We know that Cosmos hub is all about sovereignty!!
Previously it was like this - if Cosmos hub would have gone down, other chains would not have had any problem continuing operating and processing value. But once we implement ICS 2.0, and Cosmos hub validators share their security to up and coming chains on Forge, would not that undermine the idea of sovereignty? Meaning, if Cosmos hub halts or goes down, what happens to Consumer Chains since they are all secured by same validator set
All the communications about the active set changes are done via relayers, so if Hub goes down, consumer chains would be stuck on the same validator set that was received from the Hub. Other than not having a validator set updating, it should be fine.
(If somebody has more technical knowledge on ICS internals, please correct me if I am wrong, but the approach should be this one.)
On behalf of the PRO Delegators’ team, I’d like to offer the validators’ perspective on this matter, ensuring we address your questions with precision.
Think of a blockchain as a “container” that runs a binary, essentially the code the chain operates on. Each validator maintains independent containers for every chain they validate. Some chains might even use multiple containers, operating side-car protocols like Slinky. This compartmentalization is at the heart of the Cosmos app-chain thesis. Everything within these “containers” is modular and interoperable with other containers, but they function independently. If one container experiences downtime—due to technical or software reasons—others continue operating unaffected. In the event of hardware failure, most validators have backup servers ready to deploy at other data centers. High-quality operators often rely on “bare metal” servers, meaning the hardware is dedicated solely to them, offering full control over management and reducing operational risks. Managing these resources falls under the responsibility of sysOps within the validator workforce, ensuring smooth operations, even when chain activity spikes.
Regarding your question on Interchain Security (ICS), it’s essential to understand that ICS enables consumer chains to send IBC slashing packets to the Cosmos Hub, which will then execute slashing on the native ATOMs staked on the Hub. In the unlikely event of a Cosmos Hub outage—less probable than a consumer chain outage due to the Hub’s larger validator set—any slashing packets sent from consumer chains would simply be delayed until the Hub is back online. This would not affect the operation of consumer chains, as the slashing would still be executed once the Hub resumes normal activity.
We hope these key elements of “compartmentalization” and “IBC-relayed slashing” provide the clarity you need. Together, they highlight the incredible resilience of the Cosmos Ecosystem with Interchain Security. This model does not rely on a single, massive chain with thousands of validators but rather on a decentralized, highly professional network of operators working within a distributed and interconnected system.
Thank you for reading,
Govmos
You guys are aqesome, i love your insights and work!
As i understood its the IBC transfer from CC’s that get affected. Thank you
Re-read this comment, made more sense now. Once again, thank you for this input 