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The Internet of Blockchains is a vision of independent blockchains communicating and exchanging data or value. It is not one blockchain. In the Cosmos ecosystem, this connected network is often called the interchain, and the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol is designed to carry information and tokens between participating chains.
What does “Internet of Blockchains” mean?
The phrase describes an architecture: multiple blockchains retain their own applications and operations while using communication protocols to interact. Cosmos’s original whitepaper calls the independent networks “zones” and describes them communicating through IBC. The Interchain Foundation uses “interchain” for a broader ecosystem of interconnected blockchain apps and services.
In short, think of it as a network of networks, not a single shared blockchain. A connected chain does not automatically adopt another chain’s consensus system, governance, or security arrangements.
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IBC stands for Inter-Blockchain Communication. In the Cosmos context, it is an open-source protocol for authenticating and transporting data between blockchains; it can support exchanges of data, messages, and tokens. The EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum describes IBC as a specification for transferring data between arbitrary state machines, with transport and application layers.
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That makes IBC a communication protocol and specification, not a blockchain itself. The Cosmos whitepaper compares it to “a kind of virtual UDP or TCP for blockchains.” The analogy helps convey its role in moving information, but IBC is not part of the Internet’s networking stack.
How the idea works in practice
- Separate chains keep operating. Each blockchain maintains its own application and state rather than becoming a shard of one universal chain.
- A communication protocol connects participants. Chains that support the relevant protocol can authenticate and transport information between them.
- Applications use the connection. Depending on the implementation, information exchanged may include data, messages, or tokens.
This model can let distinct blockchain systems coordinate without requiring them all to use one chain. But only chains that implement compatible communication mechanisms can participate; the phrase does not mean every blockchain is connected.
What it does not mean
- It is not a specific blockchain. “Internet of Blockchains” names a vision, while Cosmos is a prominent ecosystem associated with it.
- It is not universal connectivity. No claim follows that every blockchain can communicate with every other one.
- It does not merge chains’ security or governance. Independent chains can retain distinct operating and decision-making arrangements.
- It does not make cross-chain activity risk-free. The concept and protocol descriptions do not amount to a guarantee against transfer failures or other risks.
Why use the term “interchain”?
The Interchain Foundation describes its ecosystem with the phrase “the interchain is the internet of blockchains.” In this usage, “interchain” refers to an expanding ecosystem of connected blockchain applications and services, while “Internet of Blockchains” expresses the broader network vision. Cosmos’s IBC material likewise uses the phrase “Creating interoperability on the Internet of Blockchains.”
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Sources
- Cosmos whitepaper — the original network architecture and IBC analogy.
- Interchain Foundation — current framing of the interchain ecosystem.
- Cosmos IBC overview — IBC’s role and the types of information it can carry.
- EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum report (2023) — technical description of IBC as a data-transfer specification.
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