The Cosmos Hub testnet serves as a training ground for validators and consumer chains, a final runway for code heading to the mainnet Hub, and a stable development platform for existing technology on the Hub.This grant is to provide incentives for the Cosmos Hub Testnet Incentive Program for the period January – June 2025.
It follows a successful pilot program that started with an AADAO grant in 2023 and is running in the second half of 2024.
Incentives for testnet validators ensure that they are responsive and engaged with training on new Cosmos Hub features so that operations such as chain launches, sovereign-to-consumer changeovers, and chain offboarding can be practiced and de-risked before being undertaken on mainnet.
The larger the participation in testnets, the more effective they are (more potential for bug discovery, more realistic conditions and more validators trained on the new technology). Identifying and fixing bugs and other issues on the testnet ensures minimal disruption when the upgrades are pushed to the Cosmos Hub mainnet. The Cosmos Hub’s validator set is one of its greatest assets, and the testnet incentive program ensures that this asset is well-trained, responsive, and adequately incentivized for the critical work they do on the Hub.
A strong, secure, and well-supported validator set is the core of the Cosmos Hub’s attractiveness as a security provider using ICS, which is currently the Hub’s primary product offering.The validator set’s understanding of Gaia (Cosmos Hub’s binary) and core technology features is the foundation on which all other product offerings are built. Rather than solely adding value to ATOM, work that supports the validators is work that allows ATOM to exist at all.
