Google Cloud is moving forward with plans to launch its own layer-1 (L1) blockchain, positioning the network as neutral infrastructure for global finance at a time when fintech competitors are developing out their own distributed ledgers. Rich Widmann, Google’s head of Web3 strategy, provided fresh details on the project, known as the Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL). He described the platform as a credibly neutral, high-performance blockchain designed for institutions, supporting Python-based smart contracts to make it more accessible to developers and financial engineers. “Any financial institution can build with GCUL,” Widmann said, arguing that while companies like Tether may be unlikely to adopt Circle’s blockchain and payment firms like Adyen may hesitate to use Stripe’s, Google’s neutral infrastructure removes those barriers. He also expanded on a comparative chart by fintech strategist Chuk Okpalugo, highlighting how GCUL differs from Stripe’s Tempo and Circle’s Arc, two other high-profile L1 efforts. Universal Ledger is designed as a shared infrastructure layer, intended to be credibly neutral and accessible to any institution rather than bound to a single payments ecosystem. Google brings the reach of its cloud platform, along with the promise of scaling a ledger that can support billions of users and hundreds of institutions. Stripe’s and Circle’s ledgers may serve their own ecosystems well but risk deterring competitors, while Google is pitching GCUL as neutral ground — a ledger that anyone, from exchanges to payment providers, can use without fear of strengthening a rival.