Heralded as an “Internet of blockchains” by its founding team, Cosmos aims to create a network of crypto networks united by open-source tools for streamlining transactions between them.

It’s this focus on customizability and interoperability that sets Cosmos apart from other projects. 

Rather than prioritizing its own network, its goal is to foster an ecosystem of networks that can share data and tokens programmatically, with no central party facilitating the activity. 

Each new independent blockchain created within Cosmos (called a “zone”) is then tethered to the Cosmos Hub, which maintains a record of the state of each zone and vice versa. 

The Cosmos Hub, a proof-of-stake blockchain, is powered by its native ATOM cryptocurrency.