Meet the Innovators of Cosmos Network

ATOM: The Founding Team Behind the Cosmos Network

ATOM is the native cryptocurrency of the Cosmos Network, a project that sought to improve blockchain interoperability and reduce the inefficiencies that exist between independent blockchains. Cosmos, often hailed as the “Internet of Blockchains,” introduced blockchain technology capable of communicating across various unique networks. Spearheading this ambitious vision and design is the founding team, made up of individuals with extensive experience in cryptography, blockchain development, and software engineering.

The Founders

The Cosmos project was primarily co-founded by software developers Jae Kwon and Ethan Buchman. Their collaboration played a pivotal role in bringing the concept of interconnected blockchains to life, with the development of the Tendermint protocol forming the backbone of the Cosmos ecosystem. Their efforts would later establish Interchain Foundation as the key force in developing Cosmos and fostering its ecosystem.

Jae Kwon

Jae Kwon is a software engineer and the central figure behind the creation of the Tendermint consensus algorithm, which was developed before Cosmos. Tendermint is a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) consensus algorithm, designed to enhance the scalability and sustainability of blockchain technology. Kwon's efforts facilitated the secure and efficient validation of transactions, allowing many independent blockchains to interoperate, without the challenges that traditional proof-of-work systems faced.

Kwon has a rich background in engineering and cryptography, with past projects touching areas of computer science and distributed systems. He is credited for his innovative work in building infrastructure that enables communication between decentralized networks, thus avoiding fragmentation within the blockchain space. Kwon’s leadership as CEO of Tendermint (the company) played a decisive role up until his eventual departure from day-to-day leadership, where he moved on from his executive position but retained a more fundamental role in guiding Cosmos’ architecture.

Ethan Buchman

Ethan Buchman, the co-founder of Cosmos and CTO during its early days, was a critical counterpart to Kwon’s vision. Buchman worked closely with Kwon to further develop the Tendermint consensus protocol while contributing to the broader conceptualization of the Cosmos Network. His technical acumen in distributed systems and knowledge of blockchain technology was integral to turning the vision of interoperability into reality, allowing different blockchains to co-exist and communicate.

Buchman's contribution extends further into defining the parameters and operations of more advanced blockchain frameworks within the Cosmos ecosystem. His lasting influence is evident in the Interchain Foundation, an organization dedicated to developing open-source communities, including Cosmos.

Interchain Foundation and Tendermint

The foundation overseeing the long-term vision of Cosmos is called the Interchain Foundation (ICF), a Swiss non-profit formed to fund open-source initiatives and research into decentralized networks. ICF played a crucial role in funding the development of the Cosmos Network, aligning multiple teams and resources to bring its roadmap to reality. Tendermint Inc., initially headed by Kwon, operated as a key development arm under ICF’s financial support.

Eventually, Kwon departed from his front-facing role in Tendermint Inc. to focus on other ventures, but his influence and foundational role continued to shape the overall project. Tendermint Inc. later renamed itself as Ignite to distance the company from the specific protocol while expanding its broader objectives within the blockchain space.

Findings and Developments

While Cosmos attracted attention with exuberant promises of blockchain interoperability, its development process often faced operational challenges, which is unsurprising for such a technically ambitious project. However, the collective vision and solid foundation laid by Kwon, Buchman, and the work undertaken by ICF allowed the Cosmos ecosystem to grow beyond its initial release, with consistent updates, iterations, and contributions from multiple teams worldwide.