Hyperlane: Enables permissionless interoperability, unlocking Cosmos from connectivity restrictions
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Hyperlane: Enables permissionless interoperability, unlocking Cosmos from connectivity restrictions
Hyperlane will unshackle Cosmos chains, enabling them to become more than just "Cosmos" chains.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsWritten by: Nosleepjon
Translated by: TechFlow
In this article, the author will provide a detailed overview of how Hyperlane's permissionless interoperability solution, in collaboration with Strangelove Labs, is advancing Cosmos-based blockchains. The article will analyze the specific impact of this partnership on the Cosmos ecosystem, particularly how it enhances permissionless interoperability between Cosmos chains and non-IBC-enabled chains.
Strangelove is a major contributor to the evolving Cosmos ecosystem. The project focuses on blockchain interoperability via Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) and other critical Cosmos infrastructure to advance the Interchain vision.
What does this mean for Cosmos?
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Permissionless interoperability between Cosmos chains and non-IBC-enabled chains, especially upcoming modular rollups (such as those in the Celestia ecosystem);
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Cosmos SDK chains can easily integrate the Hyperlane module just as they do with IBC;
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Expanded potential user base and reach for the Cosmos ecosystem.
"Hyperlane’s vision is to become the first general-purpose, permissionless interoperability layer built for modular blockchain stacks—a mission that perfectly aligns with Strangelove’s work advancing IBC within the Cosmos ecosystem and beyond." — Jack Zampolin, CEO of Strangelove.
Cosmos already has IBC—why does it need Hyperlane?
IBC pioneered blockchain interoperability, enabling Cosmos SDK chains to easily connect with each other through pre-built IBC modules. IBC has achieved remarkable success, and the entire Cosmos ecosystem benefits from its connectivity.
However, Cosmos remains relatively isolated from external blockchain ecosystems such as Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Solana. This means Cosmos misses out on many users and liquidity. We need to connect Cosmos to these external users and attract them in—but there are several barriers:
IBC is currently limited to Cosmos
IBC excels at connecting Cosmos chains, but we also need to link Cosmos to external chains. One key limitation is that IBC interoperability is effectively restricted to Tendermint/Cosmos SDK chains. Therefore, we require an alternative interoperability solution to connect with external chains.
Alternative interoperability solutions are permissioned
Other permissioned interoperability solutions lack the same level of permissionless, out-of-the-box deployment capability as IBC. You must lobby these networks and their validators to support your chain. This is far from ideal for smaller or less influential Cosmos chains.
Permissioned interoperability doesn't scale in a modular future
As we move toward a future of modular blockchains, permissioned interoperability providers won't be able to scale and deploy across every new modular chain. You need to automatically deploy interoperability upon launch—otherwise, it hinders the growth of new chains. The political and time costs of lobbying permissioned interoperability teams are unfeasible for smaller teams. Modular stacks require permissionless interoperability to achieve scalability.
Hyperlane is the perfect complement to IBC
Hyperlane was built with much of the Cosmos vision in mind. They believe modular blockchains are the future, and permissionless deployment is the only way to achieve interoperability with them. Through this integration, Hyperlane extends the vision of IBC beyond Cosmos—connecting Cosmos to everywhere.
With Hyperlane:
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Enable interoperability between Cosmos/IBC chains and non-IBC chains, opening Cosmos up to more users;
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Achieve seamless connectivity with emerging modular rollup ecosystems and rollup-as-a-service providers;
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Permissionless, out-of-the-box integration—no lobbying or politics required;
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Expand Cosmos assets and applications to external chains (and vice versa).
Practical use cases of Hyperlane and IBC together
The first anticipated integration is Noble, a Cosmos chain dedicated to native asset issuance (e.g., bringing native USDC into Cosmos). Through existing IBC integrations, Noble has already become an asset issuance hub for Cosmos. However, it remains confined within Cosmos and cannot connect permissionlessly to new chains outside of Cosmos.
With the upcoming Hyperlane Cosmos module integration, Noble will be able to directly connect to external chains. If developers aren't satisfied with the current set of chains supported by Hyperlane, they can permissionlessly deploy Hyperlane to new chains themselves, expanding Noble’s reach. It will become an asset issuance hub without limits.
Hyperlane will unshackle Cosmos chains, allowing them to become more than just "Cosmos" chains.
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