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

• An Integrated Developer Environment with Remix Web IDE
  Injective has launched the Remix Web IDE plugin, a web-based integrated development environment that simplifies the development of smart contracts. This tool allows developers to write, test, and deploy contracts directly from their browser, eliminating the need for extensive setup.
  
  Users can start building by selecting a template or creating a new project. The IDE supports compiling, storing, instantiating, and executing smart contracts with ease.
  
  
  

  

• New Trading Experience on Osmosis <> Expanding IBC
  Osmosis has integrated with Router Chain, allowing seamless asset-bridging from over 25 EVM and non-EVM chains. This integration enables advanced interoperability, including the movement of assets like USDC, USDT, and TRX between Osmosis, Tron, and other chains. Router Protocol can now deploy CosmWasm contracts on Osmosis, enhancing cross-chain communication.
  
  Additionally, Osmosis has introduced a new trading experience, featuring the highly requested limit orders, powered by Onchain Orderbooks. Users can now easily buy, sell, and swap assets, with the option to set limit orders by entering the desired price.
  
  

  

• $1.03b in transfers and 2.3m monthly active accounts
  From July to August, the IBC network saw 118 active chains processing $1.03 billion in transaction volume, with 2.3 million monthly active accounts initiating transfers. Osmosis led in IBC volume, and the Osmosis-Cosmos Hub pair had the highest number of transfers.
  
  The Celestia-Neutron pair handled the largest total value transferred. These metrics highlight the increasing adoption of the Cosmos interchain and point to ongoing expansion.
  
  

  

  
  
  

• Bringing Balanced to the Interchain
  Balanced is a cross-chain DeFi protocol that enables users to swap and transfer assets between blockchains and borrow bnUSD using crypto as collateral. It adopted the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol to connect with Cosmos SDK-based chains, leveraging ICON’s General Message Passing (GMP) for secure cross-chain transactions.
  
  Balanced simplifies trading by providing wrapper-free access to native tokens and aims to prevent liquidity fragmentation. Future updates include connections to Optimism, Polygon, Solana, and more, along with concentrated liquidity and a cross-chain token standard.
  
  

  

  
  
  

• Update on Kujira
  The team made significant progress in their deleveraging plan. They fully repaid the 44.5k ATOM debt (~$220k) on the ATOM/KUJI LP, allowing ATOM depositors to withdraw from Ghost's lending vault.
  
  Additionally, they repaid 334.4k USK from a margin exploit, recovering ~57.63 wETH, which was sold for ~152.4k USDC. The remaining USK debt of 408.6k will be repaid using funds from the USDC/USK LP. The team plans to repay the remaining ~875k USDC debt in full to avoid liquidation risks. They are also addressing a contract bug, with all funds now returned.
  
  

  

  
  

• The Secret Builders Program
  The Secret Builders Program is launching to support early-stage projects in the Secret Network ecosystem. This initiative will provide assistance in contract development, marketing, and financial planning through monthly cohorts.
  
  The first cohort, partnered with Etherlink, focuses on projects leveraging decentralized confidential computing (DeCC) on an EVM-compatible blockchain. The program runs in September and will continue with different partners and networks in future cohorts, aiming to build sustainable Web3 applications.
  
  

  

• Sei Network had a busy week with key achievements
  This week in the Sei ecosystem: the second round of the Creator Fund concluded, Bint is tweeting daily ahead of Magic Eden's arrival, Crossmint went live, Lakz0ne hosted an IRL WeBump meeting.
  
  DragonSwap V2 launched Concentrated Liquidity pools, ENEFTY Gaming announced its final beta, Biconomy launched on Sei, Silo and Yei partnered to offer more incentives for $ISEI depositors, and Auros joined the Sei ecosystem.

  
  

  

• Initia VIP
  Initia VIP is a multi-chain framework with three parts: Allocation, Distribution, and Unlocking. In Unlocking, users convert esINIT tokens into regular INIT by maintaining engagement over 26 epochs or by zapping esINIT into locked staked Enshrined Liquidity positions.
  
  This system encourages long-term user retention by rewarding continued participation or offering liquidity staking options. The approach aligns rewards with active and committed users, supporting Initia’s multi-chain ecosystem.
  
  

  

Earning Opportunities! Galxe quest, Giveaway and NFTs

• Arch Marks the Spot

  Join the "Arch Marks the Spot" scavenger hunt to win a share of 500 USDC. Start by searching the Archway website and docs for hidden clues and keywords.
  
  The first keyword is "VALUE CAPTURE." Collect all 5 clues and submit them on Galxe to enter the raffle. 20 winners will share the 500 USDC prize.
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Berachain will be entering into a STICKER COMPETITION on STIX soon
  Berachain is entering a sticker competition on STIX soon. To participate, mint a pass via the provided link.
  
  Start brainstorming and practicing now—quality is important as low effort stickers will reflect poorly on the project. Focus on creating funny or creative bear-related stickers. Winners will be rewarded. Stay tuned for more details.
  
  

  

  
  
  

• 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.
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  

• 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

• 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: Proposal to reduce the Archway validator set & network inflation rate

• VOTING IN PROGRESS: Permissionless ICS 3rd Party Audit

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

  
  

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