Cosmos: Creating the Toolkit for Interoperable Networks

Eric Kryski, CEO and co-founder of Bidali, sits down with Ethan Buchman, CEO of Informal Systems and co-founder of Cosmos, to discuss the Cosmos network and interoperable blockchains as well as a vision for localized economies and municipal sovereignty. Kryski and Buchman explore the challenges of building blockchain application layers on Bitcoin's and Ethereum's networks as well as achieving interoperability between protocols—even within the same network. Buchman shares how Cosmos' ecosystem is able to accomplish interoperability that restores sovereignty with an application-specific chain while providing a mature development environment. The work being done at Cosmos flows in Buchman's vision for more localized, interoperable economies, and he expands on this by breaking down his thoughts on community currencies, municipal sovereignty, and mutual credit systems. Filmed on May 18, 2021. Key Learnings: Buchman explains how Cosmos is aiming to become "the internet of blockchains" by allowing developers to build their blockchains in such a way that it will enable communication with each other in a decentralized way. He acknowledges how this sort of functionality within the crypto ecosystem would support economies that would become more localized and municipalities that become sovereign as diverse needs and values call for varied means of governance. Buchman argues that a shift toward localism and away from our dependence on globalization will lead to more sustainable, self-sufficient, and anti-fragile economies and societies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices