Wormhole Foundation Introduces Gateway, a Cosmos Appchain

The Wormhole Foundation has announced the launch of Gateway, an application-specific blockchain (appchain) within the Cosmos ecosystem. This new blockchain aims to connect multiple Cosmos chains and applications through a single cross-chain liquidity router.

Wormhole Foundation Introduces Gateway, a Cosmos Appchain

The Wormhole Gateway is designed to link multiple Cosmos chains and applications, serving as a single cross-chain liquidity router. The initial phase of the Gateway will connect 23 Cosmos-based chains, including well-known chains like Osmosis, Evmos, Neutron, and Sei. The Foundation has plans to integrate more chains, all of which will use the Cosmos’ native messaging protocol, the inter-blockchain communication protocol (IBC).

Gateway as a Verification Layer for Wormhole Messages

According to the Wormhole Foundation, the Gateway network will act as a verification layer for Wormhole messages, providing an additional layer of verification alongside Wormhole’s existing ‘Guardian’ consensus mechanism. “Gateway acts as a sovereign verification layer for Wormhole messages, adding a second means of protection to Wormhole’s own Guardian consensus mechanism on a verifiably transparent public ledger,” the foundation stated.

Wormhole’s Evolution: From Bridge to Gateway

Gateway is not the first product from the Wormhole team. The team previously launched the Wormhole bridge, a decentralized protocol known for its ability to connect multiple blockchains and enable both token and data transfers across Layer 1 chains outside the Cosmos ecosystem. The introduction of Gateway, the team’s venture into Cosmos, represents a significant evolution from the bridge’s original design.

For enhanced security on Gateway, the foundation has introduced the “Governor,” a software module integrated into the network for “limiting cross-chain contagion during hacks.”