs' Aurora Cloud Console (ACC) Marketplace is a modular Web3 integration platform designed to make launching custom blockchains as simple as clicking a button.
Within the ACC market, it integrates the implementation of virtual chains, ready-to-use services, and cross-chain tools into a single interface. With this, it aims to eliminate technical complexity or "infrastructure fatigue," as CEO Alex Shevchenko calls it, which has long discouraged companies from developing decentralized networks.
It includes simple steps to launch a blockchain:
1. Choose whether you need a public or private permissioned chain followed by the
2. Token base of your chain and then 3. Definition of gas metrics
3. And the last step is to name the chain according to what the user wants.
Aurora's ACC also includes several integrations, such as identity/KYC, fiat on-ramps, AMM, oracles, and gas management tools.
CEO Alex Shevchenko revealed that the RWA Optima project is already using its virtual chain implementation. Moreover, since all virtual chains are interoperable, any dApp developed on NEAR can interact with each other.
It is interesting to note that, in essence, Aurora is a network of virtual chains operating on the NEAR protocol. Each virtual chain is an on-chain EVM implementation deployed as a NEAR smart contract.
This architecture implies that each new chain launched under ACC instantly inherits the security of NEAR. This includes over 235 validators staking more than $2.5 billion, finality in 2 seconds, and ultra-low fees, all without the need to create a dedicated validator set.
Blockchain use cases are diversifying, from decentralized finance (DeFi) to tokenization of real-world assets. With this, the demand for specialized and high-performance chains continues to rise. The Aurora ACC Marketplace arrives at a crucial moment, promising to change the narrative from "blockchain is too complex" to "blockchain is just another IT project."
Without writing infrastructure code, teams select the desired plugins from the marketplace catalog to launch a fully operational chain. Companies in finance, supply chain, gaming, and digital identity can greatly benefit from this. This approach reflects how companies implement cloud resources today, incorporating familiar SaaS patterns into the Web3 space.
Thus, with the robust security of NEAR and Aurora's virtual chains, the ACC marketplace could redefine how companies approach Web3 innovation in 2025 and beyond.
Follow me for more analysis and news, give it a thumbs up 👍 and share, that would help me a lot to keep growing.