What is the Game of Chains?

2022-11-12
:: tags:  #overview  #game of chains  #goc  #cosmos

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What is the Game of Chains?

Interchain Security is one of the main features being added to the Cosmos Hub as the platform transitions to the next phase of development. Interchain Security (ICS) is a complex technology that needs to be tested.

Game of Chains is a public, incentivized, Interchain Security testnet, which has been launched on November 8.

Interchain Security allows for a provider chain, such as the Cosmos Hub, to share security and have its validators produce blocks for a consumer chain. Interchain Security will allow blockchains to leverage the high security of the Cosmos Hub.

If the Cosmos Hub has a large market cap, smaller projects may rent its security. Consumer chains (chains that will use Hub's security) will be required to go through governance to get their chain admitted by the validator set.

The benefits of ICS for the Cosmos ecosystem:

  • Chains can spend less time on thinking about where to hire reputable and concetrate more on building
  • Validators will benefit as they can attract delegators from new chains and get a part of their tokens (delegators will also receive the extra rewards)

Game of Chains will help validators to understand ICS and help to find any bugs. It is designed to fulfill two purposes: (1) testing Interchain Security in mainnet-like conditions (2) providing Cosmos Hub validators the opportunity to build confidence around running the ICS protocol.

The testnet infrastructure includes:

  • Provider chain
  • Multiple consumer chains (Apollo, Sputnik, Stride, Duality, Neutron chains)
  • IBC relayers
  • Support services

Game of Chains will end in the end of November. In each phase, points will be awarded to validators who complete certain tasks. In the end of campaign, the best validators will be eligible for rewards, which are funded by Prop77, with 20000 ATOMs.

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What is Neutron

2022-11-10
:: tags:  #overview  #neutron  #ics  #testing

Interchain Security is probably one of the most interesting narratives in crypto now. We have researched Neutron, a project that will use Interchain Security in no small way. In this article we will break down

  • Quark Testnet
  • What is Neutron
  • Interchain Security
  • Interchain Accounts
  • Interchain Queries

Quark Testnet

Neutron will launch Quark testnet to find bugs and fix them. This testnet will not be incentivized and will not use Interchain Security. This testnet is more for advanced users and developers.

Quark will run for 3 weeks. Testnet participants will test the network and report their results and feedback in late November.

Technical сases are broken down in categories (Performance, Interchain Accounts, Interchain Queries, etc.) and their completion is expected.

Kindly note that Quark and the ICS Incentivized testnet are different test networks. The Neutron ICS feature will be tested on the ICS incentivize testnet first.

What is Neutron?

Neutron is a secure platform for Interchain DeFi powered by Tendermint and built with Cosmos SDK. Neutron’s tech helps developers to launch smart contracts and gives tools to interoperate with other protocols and appchains. Neutron is incubated by P2P Validator who also were founders of Lido Protocol. Moreover, they received 50k ATOM funding in Prop72.

Interchain Security

Interchain Security provides the level of security for Neutron as the Cosmos Hub by enabling validators to produce blocks from a Provider-Chain to a Consumer Chain. In addition, all node operators are rewarded with native tokens distributed from consumer fees.

Interchain Accounts

Interchain Accounts (ICA) let Cosmos blockchains control accounts on remote zones via IBC, instead of local private keys, and write transactions that can be executed on the remote chain.

Neutron will be both a “host” and a “controller” and will launch with a custom implementation that makes Interchain Accounts available to smart contracts.

It means, smart contracts on Neutron will be able to interact with modules and zones from other ICA-enabled Cosmos chains and vice versa.

Interchain Queries

Interchain Queries (aka ICQs) are an essential building block enabling devs to securely retrieve data from remote zones. Queries are fundamental to DeFi protocols: They are used by DEXs to calculate swap prices, by Money Market to determine a user’s loan-to-value ratio, etc. Here’s how Neutron makes Interchain Queries work: On the querying zone, the ICQ module collects query requests and makes them available to relayers. The relayers go to the queried zones, find a “value” for each “key” and package them with cryptographic proofs.

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If you have an interest in learning more about Neutron’s ideas and hearing their team's plans firsthand, you might want to listen to Citizen Cosmos episode 73 with Spaydh from Neutron: Here you will find both an audio and a text version of the interview.

P2P Validator, founder of Neutron Neutron

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