The building of trust-less bridges between Polkadot and other blockchain networks is one of the top priorities for the Web3 Foundation. Chorus One’s effort lays the groundwork to build this technology for the Cosmos ecosystem. Additionally, the Interlay team has done excellent work on designing a Bitcoin bridge and we soon hope to turn this design into a full production implementation. Though we haven’t yet announced our bridging efforts related to the Ethereum ecosystem, there are a number of exciting initiatives related to this that are in progress which we hope to announce shortly. Some of these initiatives even have the potential to lead to bridges with many other leading blockchain networks.
SDK Blockchains from The Chorus One
Chorus One has received a grant by the Web3 Foundation to develop parts of a bridge that will enable Substrate and Cosmos SDK-based blockchains to interoperate as part of the fifth grant cohort.
SDK stands for Hyperledger Fabric Client software development kit. The interoperability provided by SDK blockchains will allow, for example, a user on a Cosmos SDK blockchain to move TerraUSD coins to Substrate chains to take advantage of applications in the Polkadot ecosystem.
Connecting Two Vibrant Ecosystems
are part of Chorus One's vision to provide the ability to freely transfer value and information across sovereign blockchain networks and applications. The Polkadot and Cosmos ecosystems have both been at the forefront of cross-chain interoperability.
We are excited that Chorus One will contribute to bridging these two ecosystems with this initial project that will enable Cosmos SDK blockchains to keep track of consensus updates on Substrate-based networks.
“Polkadot combines the versatility of heterogeneous blockchains with the security and convenience of a single security pool and validator set. This is one of the most daring and promising visions of the blockchain space and could unleash unparalleled innovation. The Polkadot ecosystem is consistently shipping great software to advance that vision. We are incredibly excited to help bridge the flourishing Polkadot and Cosmos communities.” – Brian Fabian Crain, CEO of Chorus One
“A Substrate light client that's compatible with the Cosmos SDK is a great first step towards bridging the Polkadot and Cosmos ecosystems. We’re excited to see the results of this work and eventually a complete bridge between both networks." – Dieter Fishbein, Head of Ecosystem Development at Web3 Foundation
Read the full announcement from Chorus One here.
Update, October 15, 2020 – Chorus One began exploring how to make PolkaBTC available to the Cosmos SDK ecosystem via a Cosmos-Substrate IBC bridge.
From the blog
A Year in Parachains, Part 3: Data, ID, Privacy, Storage, & Infrastructure
Providing a brief overview of Polkadot's parachain landscape in its first full year since launch. Part 3: Data, ID, Privacy, Storage, and Infrastructure
Polkadot Staking Review: Impressive Stats, What’s New & What’s Coming
Since the launch of the Polkadot Staking Dashboard and nomination pools, participation in native staking has skyrocketed. These updates transformed how to stake on Polkadot.
A Year in Parachains, Part 2: System Chains, Smart Contracts, & Social Media
Providing a brief overview of Polkadot's parachain landscape in its first year since launch. Part 2: System Chains, Smart Contracts, & Social Media