Cosmos 2021: A Review of the Year of Brilliant Stars

12 months have passed in a flash, and 2021 has been a fruitful year for the Cosmos ecosystem. From the launch of IBC to the continuous expansion of the network, we have witnessed many important ecological milestones. As we welcome the new year, let's take a moment to review these exciting achievements.

IBC Launched, Completing the Cosmos White Paper Blueprint

At the beginning of 2021, the Cosmos community worked tirelessly to promote the release of IBC. In February, Cosmos officially launched StarGate, which is the largest software upgrade to date and the result of the collaborative effort of multiple distributed organizations. StarGate laid the groundwork for the release of IBC in April.

With IBC, the blockchain is no longer an isolated ecosystem. The network can avoid congestion caused by dApps competing for throughput on a single base layer. The release of IBC marks the realization of the vision outlined in the initial white paper.

The first IBC cross-chain transaction between IRISnet and Cosmos Hub occurred on April 2nd. Since then, there have been over 5.8 million IBC transfers, and 25 chains have enabled IBC functionality. The addition of large blockchains like Terra has brought more possibilities to the Cosmos cross-chain ecosystem.

Cosmos and Ethereum Cross-Chain Bridge

A major focus of the blockchain industry this year is interoperability, and we have witnessed the launch of the first cross-chain bridge from Cosmos to Ethereum.

Sifchain has become one of the most popular cross-chain networks in Cosmos and has integrated the Peggy project. Compared to Ethereum-based projects, Peggy helps users more easily cross-chain between Cosmos and Ethereum while saving costs.

Sommelier Network has also launched its own Cosmos-Ethereum "Gravity Bridge" - a bi-directional bridge managed by global validators.

In December, the Althea team launched the Gravity Bridge Chain with an independent set of validators, aiming to increase adoption through incentives. The chain plans to utilize the "cross-chain security" feature of Cosmos Hub in the future.

In addition, the TIBC streamlined cross-chain communication protocol developed by the IRISnet team will be launched in November. This protocol is a subset of IBC, enabling the seamless transfer of complex digital assets across heterogeneous blockchains.

Cosmos Global Event

In 2021, we finally gathered in person. The Cosmoverse conference held in Lisbon on November 5-6 attracted the most interesting projects and figures in the ecosystem, offering two days of exciting content and dialogue.

From November 11 to December 10, we also held the largest HackAtom VI hackathon. The event received sponsorship from multiple projects in the ecosystem, with over 1,900 registrants and more than 100 outstanding works submitted.

Cross-chain Sustainable Development Mission

In 2021, the world became aware of the urgency of the climate crisis. Cosmos's mission is to become a leading blockchain ecosystem in the global sustainable and renewable digital finance sector.

This year, the Cosmos Interchain Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with partners such as "ixo - Global Impact Network" to implement years of research and development, promotion, and strategic cooperation plans. We are working together to promote inclusive finance and sustainable development.

Cosmos Signal

In 2021, we launched Cosmos Signal - a quarterly keynote that reveals the latest developments in the ecosystem. The first live broadcast attracted nearly 500,000 views, becoming a powerful tool to attract more people to join the ecosystem.

Summary

2021 was an exciting year for Cosmos! From enhancing blockchain interoperability to hosting events and launching cross-chain bridges, we have been innovating continuously. We look forward to sharing more progress with everyone in the new year!