BlockApps, a startup providing Ethereum blockchain software for enterprises, has become the first certified offering on Microsoft Azure's Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) marketplace.

With its latest post, Microsoft also announced that asset exchange provider AlphaPoint and Internet-of-Things micropayments startup IOTA have joined its Azure BaaS platform.

Launched in October, Microsoft has been steadily adding providers to its blockchain testing environment for enterprises, though BlockApps' Strato platform is the first to gain certification.

Calling the news "a watershed moment", Marley Gray, director of blockchain strategy at Microsoft, said:

Gray added that he believes the offering will expedite enterprise blockchain development, as it enables enterprises to develop proofs-of-concept (PoCs) and scale to full production systems.

The IT giant recently told CoinDesk that it plans for the Azure BaaS platform to scale up into a "certified blockchain marketplace" by this spring, with the aim of supporting "every blockchain" in its currently available testing environment on Azure.

BlockApps' Strato provides a single-node blockchain instance, which acts as a developer sandbox for testing Ethereum blockchain applications. The product can also connect applications to private and public Ethereum blockchains using a company API.

On the technical side, the product features adjustable consensus formation algorithms and transaction verification rules, such as instant, round-robin signature pool and proof-of-work and proof-of-stake transaction approval.

The company claims Strato can enable app development in just minutes when used in conjunction with Bloc – a web application development kit supporting the core features of the Ethereum Solidity smart contract language.

Gray has previously said that by this spring, blockchain startups will be eligible to undergo a more serious security vetting for certification.

Image via Pete Rizzo for CoinDesk