Neutron Becomes First Cosmos Chain to Launch on Replicated Security

Neutron, a blockchain network designed to bring smart contracts into the Cosmos network by using CosmWasm (Cosmos WebAssembly), has received a green light from the Cosmos Hub, the interchain service provider for Cosmos, to launch on Replicated Security (RS).

After conducting several audits, implementing core modules, and successfully deploying on the testnets, the Cosmos Hub initiated an on-chain vote to determine if Neutron was ready to launch on RS.

RS, previously known as inter-chain security, is a shared security model designed by the Cosmos Hub which offers advanced security to projects launching as a consumer chain on the Hub.

Consumer chains are able to benefit from the Cosmos Hub’s validator network and increase their own security through revenue sharing.

The proposal passed with a 61% voter turnout rate on Friday last week.

Of them, over 90% of community members voted in favor of the proposal, with only 1% voting against and almost 9% choosing to abstain.

According to Avril Dutheil, the general manager of Neutron, passing proposal 792 will make Neutron the first chain to launch on RS, establishing it as a top-10 proof-of-stake chain by economic security. He believes this will position Neutron as the central, neutral smart-contracting platform for the entire Cosmos ecosystem.

The Cosmos ecosystem is made up of a network of blockchains, but individually launching app chains can often be quite costly, as it is extremely resource intensive and requires complex infrastructure.

Additionally, as appchains require security to be successful, having a diverse validator set is equally important — something smaller app-chains that are just starting off may struggle with at launch.

Neutron is designed to resolve this problem by enabling various smart contracts to deploy on the Cosmos Hub.

“This is a major milestone for the Hub because it demonstrates that the technology is functional and that it can attract promising projects such as Neutron, Duality and Stride,” Dutheil said. “It also helps refine all of the processes involved in launching a Consumer Chain, making it easier for future projects to join the ATOM Economic Zone.”

Launching Neutron can also bring cost benefits to the Cosmos Hub as the platform will be able to bring various smart contract run applications onto the Hub, generating a greater amount of revenue without having to search for additional validators.

Given the challenges that RS faces around its economic model and infrastructure costs, Dutheil believes that Neutron is a great first consumer chain for the Hub to have.

“By providing developers the ability to launch applications as smart contracts, Neutron essentially allows Replicated Security to scale from day one,” he said. “Through Neutron, developers can enjoy the benefits of Replicated Security without any additional cost to the Hub and its validator set.”