CertiK, a blockchain security firm, has relocated its cloud infrastructure in Asia to a cloud computing subsidiary of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. As part of this arrangement, CertiK will be hosting its suite of 12 blockchain applications on Alibaba Cloud and will utilize its cloud resources to offer Web3 services.
By utilizing Alibaba’s centralized cloud infrastructure, CertiK aims to provide a secure environment for its blockchain developers to create and deploy Web3 applications. Ronghui Gu, the co-founder of CertiK, stated that Alibaba Cloud had previously integrated with the Avalanche blockchain to support the company’s Node-as-a-Service initiatives. This partnership enabled Avalanche developers to launch new validator nodes on Alibaba’s cloud infrastructure.
Developers who anticipate high resource demands during peak hours can leverage Alibaba Cloud’s additional computing, storage, and distribution resources. CertiK’s collaboration with Alibaba Cloud dates back to May 2023 when the company introduced its security suite to Alibaba Cloud’s Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) platform. This agreement allowed CertiK’s developers to conduct code reviews, risk assessments, team identity verification, and background checks on Alibaba’s cloud infrastructure.
Initially, CertiK had integrated its smart contract auditing and layer 1 blockchain auditing service, with plans to introduce penetration testing and CertiK’s Skynet due diligence tool. Apart from providing technical competencies for blockchain and Web3 applications, Chinese entrepreneurs and investors are also investing in artificial intelligence (AI). In May, four Chinese startups focusing on generative AI achieved over $1 billion in valuation to compete with rivals such as OpenAI. These unicorn companies, including Zhipu AI, Moonshot AI, MiniMax, and 01.ai, have garnered support from local investors and are now seeking to recruit talent to develop AI products.
Notably, Alibaba’s payment subsidiary, Alipay, recently introduced an AI feature on its payments app to help users detect early signs of balding. According to a report from the South China Morning Post, users can upload pictures of their scalps for processing by an image recognition system trained on thousands of medically relevant images. The app then provides suggestions, including recommendations for medical care when applicable.
Regarding other developments, as Ethereum phishing becomes more challenging, malicious actors are shifting their focus to TON and Bitcoin, as indicated in a magazine report.