This Week in Cosmos with WhisperNode

Welcome to This Week in Cosmos, brought to you by WhisperNode, your go-to roundup of the most compelling developments in the Cosmos ecosystem.

What did we cover this week?

• Cosmos ecosystem highlights: Injective, Sei, and more

• New earning opportunities

• Galxe of opportunities: Career openings, Bounties for devs, Hackathons, and more

• Missed last’s week highlights? Read Here
  
  
  

What's New in Cosmos, Interchain and IBC

• RWAs on Injective have a total market cap exceeding $670.10B
  Injective has established itself as a significant player in the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs), becoming one of the largest blockchains for this purpose. The platform has positioned itself at the intersection of traditional finance and decentralized networks, offering a diverse range of tokenized asset types. These include U.S. Treasuries, government securities, commodities, and foreign exchange.
  
  

  

  
  
  Notable projects on Injective include Mountain Protocol and Ondo Finance. The total market cap of RWAs on Injective exceeds $670.10 billion, with on-chain issuance growing 32.5% year-to-date. Recently, Injective launched the first tokenized $BUIDL index, further advancing its innovations in tokenization and finance.

• Sei Less
  The Sei ecosystem experienced significant growth and development this week. Sei's Total Value Locked (TVL) reached a new all-time high of $141M, with Silo contributing over $100M in SEI TVL. The Sei Foundation announced the next round of its Creator Fund, fostering innovation within the ecosystem. Integration efforts expanded with Li.fi supporting cross-chain transactions on Sei, and Tenderly bringing its Web3 infrastructure to the network.
  
  

  

  
  
  New projects like Star Symphony are set to launch on Sei, while existing teams like Theo plan deployments. Community engagement remained strong with WeBump's upcoming event in Thailand and Jumper's "Super Seiyan Week" initiative. Sei's participation in the FranlikDAO discourse and JST Capital joining the Sei Liquidity Alliance further demonstrate the network's growing influence in the broader crypto space.

• The Axelar Experience
  Axelar's ecosystem is experiencing rapid growth and development across multiple fronts. MoralisWeb3 released a workshop on building a multichain RWA lending platform using Axelar. The Multichain Nation podcast featured interviews with notable projects like dYdX, Monad, OpenZeppelin, Centrifuge, and XRPLLabs, highlighting Axelar's expanding influence.
  
  

  

  
  Lido Finance launched a new bridge, powered by Axelar and Wormhole, that brings wrapped staked ETH to BNB Chain. Axelar developers are collaborating with OpenZeppelin to simplify interoperability integration for dApp builders. The network joined the Superstate Industry Council to support institutional RWA adoption. These developments showcase Axelar's growing role in facilitating cross-chain interactions, supporting RWA tokenization, and fostering partnerships with key players in the blockchain space.

• Union’s Rebranding - Whale Sharks
  Union is updating its branding with a new typography, messaging, and imagery while retaining its original logomark. The project has adopted the whale shark as its mascot, symbolizing growth, ecosystem health, and a cooperative spirit. The choice aims to differentiate Union in the crypto space and reflect its mission of becoming a dominant interoperability provider.
  
  

  

  
  
  Union introduced the 0_______0 emoticon as its calling card, representing a whale shark's face and supporting the project. The rebranding includes updates to Union's website and digital presence, with plans for an NFT collection. This branding strategy incorporates ocean-themed aesthetics and playful elements to give personality to Union's technical products while focusing on its core goals of modular interoperability.

• Great Chain Divide
  Polaris, developed by Osmosis contributors, aims to solve the "Great Chain Divide" in crypto by creating a unified Token Portal. This divide, stemming from the "Fat Protocol thesis," has led to fragmented liquidity and user experiences across different blockchain ecosystems.
  
  

  

  
  Polaris offers a chain-agnostic interface that integrates existing DEXes, bridges, and wallets, allowing users to access all tokens across all chains through a single platform. Key features include: bring-your-own-wallet functionality, one-click cross-network trading, multi-chain portfolio tracking, seamless gas token acquisition, and bridge and DEX abstraction. Polaris uses Multiparty Computation (MPC) technology and chain abstraction techniques to efficiently integrate diverse tech stacks, including non-EVM chains like Solana and Bitcoin.

• Cosmos SDK
  A New Era for Cosmos SDK: The Path to Olympus (SDK v0.52) "Whatever you want to build, it is possible"
  
  

  

  
  

Earning Opportunities! Galxe quest, Giveaway and NFTs

• Sei <> Jumper
  Jumper, in collaboration with Sei Network, is launching "Super Seiyan Week," a three-week DeFi initiative offering 1.1 million $SEI in incentives. Following their successful SuperFest event, this program aims to reward users for completing missions on their Jumper profile.
  

  

  
  Participants can earn yields by engaging with partner protocols including DragonSwap, Jlyvrs, Silo, Yei Finance, and Filament Finance. Each completed mission also grants 3 XP points. This initiative combines yield farming opportunities with gamification elements, encouraging users to explore various DeFi protocols within the Sei ecosystem.

• Axelarators Season 6

  Axelarators, get ready for Season 5 with Interlinked DAO! In September, 5,500 AXL will be awarded to top contributors. The top 20 contributors, selected by admins, will receive rewards ranging from 150 to 550 AXL. Additionally, three community members will be randomly chosen for extra rewards.
  
  Keep engaging with the Axelar ecosystem, amplifying tweets, and participating in the Telegram chat for more chances to win.
  

  

  
  

A Galaxy of Opportunities

• Union Fellowship Program
  The Union Fall 2024 Fellowship Program is a 4-week, hands-on experience for top developers to build on Union, a modular ZK interoperability Layer 1.
  
  Each week focuses on themes like cross-chain NFTs and DeFi, with guided quests and Q&A sessions. The fellowship concludes with a Demo Day at Cosmoverse 2024, offering grants, job opportunities, and collaboration with leading projects.
  
  Participants will receive live courses, networking opportunities, and support for travel to Dubai. Applications are open to developers proficient in Solidity, Rust, or Move, with deadlines in September.
  
  

  

  
  
  

• Announcing the Secret Builders Program
  The Secret Network Foundation has launched the Secret Builders Program to incubate early-stage projects in the Secret ecosystem. This initiative offers monthly cohorts with support in contract development, marketing, and financial planning.
  
  

  

  
  The program's first cohort, partnering with Etherlink, focuses on EVM-compatible blockchain projects utilizing Decentralized Confidential Computing (DeCC). DeCC enables blockchain applications to store and compute encrypted data, unlocking new use cases like private DAO voting and confidential DeFi orders.
  
  
  Etherlink, an EVM-compatible Layer 2 blockchain on Tezos, provides a platform for these projects with low transaction costs and enhanced security. The program begins September 1st and will continue with different network partnerships in future cohorts, aiming to foster successful Web3 applications within the Secret ecosystem.
  

  
  

  
  

• HACKSECRET IV
  HackSecret 4, hosted by Secret Network, is starting on September 16th and will run until October 16th. This hackathon focuses on Decentralized Confidential Computing (DeCC) and offers a $12,000 prize pool.
  
  

  

  
  Participants can choose between two tracks: Native dApps and Cross-chain dApps. There will be weekly workshops and office hours to assist developers throughout the event. To join, interested individuals can register on the DoraHacks platform.
  
  
  
  
  

• Sei Foundation Launches $50 Million Japan Ecosystem Fund to boost Gaming, Social, and Entertainment Sectors

  
  The Sei Foundation launched the $50M Japan Ecosystem Fund to support early-stage and scaling startups in Web3 gaming, social, and entertainment on Sei Network.
  
  Announced at "Sei Web3 Day for Japan" in Tokyo, the fund aims to enhance Japan’s crypto space and remains open to innovative blockchain projects beyond these sectors. Apply here
  
  

  

• Seiyan Superfrens Memecoin Madness

  Seiyan Superfrens Memecoin Madness launches on August 1st, offering over $1M in liquidity incentives in $SEI, $ISEI, and $SEIYAN. The campaign includes rewards through Dragonswap kickoff, partner pools, Meme.trade, Seiyan.fun incentives, and single-sided staking with SAGA NFT.
  
  Key participants include $SEIYAN, $POPO, $MILLI, $FROY, and supporting platforms like DragonSwap and Kawa Finance. The campaign runs for a month, with potential for extension based on engagement and TVL metrics, aiming to energize the memecoin landscape and foster DeFi growth on the Sei Network.
  
  

  

A Universe of Airdrops

The cosmos is alive with airdrop excitement.

• Check your $DGN airdrop allocation and eligibility via the provided link, with multipliers available for NFT holders and $ATOM stakers across three tiers.

• Convert staked $ATOM to $dATOM without unstaking for the Droplet $DROP Airdrop, with a minimum of 10 ATOM and staking via a Drop Validator.

• Check your $NAM Airdrop balance and allocation for Namada Genesis using your wallet's transparent address.

• Ongoing $STRD Airdrop claims and insta-unlock options for $stTIA, $stDYM, $stSAGA, and Season 20 are live, with varying deadlines.

• Tabi Chain, a modular gaming blockchain built on Cosmos SDK and backed by major investors, is launching Mainnet and an airdrop soon with ongoing eligibility through Testnet V2 and node mining.

• $RISE airdrop updates: Wave 4 includes incentivized testnet participants and boosted campaigns; eligibility includes $TIA stakers

Everything Testnet

• Namada Testnet
  Namada operates multiple testnets to ensure thorough protocol testing and prepare for future upgrades. Currently, two live testnets are active: House Fire, where the entire community, including core developers, is engaged in identifying bugs and potential chain-halting issues; and Campfire, a community-run testnet operated by Luminara, the Namada community collective.
  
  

  

  
  
  A past testnet, Shielded Expedition, was an incentivized, role-playing testnet with participant rankings. Namada emphasizes that NAAN, ROID, and NAM are distinct entities. These testnets run alongside the mainnet, allowing continuous testing and development of applications. The diverse testnet ecosystem demonstrates Namada's commitment to robust protocol development and community involvement in the testing process.
  
  
  
  
  

• TOKI’s Incentivized Testnet
  TOKI has launched its incentivized testnet, which will run over several months in two phases: Testnet for Transfer and Testnet for Transfer and Pool.
  
  The platform focuses on expanding IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) beyond Cosmos SDK chains using a multi-prover security approach that combines TEE (SGX, AMD, etc.) and ZKP. TOKI has already established the first IBC connection between Ethereum and BNB Chain, enabling a seamless 1-click native token swap with a single-sided unified liquidity pool.
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  

• ALLiN BETS TESTNET IS NOW LIVE
  The ALLiN BETS Testnet Phase 1 is now live on Dymension, open to the first 200 players.
  
  Players can use the web app to claim tokens from the faucet. If you miss out, Phase 2 begins on 02.09.2024, increasing the cap to 1000 players.
  
  

  

• DeFund has launched its Testnet
  DeFund has launched its Testnet, aiming to be the hub for cross-VM liquidity by solving interoperability challenges in DeFi. Built on Rollkit with Celestia, DeFund mitigates impermanent loss and connects ecosystems for a seamless DeFi experience.
  
  Participants in the Testnet will help test the necessary infrastructure and will be rewarded. To join, check the testnet guide and consider the Ambassador Program for further involvement.
  
  

  

Cosmos IBC Analysis

Over the last 7 days, IBC value transfers peaked at $26.6 million on Osmosiszone, followed by $13.2 million on Cosmoshub, $12.2 million on Axelarcore, $4.9 million on Akashnet, and $4.2 million on SecretNetwork.

Shout out Cosmsolytics

Key Governance Votes on IBC-Chains  

• VOTING IN PROGRESS: Permissionless ICS 3rd Party Audit

• VOTING IN PROGRESS: Upload Injex Finance Staking Contract Wasm Code

• VOTING IN PROGRESS: AMM Incentive #7

  
  

  And remember, for an optimal staking experience, choose WhisperNode as your validator