ANKR announced that they are beginning a new partnership with Microsoft to provide businesses and enterprises with blockchain data and node hosting services. Microsoft plans to make the new features available for users through its Azure platform, pairing ANKR’s blockchain infrastructure with Microsoft's cloud solutions.

The partnership comes as a surprise as Microsoft has pushed back on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency quite heavily in the past, such as when they banned all blockchain applications from their popular game Minecraft. Moreover, Bill Gates has routinely said that he is not convinced cryptocurrencies have any benefit and looks at them unfavorably.