The Team Behind Validation Cloud’s Next-Generation Staking Product for Institutions

At Validation Cloud, our mission is to seamlessly integrate organizations into Web3 through fast, scalable, and intelligent infrastructure. As the blockchain industry continues to evolve, Validation Cloud remains at the vanguard of enterprise Web3 adoption, applying Web2 standards to welcome more users to the future of Web3. Validation Cloud’s staking-as-a-service platform is a testament to the company’s dedication to innovation, security, and user-centric design. Our suite of tools is a reliable foundation for enterprises seeking to tap into Web3. From vision to reality, learn how Validation Cloud’s team achieved staking success.

Engineering: The Development of an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Solution

We spoke with Mo Husseini, our Blockchain DevOps Engineer, who led the development and coordination of the Ethereum staking product, spearheading the entire journey from ideation to its eventual market release. Mo shared insights into the team’s proudest technical achievements. He discussed a particularly innovative aspect of the staking product: the development of an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) solution. From an engineering standpoint, the IaaS product allows users to generate validators on demand within isolated environments. This undertaking involved extensive design work and seamless integration across diverse systems, showcasing the team’s deep understanding of the intricate Ethereum ecosystem.

The Value Proposition of the Staking Product for Institutions and the Broader Ecosystem

In shedding light on the value that the staking product brings to institutions and the larger ecosystem, Mo underscores the unique advantages it offers. The Ethereum staking product offers a specialized and scalable avenue for institutions, enabling them to securely stake their Ethereum holdings. Institutions can offload the process of running Ethereum validators to Validation Cloud while reaping the benefits of high yields on their on-chain deposits. This strategic approach not only aligns with institutional requirements but also solidifies Validation Cloud’s commitment to providing innovative and user-friendly solutions for Ethereum staking.

In addition to Mo’s primary responsibilities, he took on the crucial task of overseeing the infrastructure and DevOps components. This involved ensuring the smooth integration of the Ethereum staking product into the overarching system architecture. Mo’s dual commitment not only drove the product’s development but also ensured its seamless assimilation into the broader ecosystem.

UX: Shaping Seamless Experiences for Our Users

From an idea to the production of Validation Cloud’s staking platform, our journey has been defined by a commitment to innovative solutions and a positive UX experience. Our product’s uniqueness is not just a claim but is deeply rooted in three core design principles. We spoke with Yan Wang, Validation Cloud Senior Product Designer to help us outline Validation Cloud’s design principles:

1. Building Trust and Confidence: We ensure every interaction with our platform reinforces the user’s confidence, portraying Validation Cloud as a reliable partner in blockchain connectivity and reward generation.
2. Inclusivity for All User Levels: By combining an intuitive interface with robust security and transparency, we cater to both new and experienced stakers.
3. Deliberate and Focused Design: Our platform encourages focused and deliberate financial decision-making. We introduce “good friction” in high-risk decisions and employ full-screen modals to aid user concentration, ensuring clarity and safety in fund management.

As the sole Product Designer driving Validation Cloud’s latest staking product, Yan has been heavily involved in its development from concept to launch. She crafted an intuitive and user-friendly interface, striking a balance between the complexity of Ethereum staking and the simplicity needed for users at all levels. Yan described the impact of Validation Cloud’s design innovations on the success of the staking product: the emphasis on a seamless, secure, and user-friendly experience is pivotal in enhancing user satisfaction. The incorporation of an intuitive interface, secure and transparent design not only engages users effectively but also fosters a crucial element: trust. Yan highlights how this focus on transparency and security is important for establishing and nurturing long-term relationships with users. The design innovations executed by Yan and the team not only elevate user satisfaction but also fortify a foundation of trust that is essential for the sustained success of Validation Cloud’s staking product.

Validation Cloud’s Vision for Product Evolution

Pavel, a senior software engineer at Validation Cloud, was responsible for implementing the backend of our staking solution, tasked with developing the web service enabling users to create validators, along with creating components that run and monitor the staking infrastructure while calculating the rewards. He shared insights into the team’s vision for the product’s evolution saying in the immediate future, the team plans to incorporate customer-requested features such as comprehensive reporting and testnet support. Looking ahead, their long-term vision involves extending Validation Cloud’s product to encompass additional protocols, allowing institutions to stake through Validation Cloud via a unified API across diverse protocols.

Pavel also shed light on the transformative value of our staking product for institutions and the broader ecosystem. He said navigating the intricacies of staking on Ethereum presents numerous challenges, from managing execution and consensus layer nodes to configuring and operating validators. Ensuring these components run seamlessly, perform validator duties on time, and remain continuously operational adds another layer of complexity. The task of running a single validator from scratch is not easy, let alone doing so at scale. With our product, the challenges associated with Ethereum staking are eliminated. Running validators at scale or even initiating a single validator is simplified to just a few clicks or API calls.

Elevating Success and Satisfaction in the Staking Product

Todor, Validation Cloud’s Senior Software Engineer, shared the technical innovations driving the success of the staking product. In his role, Todor played an instrumental part in seamlessly integrating the user journeys envisioned by the team with the technical realities and constraints of the platform. His contributions were aligned with the ambitious go-to-market strategy, demanding synchronization of development timelines with market readiness — a challenge that the team navigated together with a focus on efficiency and strategic foresight. In the realm of enterprise-grade product development, Todor and the team focus primarily on security and performance. Recognizing the critical role these elements play in establishing a trusted connection with users, they embody the core company value of Commitment to Excellence.

This dedication is a direct reflection of Todor and the team’s commitment to prioritizing key aspects that not only elevate user confidence and satisfaction but also continuously raise the industry benchmark. The team’s commitment to innovation and excellence is more than a standard — they consider it a philosophy that guides the product development cycle. This philosophy ensures the delivery of a technologically advanced product deeply aligned with users’ evolving needs, contributing to the overall success of the staking product.

Empowering Web3 Connectivity: Staking’s Role in Validation Cloud’s Vision

Todor elaborates on Validation Cloud’s vision: as an infrastructure company, Validation Cloud embarked on a strategic and necessary venture into developing the staking-as-a-service product. This initiative enables Validation Cloud to exert comprehensive control over the entire Web3 ecosystem spectrum, seamlessly integrating with their flagship product: Node API. The integration not only enhances the Node API’s capabilities but also significantly broadens the horizon into data–as–a–service, particularly in the realms of discovery and research. Validation Cloud envisions itself as a one-stop platform that supports and facilitates the entire blockchain lifecycle. Within this vision, staking emerges as a critical component, propelling Validation Cloud’s mission to effectively connect organizations to the world of Web3. Staking, in this context, plays a pivotal role in advancing the company’s goal to be a central hub for Web3 connectivity, aligning with the overarching mission to seamlessly integrate organizations into the evolving landscape of decentralized technologies.

About Validation Cloud

Validation Cloud is a Web3 data streaming and infrastructure company that connects organizations into Web3 through a fast, scalable, and intelligent platform. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Validation Cloud offers highly performant and customizable products in staking, node, and data-as-a-service. Learn more at validationcloud.io| LinkedIn | X