Yahoo Financeยท2025-09-18 09:15Group 1 - Alphabet's Google Cloud unit is developing the Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL), a new Layer-1 blockchain aimed at financial institutions, with pilot programs already underway and broader trials planned for a 2026 launch [1][4] - GCUL's mission is to provide institutional-grade financial infrastructure for tokenized assets and transaction settlement, suggesting it will compete directly with Ripple's XRP Ledger [4][8] - Google Cloud has experience in the crypto sector through its infrastructure and tooling for other chains, indicating a foundation to build upon for GCUL rather than starting from scratch [5][6] Group 2 - It remains unclear if GCUL will launch with a native token, which could be used for transaction fees, or if fees will be payable in stablecoins, potentially positioning the blockchain as a professional financial infrastructure rather than a speculative platform [7][6] - Google Cloud currently serves financial institutions with computing and storage solutions but is not a regulated financial services provider, leaving institutions to rely on traditional custodians and banks for now [6][8]