The Cosmos Ecosystem - Technology, Tokenomics, History

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Cryptocurrency
14 June 2023
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The Cosmos ecosystem is a decentralized network of independent blockchains. Its goal is to solve the interoperability problem. It was created under the leadership of Jae Kwon, who is also one of the founders of the Tendermint protocol.

A brief history of the Cosmos ecosystem

The beginning of Cosmos goes back to 2014. At that time, Jae Kwon began working on Tendermint, a consensus algorithm with Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT). The goal was to create a protocol that could support a wide range of applications and use cases, from payment systems to gaming platforms.

After developing Tendermint, Jae Kwon realized that it could be used as the basis for creating a new type of blockchain. In 2016, he founded Tendermint Inc. to develop the Cosmos ecosystem.

A few years later, in 2017, the company held an ICO to fund the development of the Cosmos ecosystem. The ICO was very successful and raised $17 million. With this funding, the Cosmos team was able to build the software and infrastructure needed to support the Cosmos network.

In March 2019, Cosmos Hub, the very first blockchain, went live. Since then, the ecosystem has grown significantly, with new blockchains joining the network and more and more applications being created based on it.

Cosmos ecosystem

Cosmos ecosystem technology

The Cosmos ecosystem is based on the "Tendermint" protocol, which is a BFT consensus algorithm. This means that it is designed to be fast, secure and scalable, making it ideal for use in a decentralized network.

The Cosmos ecosystem uses a unique architecture that separates the consensus layer from the application layer. This allows different blockchains to use different consensus algorithms while still being able to interact with each other.

The ecosystem uses a unique communication protocol called IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication).

This protocol provides the ability for different blockchains to communicate and transfer data and assets, even if they use different consensus algorithms.

Cosmos: Funds and investments

The Cosmos ecosystem has raised more than $100 million in funding from private investors. Among the most significant investors are Paradigm, Bain Capital and 1confirmation.

  • After a successful 2017 ICO, Cosmos attracted significant investment from private investors.
  • The 2019 Series B, led by Paradigm, raised $55 million.
  • In 2020, the team raised $10 million in funding led by 1confirmation and with Bain Capital.
YouTube

Roadmap

  • 2014 - Tendermint, the consensus algorithm that powers Cosmos, is created.
  • 2016 - Jae Kwon founds Cosmos to create a blockchain network.
  • 2017 - Cosmos raises $17.3 million in an ICO.
  • 2018 - Cosmos Hub mainnet launched, allowing users to transfer and exchange assets between different blockchains using the Interblockchain Communication Protocol (IBC).
  • 2019 - Stargate update to improve the efficiency, security, and usability of Cosmos Hub. 
  • The Interchain Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization, was created to develop the Cosmos ecosystem and related projects.
  • 2021 - Cosmos SDK 2.0 was released, providing improved tools for developing and customizing your own blockchains with the Cosmos SDK.
  • 2022 - Gravity DEX, a decentralized exchange that allows users to trade assets on different blockchains within the Cosmos ecosystem, is launched.
  • 2023 - The ecosystem continues to improve its interoperability with other blockchain ecosystems - Polkadot and Ethereum.
Cosmos

Social activity and community of the Cosmos ecosystem

The Cosmos ecosystem has an active community of developers, users, and investors. There are many popular social groups, twitter accounts, blogs, and other resources dedicated to the Cosmos ecosystem.

Among the most popular niche resources is Cosmos Forum, a community forum where programmers and users can discuss the network and its applications. The number of users is not very high, but the involvement is great: almost everyone who registers becomes a regular member.

There is also a Cosmos Telegram group and a Cosmos Reddit community with more than 76,000 members.

Additionally, there are many popular Twitter accounts and blogs dedicated to the Cosmos ecosystem. 

Among the most popular are the Cosmos Twitter account, which has more than 500,000 followers, and the Cosmos Blog, which is regularly updated with news and network updates.

Cosmos forum

Tokenomics

The ATOM token is a native Cosmos token. It is used to protect the network, incentivize validators, and pay for transactions. Validators are responsible for maintaining the network. They are rewarded for their work in the form of ATOM tokens. Users can also place their ATOMs to receive rewards and participate in management.

The total number of all ATOM tokens is 267,023,478 units. As of March 2023, there are over 90 million ATOM tokens in circulation and a market value of over $3.5 billion (as of March 2023). 

The Cosmos ecosystem has a management system that allows token holders to vote on proposals and changes to the network.

ATOM token

Market condition

The Cosmos ecosystem has experienced significant growth and development since its launch in 2019. The ATOM token has grown significantly in value: its value has increased by more than 1,500% since launch. As of March 2023, the price of ATOM is about $12.

The most popular projects built on Cosmos include Terra, Akash Network and IRISnet. The ecosystem has also seen partnerships with other blockchain projects, including Binance and Kava.

The future looks bright with many upcoming events and improvements planned for the network. The Stargate update, scheduled to launch in March 2023, will introduce new features and improvements to the Cosmos SDK. The launch of Gravity DEX, an autonomous decentralized exchange that will allow users to trade assets on different blockchains, is scheduled for June 2023.

Competitive analysis

Cosmos is often compared to Polkadot, Ethereum, Cardano and Avalanche. 

One of the main advantages of the Cosmos ecosystem is its focus on interoperability. The Cosmos SDK allows developers to create and connect their own blockchains, which can interact with each other and seamlessly exchange data and assets. 

In comparison, some other ecosystems, such as Ethereum, have a more centralized approach to interoperability and require more effort to connect different blockchains.

Cosmos also places great emphasis on security and scalability. The Tendermint algorithm is designed for security and efficiency. By comparison, some other ecosystems, such as Polkadot, are still working to improve their security and scalability.

Overall, while each of these ecosystems has strengths and weaknesses, the Cosmos ecosystem stands out for its focus on interoperability, decentralized management, security and scalability, and active community.

blockchain Cosmos

Conclusion

As the blockchain industry develops and matures, Cosmos is poised to become a key player in this space, offering a powerful alternative to other blockchain ecosystems. Its future looks bright, with exciting developments and innovations looming on the horizon. We can only expect more positive news and achievements from this innovative and exciting project.

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Frequently asked questions about the Cosmos ecosystem

What is the Cosmos ecosystem?

The Cosmos ecosystem is a blockchain platform that enables the creation and interoperability of various blockchains and applications called zones. Cosmos provides the infrastructure for scalable and interoperable blockchains.

How is Cosmos different from other blockchains such as Ethereum or Bitcoin?

Cosmos is different from Ethereum and Bitcoin in that it focuses on interoperability. It provides tools and protocols to create custom blockchains that can interact with each other and with other blockchains. This allows scalable and flexible applications to be built.

What are zones in the Cosmos ecosystem?

Zones are independent blockchains built on top of the Cosmos ecosystem. They can have their own rules and governance, but can also interact with other zones and with the main Cosmos blockchain, called Hub.

What token is used in the Cosmos ecosystem?

The main token in the Cosmos ecosystem is ATOM (Atom). It is used for network security, voting, and other purposes.
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