StarkWare is working to integrate Cosmos’ IBC protocol into Starknet

StarkWare, the core contributor and developer of Ethereum Layer 2 Starknet, will be integrating inter-blockchain communication (IBC) protocol — a key component of the Cosmos ecosystem designed to enable interoperability among independent blockchains. For this integration, it is collaborating with Cosmos contributor Informal Systems.

Currently, Cosmos and Starknet operate on different codebases. Starknet is a permissionless decentralized ZK-Rollup functioning as a Layer 2 network on Ethereum. It uses STARK proofs to ensure high throughput and low transaction costs while upholding the security of the mainnet. In contrast, Cosmos is an ecosystem comprising several chains developed using the Cosmos SDK. These chains utilize the Tendermint consensus mechanism and communicate with each other via the IBC protocol.

This integration will allow Starknet to connect with any IBC-compatible chain, including all Cosmos chains and others outside the Cosmos ecosystem that have adopted this feature.

StarkWare explained that this partnership with Informal Systems is focused on achieving enhanced decentralization and expanding interoperability for Starknet.

“This partnership aims to achieve two primary goals for Starknet: enhancing decentralization and interoperability, through exploration of the Tendermint consensus algorithm and the IBC protocol,” it said.

A fundamental component that makes IBC efficient is its utilization of light client verification. When two chains wish to communicate, there’s no need to validate the entire counterpart’s state. Instead, they use light clients — streamlined versions of a blockchain node — to authenticate cryptographic proofs tied to transactions on the opposite chain.

Over the past year, Starkware has been working on several research and development initiatives, such as bringing STARKs to Bitcoin, a ZKThreads framework for "fractal scaling," parallel transaction execution, and others.