Cosmos Hub to undergo Rho network upgrade today

Quick Take

  • The Rho upgrade aims to add a new “global fee” module to improve the security of the Cosmos network.
  • The upgrade will lay the groundwork for the upcoming launch of the Interchain Security system in the first quarter of 2023.

The Hub, the central chain of the Cosmos ecosystem, is preparing for the anticipated Rho network upgrade that's set to launch today around 8 p.m. EST at a block height of 14,099,412.

The upgrade will bring with it a range of improvements to Cosmos' testing infrastructure, as well as the addition of what's called the "global fee" software module — an added piece of code that will allow transaction fees to be collected from users and distributed globally.

The aim is to improve the security of the Cosmos network by reducing the likelihood of validators colluding or misbehaving, the core development team at Cosmos said.

Cosmos — an ecosystem of more than 200 blockchains — lets developers build new application-specific chains. The network relies on core technologies and frameworks, such as the Tendermint consensus and the Cosmos software development kit, to create individual chains such as Kava, Osmosis, Injective, Thorchain, Evmos and Canto. Such chains are connected with each other using the Cosmos Hub and Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) communication protocol.

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Rho lays the groundwork for another future upgrade called Interchain Security that's planned for release in the first quarter of 2023 and will allow individual chains on Cosmos to secure themselves by using the same security validators that run Cosmos Hub, which functions as a hub for other blockchain networks and allows for cross-chain communication and interoperability.

The Hub team has cautioned users that there may be a short downtime period during the network upgrade.


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Vishal Chawla is The Block’s crypto ecosystems editor and has spent over six years covering tech protocols, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Vishal likes to delve deep into blockchain intricacies to ensure readers are well-informed about the continuously evolving crypto landscape. He is also a staunch advocate for rigorous security practices in the space. Before joining The Block, Vishal held positions at IDG ComputerWorld, CIO, and Crypto Briefing. He can be reached on Twitter at @vishal4c and via email at [email protected]

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