Beyond a reliable foundation, Aleo recognized that for its ecosystem to thrive, developers needed easy access to on-chain data. Previously, the only way to analyze Aleo’s massive datasets was by running a full node — a resource-intensive and complex task that created a major barrier to entry.

To address this, Aleo uses Compute Engine to simplify the process of running a node, a move that also yielded significant cost efficiencies for the company, with some VMs proving to be 20% more cost-effective than its previous solution. At the same time, Aleo uses BigQuery to consolidate the entire blockchain history into a single, reliable source of truth.

This shift democratizes data analysis by making it easily accessible and queryable with standard SQL on Aleo’s blockchain explorer. Developers can now gain insights into user behavior and transaction patterns, which is crucial for building robust and successful dApps.

It’s not just public-facing tools – Aleo’s internal teams also rely on BigQuery behind the scenes. Instead of running manual queries, they use the BigQuery API to automate workflows.

For example, they can track specific transaction types, such as asset movements between public and private pools, and set up real-time alerts for key events. This gives them faster, deeper insights into network activity and helps them spot patterns to support conversations with partners and integration teams.

Aleo’s product managers and data scientists also use BigQuery to track key metrics and build insightful dashboards using Looker Studio. One crucial metric they monitor is the most frequently used operational codes (op codes), which directly informs strategic decisions for optimizing the network and attracting more developers. For example, if a specific op code is particularly memory-intensive, they can shift to a memory-optimized VM on Compute Engine to process those transactions more efficiently, demonstrating a sophisticated, data-driven approach to infrastructure optimization.

Previously, Aleo’s infrastructure team faced a significant pain point with their monitoring dashboards. According to Wu, who is not a dedicated “infra guy,” it took a complex and manual process to access fundamental metrics such as CPU load, memory usage, and network bandwidth from their previous solution.

This move enhanced operational efficiency and accelerated time to market, allowing Aleo to consistently deliver new releases and advance its privacy-focused blockchain.

Aleo views its collaboration with Google Cloud as a “valuable strategic asset”, providing key opportunities for networking, co-hosting events, and exploring new business ventures within the Web3 ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Aleo plans to deepen this collaboration, with a key future focus being a confidential payments pilot with Google Pay. As Aleo continues to advance its secure, privacy-focused blockchain, it places importance on Google Cloud as a foundational pillar of its operations.