Amazon Onboarding with Learning Manager Chanci Turner

Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner

Today, we are excited to unveil the general availability of Amazon Managed Blockchain (AMB) Access and Query. These two new services enhance AMB’s functionalities, enabling developers to effortlessly engage with public blockchains, facilitating the rapid and secure development of scalable applications. AMB Access introduces a novel serverless solution for non-mining, full blockchain nodes. With this feature, developers can swiftly execute standard remote procedure calls (RPCs) to interact with digital assets and distributed applications across multiple blockchains, initially focusing on Bitcoin, without the need for specialized blockchain infrastructure. Meanwhile, AMB Query standardizes and formats blockchain data from various sources, starting with Bitcoin and Ethereum, allowing applications to quickly utilize this data without the burden of complex transformations or high storage costs. In this post, we will explore the challenges that AMB Access and Query can address, highlight new service capabilities, and discuss target use cases.

Background

Our journey began by collaborating closely with blockchain developers from both enterprises integrating Web3 innovations into Web2 environments and blockchain-native startups pioneering new avenues of Web3 innovation. Over the past three years, the use cases for public blockchains have evolved, empowering developers to craft mainstream applications that facilitate new forms of value exchange through decentralized finance (DeFi), consumer engagement, and loyalty programs utilizing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and efficient cryptocurrency payments, such as Bitcoin and collateralized stablecoins. However, the nascent state of public blockchain tooling compels developers to allocate time to undifferentiated tasks like node operations and data indexing, detracting from their ability to create value-added user experiences.

Currently, developers encounter three complex yet unremarkable tasks when working with blockchain:

1. Node Maintenance: Developers must manage specialized blockchain servers, known as nodes, to execute transactions or read the latest blockchain state. Keeping up with a constant stream of node software updates is labor-intensive, and failure to do so risks losing transactions. Scaling this infrastructure with application usage also introduces operational challenges. For instance, new nodes can take days to synchronize with the blockchain before they are operational.
2. Multiple Blockchain Management: Developers need to maintain nodes across various blockchains to provide users with access to popular applications and cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. This adds complexity because each blockchain has its unique language, hardware requirements, and software upgrade cycles.
3. Data Transformation: Developers are tasked with converting raw blockchain data into accessible formats for applications, enabling richer analytics like wallet balances and NFT descriptions. This is challenging, as it involves downloading vast amounts of data from specialized archive nodes, standardizing it through complex transformations, and storing it in databases for efficient querying. Developers must also implement logic to manage historical data updates while new information streams in.

Capabilities of AMB Access and Query

To support blockchain developers in overcoming these challenges, we focused on simplifying access to essential blockchain infrastructure and data components with the following capabilities:

• Serverless Access: AMB Access builds on existing dedicated node offerings, providing serverless, scalable, and secure access to blockchain networks. This service simplifies the developer experience with instant availability of standard RPCs, eliminating the need for dedicated infrastructure configuration to ensure blockchain resiliency and scalability. As a response to the growing interest from both institutional and retail customers, AMB Access will initially support Bitcoin as its first serverless blockchain network through non-mining, full Bitcoin Core nodes. Dedicated node offerings will remain available for customers requiring a more hands-on approach to meet their resiliency and compliance standards.
• Multiple Blockchains: AMB Access and Query deliver access to popular blockchains in one unified platform, starting with Bitcoin and Ethereum. By adding Bitcoin, AMB enhances the convenience and instant availability of serverless APIs, complementing its dedicated managed public blockchain services for Ethereum. We will continue to engage with our customers to identify additional blockchains for AMB Access support.
• Simplified Data Access: AMB Query will offer common application APIs, allowing quick access to data from multiple blockchains with response times suitable for interactive consumer applications. The intricate infrastructure setups, data transformations, and query statements needed to handle common requests—like retrieving wallet balances across supported blockchains—are simplified through straightforward API calls.
• Transparent Pricing: AMB Access and Query feature a clear, pay-as-you-go pricing model charged per RPC or API call. There are no usage minimums and no need to convert abstract units into dollar amounts.

General Availability Features

AMB Access and Query come equipped with the following features in our initial release:

• AMB Access for Bitcoin: Developers can connect to both mainnet and testnet non-mining full Bitcoin Core nodes, granting access to 28 widely-used JSON RPCs from the Bitcoin Core Client. AMB Access is accessible online via public endpoints or privately through their virtual private cloud (VPC) using AWS Private Link. For more details, refer to our documentation.
• AMB Query for Bitcoin and Ethereum: Developers can retrieve commonly requested on-chain current and historical data for address token balances and transaction histories. With six initial APIs, AMB Query allows developers to access data from Bitcoin and Ethereum mainnets in a standardized format. Refer to our documentation for additional information.

Use Cases

As foundational components, AMB Access and Query can assist developers across various public blockchain use cases. Here are two examples:

1. Custodians and Wallets: These applications function as the Web3 equivalents of traditional banking apps. Users expect experiences akin to those offered by conventional banking, such as instant access to their current and historical balances and transaction records. Whether centralized and operated by licensed entities or decentralized and self-managed, these applications fulfill essential roles in storing and transferring cryptocurrencies. While developers must still manage security for cryptocurrency storage, they can utilize AMB Access to interact with blockchain RPCs for swift cryptocurrency transfers and leverage AMB Query to display relevant data within their applications.
2. Consumer Engagement: The increasing use of NFTs by companies like Nike and Starbucks as tools for enhancing consumer interaction is noteworthy. These NFTs can act as gating tokens, unlocking exclusive perks for holders, incentivizing specific actions (like purchasing physical goods), and fostering collaboration. For insights on how to pivot your career after a layoff, check out this article from Career Contessa. Additionally, to understand workplace policies better, you might want to visit SHRM’s overview on American Airlines’ work environment policy. For those starting their journey at Amazon, this resource on the first six months can provide valuable insights.