Accelerating innovation for the Cosmos Hub

This category aims to visualize and understand the widespread use of ATOM across IBC platforms. Projects should help the community grasp ATOM’s total value locked (TVL), usage, and movement within the interchain.

Possible projects include:

• ATOM interchain TVL dashboard
• Visualization of ATOM bridging flows and usage heatmaps
• Analytics for ATOM yield farming and liquidity provision
• Growth metrics for the ATOM ecosystem
• Generalized ATOM interchain data APIs

The Atom Economic Zone (AEZ) consists of blockchains that borrow security from the Cosmos Hub through shared validators and slashing mechanisms.

This category seeks to expand AEZ by supporting various app chains contributing to the Cosmos Hub’s value. ATOM Zone Build Out grants may evolve into Venture Grants, providing more intimate support to projects. Inspiration for projects includes:

• IBC and non-native IBC ecosystem bridges
• Integration grants for consumer chains
• Security enhancements for AEZ
• Improved slashing mechanisms
• Advanced network monitoring tools
• Consensus algorithm optimizations
• Stress testing for consumer chains
• Tokenomic design for AEZ
• Models for optimizing tokenomics and distribution for AEZ chains
• Security research on partial set, layered, and replicated security
• AEZ growth grants, hackathons, and developer bounties
• AEZ-wide coordination in marketing, business development, and governance

As the Cosmos Hub matures in its decentralization and distribution, ATOM is poised to become the most liquid and functional IBC-native token within the Cosmos ecosystem.

This grant category aims to enhance ATOM’s role as interchain money by expanding its DeFi utility, liquidity profile, and usability as gas within the Cosmos network. Ideal applicants are those building DeFi projects that align with the Cosmos Hub. Potential projects include:

• Restaking ATOM
• Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) for ATOM
• ATOM-backed stablecoins
• Cross-chain money markets and loans for ATOM
• Options and futures for ATOM
• Perpetual contracts for ATOM
• ATOM-based DAOs
• Interchain payments using ATOM
• Index funds and DeFi ETFs based on ATOM
• Automated Market Makers (AMMs) and liquidity pools involving ATOM
• Insurance and risk hedging protocols
• Wallets supporting Cosmos ecosystem
• Bridges within the Cosmos network
• Research and development for using ATOM as gas

The Cosmos ecosystem offers vast opportunities for economic alignment and partnerships both within and outside its native environment.

This category encourages collaboration to enhance the Cosmos Hub’s functionality and extend its reach, while also unlocking the potential of Web3 technology for traditional industries.

Projects under this category should focus on:

• Liquidity partnerships and cross-chain collaborative research
• Cross-chain DeFi integrations leveraging ATOM and asset bridges utilizing ATOM
• Cross-chain data oracles and identity/reputation systems
• Developing enterprise integration solutions (e.g., ERP, CRM, SCERT systems) using the CosmosSDK
• Creating industry-specific use cases in finance, healthcare, supply chain, logistics, energy, and telecommunications
• Hosting enterprise blockchain showcase events to onboard businesses into the Cosmos ecosystem

Effective developer and user tooling is essential for the Cosmos Hub.

This category supports projects that improve access to and the quality of tools and infrastructure we have available to the Cosmos Hub and AEZ – to improve the experience of both developers and users.

Ideas include:

• Enhancements to governance tooling (UI, voting mechanisms, dashboards)
• Standardization of developer tooling
• Providing vital core infrastructure for the Cosmos Hub
• Creating tools to help users manage their assets
• New tools and dashboards not covered elsewhere

Investing in core public goods is vital for the interchain ecosystem’s health. This category supports projects that develop and maintain essential infrastructure, including:

• Inter-Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC)
• Cosmos SDK
• Consensus mechanisms
• CosmWasm
• Open-source libraries
• Relaying and validating
• Smart contract development and testing
• Cryptographic primitives

The Cosmos Hub’s ability to rent out its security to other blockchains is a key product that benefits ATOM holders. This category supports the development and optimization of various security frameworks.

Applicants can focus on:

• Partial set security
• Layered (mesh) security
• Replicated security
• Economic implications of different security models
• Novel shared security concepts
• Optimization of security frameworks
• Improving efficiency and resilience against attacks
• Simulation and testing of security models
• Creating interchain security standards
• Mechanism design to incentivize participation and prevent malicious behavior

Promoting the Cosmos Hub and AEZ to developers and users is crucial for driving onchain activity.

This category supports activities that highlight the Cosmos Hub’s innovations, supports developer engagement and onboarding, and fosters community engagement.

Potential projects include:

• Developer education, mentorship, and training programs
• Local community events and meetups
• Developer-focused workshops and hackathons
• Content translation and localization
• Enhancement of developer documentation
• Brand ambassador programs
• Educational and promotional content (podcasts, videos, interviews, articles)
• Multi-channel marketing campaigns
• User feedback and engagement programs
• Co-marketing and cross-ecosystem promotional activities

Research is fundamental to informed decision-making. This category focuses on applied research to enhance the Cosmos Hub’s economic impact and effectiveness. Possible research topics include:

• Optimization of staking mechanisms
• Tokenomics research for liquidity, price stability, and growth
• Network performance analysis and optimization
• Economic resilience testing and game theory