Cosmos
ATOM- Network:
Mainnet
• - Chain ID:
cosmoshub-4
• - Current Node Version:
v27.0.0
Overview
Cosmos is an ecosystem of interoperable, application-specific blockchains designed to create an “Internet of Blockchains.” Instead of relying on a single monolithic chain where all applications share the same execution environment, Cosmos enables independent blockchains to communicate and exchange value through standard protocols. The Cosmos Hub, secured by the ATOM token, acts as a key routing and coordination center within this network.
Cosmos separates core blockchain functions into modular components: consensus, networking, and application logic. Using the Cosmos SDK and CometBFT (formerly Tendermint), developers can build sovereign chains that define their own state machines, tokens, and governance rules, while still remaining connected to the wider ecosystem. This “app-chain” model lets projects optimize their chains for specific use cases such as DeFi, gaming, infrastructure, or identity.
Interoperability in Cosmos is powered by the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol. IBC allows blockchains to securely send tokens, messages, and other data between each other without relying on centralized bridges. This creates a composable environment where applications on different chains can integrate, share liquidity, and coordinate functionality.
Cosmos’ architecture leads to three major advantages:
- Interoperability – IBC enables secure, standardized communication and asset transfer across many independent chains.
- Sovereignty – Each chain controls its own governance, economics, and upgrades while still participating in the wider Cosmos ecosystem.
- Customization & scalability – The Cosmos SDK makes it easier to build specialized blockchains that scale horizontally by adding more chains instead of overloading a single one.
In summary, Cosmos provides a modular, interoperable framework for building and connecting sovereign blockchains, making decentralized networks more flexible, scalable, and collaborative.
Public Endpoints
| Type | Endpoint | Link |
|---|---|---|
| RPC | https://cosmos-mainnet-rpc.crouton.digital |  |
| API | https://cosmos-mainnet-api.crouton.digital | |
| gRPC | cosmos-mainnet-grpc.crouton.digital:14990 | |
| peer | [email protected]:14956 |
Hardware requirements
INFORecommended server specs for a Cosmos Hub validator: 16 GB RAM, 8 CPU cores, and at least 1 TB of SSD or NVMe storage.
Prepare
Update and install packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y && \ sudo apt install -y curl git wget jq make gcc clang tmux screen htop ncdu unzip tar lz4 bc build-essential pkg-config libssl-dev libleveldb-dev bsdmainutils fail2ban
Installing Go
VER="1.24.1" && \ cd $HOME && \ wget "https://golang.org/dl/go$VER.linux-amd64.tar.gz" && \ sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go && \ sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf "go$VER.linux-amd64.tar.gz" && \ rm "go$VER.linux-amd64.tar.gz" && \ mkdir -p $HOME/go/bin && \ grep -qxF 'export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin:$HOME/go/bin' $HOME/.bash_profile || echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin:$HOME/go/bin' >> $HOME/.bash_profile && \ source $HOME/.bash_profile && \ go version
Binary
Building from source
cd $HOME && \ rm -rf cosmos && \ git clone https://github.com/cosmos/gaia cosmos && \ cd cosmos && \ APP_VERSION="v27.0.0" && \ git checkout tags/$APP_VERSION -b $APP_VERSION && \ make install && \ gaiad version --long | grep -E 'version|commit' # version: v27.0.0 # commit: 1e00b6504897caaa4e4c5f64fdb78975f06470e1
Initialization
Initialize the node and create the default configuration files
gaiad init MONIKER --chain-id cosmoshub-4
WARNINGReplace MONIKER with your own validator name. This name will be used as your node’s identifier on the network.
Genesis
Download genesis
mkdir -p $HOME/.gaia/config && \ wget -O $HOME/.gaia/config/genesis.json https://storage.crouton.digital/mainnet/cosmos/files/genesis.json
Addrbook
Download addrbook
mkdir -p $HOME/.gaia/config && \ wget -O $HOME/.gaia/config/addrbook.json https://storage.crouton.digital/mainnet/cosmos/files/addrbook.json
Configuration
Set the minimum gas price in app.toml
sed -i.bak \ -e 's|^minimum-gas-prices *=.*|minimum-gas-prices = "0.001uatom"|' \ $HOME/.gaia/config/app.toml
Create a service file
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/gaiad.service > /dev/null <<EOF [Unit] Description=cosmos node After=network-online.target [Service] User=$USER WorkingDirectory=$HOME/.gaia ExecStart=$(which gaiad) start --home $HOME/.gaia Restart=on-failure RestartSec=5 LimitNOFILE=65535 [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target EOF
Start the node
sudo systemctl daemon-reload && \ sudo systemctl enable gaiad && \ sudo systemctl restart gaiad && \ sudo journalctl -u gaiad -f -o cat
Snapshot
| Block Height | Size | Indexer | Last Snapshot | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29824629 | 14G | null | 2026-02-17T16:18:12.347310641Z | |
Restore node from snapshot
sudo apt install -y lz4 && \ sudo systemctl stop gaiad && \ cp $HOME/.gaia/data/priv_validator_state.json $HOME/.gaia/priv_validator_state.json.backup && \ rm -rf $HOME/.gaia/data && \ curl -L https://storage.crouton.digital/mainnet/cosmos/snapshots/cosmos_latest.tar.lz4 | lz4 -dc - | tar -xf - -C $HOME/.gaia && \ mkdir -p $HOME/.gaia/data && \ mv $HOME/.gaia/priv_validator_state.json.backup $HOME/.gaia/data/priv_validator_state.json && \ sudo systemctl restart gaiad && \ sudo journalctl -u gaiad -f -o cat
Key management
Wallet management commands are provided below as examples. Replace wallet with your own wallet name before running them.
gaiad keys add wallet
PRO TIPAfter creating or importing your wallet, fund it with at least the minimum amount required by the network to create a validator. On Cosmos Hub, this is at least 1 ATOM for self-delegation plus transaction fees.
Validator management
gaiad tx staking create-validator \ --amount 1000000uatom \ --from wallet \ --commission-rate 0.1 \ --commission-max-rate 0.2 \ --commission-max-change-rate 0.01 \ --min-self-delegation 1 \ --pubkey $(gaiad tendermint show-validator) \ --moniker "MONIKER" \ --identity "TESTKEY123" \ --website "https://example.com" \ --details "Reliable validator for the network." \ --chain-id cosmoshub-4 \ --gas auto \ --gas-adjustment 1.5 \ --gas-prices 0.0025uatom \ -y
WARNINGReplace the example values with your own details. If the command fails or the transaction does not go through, try increasing the gas limit or the commission fee.
Validator commands
gaiad status 2>&1 | jq
WARNINGMake sure to replace wallet with the name of your wallet before running the command.
Governance
gaiad q gov proposals
WARNING"1" is only an example proposal ID, so replace it with the actual one. Available voting options are "yes" to approve, "no" to reject, "abstain" to abstain, and "no_with_veto" to reject with veto.
Onchain
gaiad tx distribution withdraw-rewards $(gaiad keys show wallet --bech val -a) --commission --from wallet --chain-id cosmoshub-4 --gas auto -y
gaiad tx staking delegate $(gaiad keys show wallet --bech val -a) 1000000uatom --from wallet --chain-id cosmoshub-4 --gas 300000 --fees 2000uatom -y
WARNINGThese commands contain example values. Be sure to replace them with your own validator address, wallet name, wallet address, and any other required details before running them.
Service operations
sudo journalctl -u gaiad -f -o cat
Manual upgrade
cd $HOME && \ rm -rf cosmos && \ git clone https://github.com/cosmos/gaia cosmos && \ cd cosmos && \ APP_VERSION=v27.0.0 && \ git checkout tags/$APP_VERSION -b $APP_VERSION && \ make install && \ sudo systemctl restart gaiad && \ sudo journalctl -u gaiad -f