The Interchain vision has always centered on interoperability and sovereignty – but true sovereignty is strongest when it’s collaborative. That’s why Atom Accelerator DAO (AADAO) is excited to spotlight its grant to OGP, supporting the development of Mesh Security – a new approach to economic alignment and security coordination across appchains on the Cosmos Hub.
This initiative unlocks new forms of mutual security and value-sharing between chains, fostering collaboration without centralized control or rigid one-size-fits-all models, while also boosting user incentives through staking opportunities. By backing Mesh Security, AADAO has invested in a more interconnected, resilient, and aligned interchain future.
About Mesh Security
At its core, Mesh Security is a protocol that enables a form of cross-chain staking, where token holders can stake their assets across multiple appchains and earn rewards from each, while simultaneously contributing to the security of those networks.
What distinguishes Mesh Security is its decentralized validator model: unlike Replicated Security or Opt-in Security, Mesh Security does not require consumer chains to forfeit validator sovereignty. Instead of relying on external validators, users from the provider chain delegate to validators already part of the consumer chain’s set. Each chain maintains its own validator set while participating in a larger mesh of economic coordination. This makes it especially attractive for established chains that want deeper interchain ties without compromising independence.
To support this development, AADAO awarded a $65,000 grant to the OGP (Osmosis Grants Program) team in November 2024. This grant helped drive implementation of key components of Mesh Security, including cross-staking logic, validator coordination, UI/UX design, and slashing mechanisms for misbehavior.
Strengthening the Cosmos Hub Through Mesh Coordination
Mesh Security aligns with AADAO’s mission to grow the Cosmos Hub’s long-term utility and strategic role across the interchain. Here’s how this work strengthens the Hub’s position:
- Deepens interchain ties: By enabling mutual security between appchains, Mesh Security increases the surface area for collaboration, where Cosmos Hub can be both a participant and beneficiary of shared security arrangements.
- Supports sovereignty with security: Chains don’t need to sacrifice autonomy to benefit from shared economic alignment. This aligns with the Interchain’s ethos of independent but connected zones.
- Opens new staking pathways: Cross-chain staking introduces new utility for stakers, potentially increasing ATOM’s appeal as a capital asset in a broader security mesh.
Rather than replacing existing models like Replicated Security, Mesh Security offers a complementary framework, one that extends Cosmos Hub’s original vision with more nuanced, customizable options for coordination.
A Network Grows Stronger Together
The challenges Mesh Security aims to tackle – validator coordination, slashing logic, UI/UX complexity, and the risks of multichain token exposure – are nontrivial. But solving them unlocks powerful benefits: shared growth, economic interdependence, and collective resilience.
With the support of this grant, OGP was equipped to take Mesh Security from concept to real implementation. This work won’t just benefit a single chain, it lays the groundwork for a stronger, more aligned Interchain ecosystem, where chains actively reinforce one another’s success.
About the Atom Accelerator DAO
Atom Accelerator DAO (AADAO) is a governance-mandated DAO of the Cosmos Hub. We have been formed and mandated to drive value for the Cosmos Hub and ATOM, supporting initiatives that either directly create economic impact or produce value that can drive its growth. From this, our current primary mandates are public grants and venture grants.
*Note: Starting January 1st 2025, AADAO has been sunset and is in maintenance mode, no longer accepting new grant applications.
In 2023, we deployed $3.8 million in grants to 39 recipients – resulting in, among other things – a $22m USD airdrop to the Community Pool, an AEZ Accelerator program to expand the AEZ, a successful hackathon with 42 project submissions bringing innovations to the AEZ – and many other key initiatives. Read about them in our 2023 Impact Report.
