Inside the Cosmos Ecosystem with Ethan Buchman

Layer 1s • November 11, 2022, 4:59AM EST

UPDATED: November 11, 2022, 11:25AM EST

Episode 111 of Season 4 of The Scoop was recorded live with The Block's Frank Chaparro and Cosmos Co-Founder and CEO of Informal Systems Ethan Buchman.

Listen below, and subscribe to The Scoop on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Email feedback and revision requests can be sent to [email protected].

Cosmos contributors recently released a new whitepaper that proposes major upgrades to the Cosmos Hub, the central blockchain of the Cosmos ecosystem.

A community vote to determine whether or not the proposed changes are integrated into the Hub concludes on Monday, Nov. 14th.

In this episode of The Scoop, Cosmos Co-Founder and Interchain Foundation President Ethan Buchman explains what will change if Atom 2.0 passes, as well as how these changes fit into his overall vision for how Cosmos’s app-chain architecture will continue to evolve.

According to Buchman, key to Atom 2.0 is the introduction of a security model which will allow new application-specific blockchains to bootstrap security by utilizing the Cosmos Hub’s existing validator set:

“The kind of change that's coming to the Hub specifically will allow new application-specific blockchains to launch that use the same validator set as the Cosmos Hub and use the same stake that already exists on the Cosmos Hub.”

Not only will the proposed changes to Cosmos Hub make it easier and more secure for projects to launch their own chains, but Buchman anticipates it will increase the amount of development activity on the Hub itself:

“This for the first time, opens the door to a sort of more active development environment and development velocity in and around the Cosmos Hub, whereas in the past, the Cosmos Hub was very slow to evolve.”

During this episode, Chaparro and Buchman also discuss:

Why blockchain security is more than just an economic consideration.
The sovereignty of the individual versus sovereign communities.
How we can design more sustainable systems.

This episode is brought to you by our sponsors Tron, Ledn
About Tron
TRON is dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and decentralized applications (dApps). Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON network has continued to deliver impressive achievements since MainNet launch in May 2018. July 2018 also marked the ecosystem integration of BitTorrent, a pioneer in decentralized web3 services boasting over 100 million monthly active users. The TRON network completed full decentralization in December 2021 and is now a community-governed DAO. | TRONDAO | Twitter | Discord |

About Ledn
Ledn was founded on the unshakeable conviction that digital assets have the power to democratize access to the global economy. We help you to experience the real life benefits of your Bitcoin without having to sell it. Start a savings account, take out a loan, or double your Bitcoin. For more information visit Ledn.io

About Authors

Davis Quinton is the Director of Podcasts at The Block and runs our flagship podcast called The Scoop, hosted by Frank Chaparro. Since joining The Block as an 'intern' in early 2022, he has worked closely with leaders across departments to translate The Block's written content into engaging multimedia formats. He holds a degree in Social Research & Public Policy from New York University in Abu Dhabi and is based in Sydney, Australia.

Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].