Proposal: Migrate Stargaze, Its Applications, and Collections to the Cosmos Hub

Summary

This proposal requests $1.375M in milestone and quarterly disbursements, along with $125k [ATOM] in bonus incentives, from the Cosmos Hub Community Pool to support the migration to and continued development of Stargaze, its applications, and its NFT collections on the Cosmos Hub. As part of this transition, Stargaze will actively market its products alongside the Cosmos Hub through coordinated campaigns, creator/collector outreach, cross-ecosystem storytelling, and consistent visibility across social platforms and partnerships. Stargaze will also expand its business development efforts by onboarding new creators, developers, collaborating with emerging projects on the Hub, and driving integrations that showcase the Hub’s capabilities.

The goal is to ensure ongoing development, strengthen creator support, accelerate ecosystem adoption, and deepen alignment with the Hub’s growing network of applications and new B2B clients.

The proposal will be posted on-chain in one week.


Motivation

Both Stargaze and Cosmos are at a turning point.

When Stargaze launched in 2021, a dedicated chain was necessary to build permissionless NFT infrastructure.In 2025, the Cosmos Hub now supports permissionless CosmWasm, creating an opportunity to unify instead of fragment the ecosystem.

Maintaining a standalone chain introduces additional operational costs for limited benefit.
The Hub offers a natural next step, build within Cosmos, not beside it.

This proposal ensures that Cosmos’ culture, identity, and creator economy continue to grow on the Hub rather than disperse elsewhere.


Background

Since its inception, Stargaze has served as Cosmos’ primary hub for NFTs and onchain creativity, powering the marketplace, launchpad, and name service used across the ecosystem.

Over the past four years, Stargaze has:

  • Facilitated $60M in NFT sales

  • Launched 3,800+ collections

  • Hosted iconic projects like Bad Kids, Celestine Sloths, and Mad Scientists

  • Onboarded thousands of creators and collectors

  • Built tools used by Cosmos projects for names, auctions, and mints

  • Pioneered Interchain NFT transfers (ICS-721)

For many, their first NFT experience began on Stargaze. This migration ensures that future creators and collectors remain part of the Cosmos Hub experience.


Proposal Details

Objective

To migrate Stargaze’s core applications and collections to the Cosmos Hub, consolidating infrastructure while expanding Cosmos’ cultural and transactional footprint.

Scope of Migration

Applications: Marketplace, Launchpad, Name Service, Stargaze Studio
Collections: Migration of all NFTs to the Hub
Community: All future collection launches to occur on the Hub. Stargaze NFTs are widely used as profile pictures and cultural identifiers across the Cosmos community and beyond.

Applications will start migrating within 3 months of the approval of this proposal.


Why It Makes Sense for the Cosmos Hub

The Cosmos Hub gains an established, user-facing application suite that drives real transaction flow and engagement.

Immediate outcomes:

  • A flagship consumer app increasing onchain ATOM usage

  • A creator and distribution network for Cosmos-native projects

  • Instant NFT liquidity on the Hub

  • A working example of what can be built with permissionless CosmWasm

  • High user-driven onchain activity (an average of 130,000 NFT-related transactions per month on Stargaze over the past six months, 16% higher than the Hub’s monthly total).

Stargaze’s ecosystem is one of the most developed in Cosmos, with over 50 integrated services spanning applications, galleries, games, and analytics. Notable integrations include Public Works (generative art), Pegasus (peer-to-peer trading), Badges (POAPs), and Fractal.fun (NFT fractionalization), and Loans and Raffles. These integrations form a robust onchain network of projects already built around Stargaze.

This migration brings real utility and visibility to ATOM.


Why It Makes Sense for Stargaze

Stargaze was built for Cosmos. As one of the first CosmWasm chains, it both benefited from and contributed to IBC and the core Cosmos value of interoperability. In that same spirit, Stargaze became a home for many Cosmos chains to express and preserve their culture onchain. Moving to the Cosmos Hub is the most natural next step, the best fit for our technology, and the best home for our communities. Bad Kids and Mad Scientists have shown their support when reviewing this proposal, as well as many other creators and community members.

Key benefits:

  • ATOM becomes the default minting and trading token for new collections

  • Deep integration with Cosmos-native assets: ATOM, OSMO, TIA, AKT, BTC, OM

  • Continued support for Cosmos-themed collections like Bad Kids, Women from Cosmos, Mad Scientists, and Expedition


Beyond Migration: Growth and Development

The Stargaze team has reliably shipped products throughout a protracted Cosmos ecosystem downturn since 2021. Our primary objective in this agreement is to expand product development and ecosystem growth. At this stage, we view consolidation as the best option within the ecosystem. We intend to lead by example when it comes to dedicated product development on the Cosmos Hub with a retail focus that will be complementary to enterprise-focused activities from Cosmos Labs.

The migration of the core Stargaze suite is the first milestone in the long-term development of new products on the Cosmos Hub from an experienced and dedicated team. Focus areas for growth and development in 2026 and 2027 include:

  • New features and UX improvements on Stargaze Marketplace, Stargaze Launchpad, and Stargaze Creator Studio following migration.

  • Progressive rollout of new retail-facing applications, including creator tools, simplified trading interfaces, and automated launch mechanisms to expand active participation on the Hub.

  • Expanding web3 native marketshare for the Cosmos Hub via onboarding and new products that integrate ATOM utility in multichain deployments.

  • New NFT primitives and minting frameworks, including dynamic NFTs, vault NFTs, soulbound credentials, on-chain generative engines, and a novel fairmint structure.

  • Outreach to non-web3 brands and partners to launch NFT collections and related products on the Cosmos Hub with white-glove launch services.

  • Expansion of Cosmos-native NFT verticals, such as gaming integrations and RWA tokenization.

  • Support for third-party teams deploying on the Hub and NFT collection integrations.

With this migration, the Stargaze team commits to continuous product development on the Cosmos Hub and to driving meaningful growth for its consumer ecosystem.

EDIT - 11/24/2025

Stargaze had a productive meeting with Cosmos Labs today to outline future growth plans for both Stargaze and the Cosmos Hub.

RWA expansion on the Cosmos Hub:

Stargaze has always believed NFTs are more than JPEGs. Much of the industry’s next wave of growth is expected to come from increasing RWA adoption. Real estate NFTs have grown 32 percent year over year, and phygital collectibles like trading cards are also gaining momentum. With Cosmos Labs focused on institutional adoption, Stargaze is well-positioned to build client-specific RWA products. After collaborating with Noble to create an RWA minter, Stargaze will expand on that foundation with Cosmos Labs’ support to develop additional RWA offerings on the Cosmos Hub. The most challenging aspects of RWA development are sourcing business relationships and maintaining legal compliance. With Cosmos Labs assisting in both partnership sourcing and compliance, Stargaze will be able to deliver functional products within two quarters of a signed deal.

Growth outside the crypto bubble:

Stargaze will expand its social media strategy beyond X, Discord, and Web3-focused channels to place more emphasis on platforms with broader reach, including TikTok, Instagram, Threads, YouTube (shorts), and Reddit. The goal is to increase visibility, reach mainstream audiences, and create new entry points into the Stargaze and Cosmos ecosystem. Stargaze will produce content for non-Web3 users and support creators with platform guidance and amplification of strong content.

Clarity on funding:

Stargaze will not benefit from any increase in the price of ATOM. The proposal is denominated in USDC, and the maximum Stargaze can receive is 1.375 million USDC plus the activity bonus in ATOM. If the value of ATOM rises, any excess beyond the approved USDC amount will be returned to the community pool, together with any unused portion of the spread percentage.

Stargaze looks forward to collaborating with Cosmos Labs to support future growth on the Hub.


Marketing and Cultural Value

Stargaze already serves as Cosmos’ cultural front door, where users mint, collect, and explore. Creators and projects utilize NFT launches not just to build brands that transcend ecosystems as well as fund app development and experimentation. This redeployment makes that role native to the Hub.

This redeployment ensures that Cosmos’ flagship collections such as Bad Kids, Sloths, Mad Scientists, Babu, and Expedition remain Hub-native while enabling new cross-chain collaborations, event campaigns, and creator programs that strengthen the Hub’s visibility and network effect.

Interoperability and sovereignty are core strengths of Cosmos, and some multi-chain activity is both natural and healthy as it brings new users into the Hub’s orbit. For example, several protocol-aligned collections have the majority of their trading on Stargaze but can be moved to other chains for quests or dApp activity. On the Hub, we will continue to support other chains and projects that engage in IBC experiments so long as there is a clear benefit at some stage, such as minting or trading on the Hub.

Stargaze will anchor core activity and development on the Hub. It may also selectively deploy apps on other networks where there is a clear benefit to the core Hub deployment. A multichain presence strengthens Stargaze and Cosmos by reaching new audiences while still bringing value back to the Hub through bridged-in users, IBC-driven activity, as well as cultural and economic alignment.

In all cases, our objective is to build economic opportunities and grow the userbase on the Cosmos Hub. We are dedicated to contributing to a rewarding, vibrant and fun ecosystem.**
Funding Plan**

Total Request: $1,375,000 USDC + 125,000 activity incentive bonus
Structure: Milestone-based tranches with quarterly distributions and an end-of-year activity incentive bonus


Milestone Description Amount (USDC)
1 1st dispersement - Initial setup and technical planning 100,000
2 2nd dispersement - Launchpad and Studio migration 100,000
3 3rd dispersement - Marketplace migration 100,000
4 4th dispersement - Name Service migration 75,000
5 5th dispersement - NFT collection migration 100,000 (all collections)
6 Strategic Migration Commitment - Following first app deployment 75,000 per month for one year, distributed quarterly

Total 1,375,000

Activity incentive bonus:

$125,000 in ATOM will be set aside as activity incentives, defined as transaction fees generated to the hub that will be paid at the end of the year.

Fund Management:

A multisig composed of Hub community representatives and Stargaze contributors will oversee milestones and disbursements. A 25% buffer will account for price fluctuations and slippage. Any unused funds will be returned to the community pool.

If Migration Commitment payments are paused or not released as outlined, Stargaze retains the option to safeguard its community and commitments; obligations in this agreement are considered void. Likewise, if Stargaze does not meet its agreed obligations regarding application deployment, collection migration, or ongoing support, the Cosmos Hub may pause future payments to ensure responsible stewardship of community resources.

Multisig:

cosmos1vdqfavw0cu0fpvlcl52ku3qztt38szktlpfsuz

Ruwan [Stargaze] - cosmos1gd4xlwv34t0chqtcftnc49x2pc7atlculm58v5
Cortlandt [Bad Kids] - cosmos1cr5zjgn2zz5sc7u9d0q76kjw9lx6mgrxr5hnh6
Zerk [Mad Scientists] - cosmos1pwha5a3hr55wmmur2d4fm0p8rf7q62wn2rvzw8
Polkachu [Cosmos Hub Validator] - cosmos1jfm85muxzrlv4an9yf0gu30yknv6zk7tyu7l9e
Quasar Validator [Cosmos Hub Validator] - cosmos1wye9d3usnfka7ww04lru9wghmgvz3gt9hn2k09


Token Policy

This proposal is not an acquisition of $STARS.
The token will migrate as the Culture/Fun Token within the Hub.

Instead:

  • Inflation ends permanently

  • $STARS continues as a transaction and minting token

  • Integrated with the Superstars loyalty program


ATOM Integration

ATOM becomes the primary token for minting, trading, and creator actions on Stargaze after migration.

  • Default minting and trading token for all new collections

  • Used for gas, bids, and trades

  • Expands ATOM’s real economic utility

  • Expands ATOM’s real economic utility through creator and user activity. Increases transaction volume on the Hub by a minimum of 16%


Outcomes

If the Proposal Passes:

  • Migration begins within 3 months

  • All apps, collections, and users become Hub-native

  • Cosmos Hub gains a self-sustaining cultural and transactional ecosystem

  • The Stargaze chain is gradually sunset

If the Proposal Fails:

  • Stargaze will migrate to another chain in 2026

  • The Cosmos Hub loses its existing creator and cultural base


Conclusion

By supporting this migration, the Cosmos Hub strengthens its position as the execution and cultural layer for the Interchain.

Stargaze brings active users, transactions, and consumer applications that extend ATOM’s utility beyond staking and governance.

Together, the Hub and Stargaze can ensure that Cosmos remains the home where interchain culture and onchain activity meet, all secured by ATOM.

11 Likes

I find this proposal reasonable. The $1.5M request is modest compared to the cost of building an NFT platform from scratch AND catch up with where Stargaze is now — with no users, no existing successful collections, no volume. It would need a shit ton of incentives to support and acquire users, creators..

In this case, Stargaze already brings existing collections, communities, and proven tools. It is true that trading volume has dropped in the recent 6–12 months — mainly due to uncertainty around Stargaze and the Cosmos ecosystem as a whole. This migration could help restore confidence and reignite on-chain activity around the Hub.

7 Likes

Are these included in the scope of the proposal?

I’m a huge Stargaze fan and user, just curious if the funding includes continued development and features.

2 Likes

Hello everyone…

Since we are a validator on both networks, I’d like some clarity…

What will happen to STARS token holders? Will they simply be ripped off?

1 Like

Yes, if the proposal passes there will be continued development of Stargaze.

1 Like

$STARS will migrate to the Cosmos Hub.

1 Like

I support the idea of bringing Stargaze under the Cosmos Hub umbrella, but the requested $1.5M is excessive for what’s essentially a CosmWasm migration and some frontend integrations.

The technical scope doesn’t justify that amount . Stargaze already has mature infrastructure, and the Hub shouldn’t overpay for maintenance or marketing.

A more reasonable and defensible figure would be around $300k, milestone-based, tied strictly to tangible deliverables (infrastructure setup, contract migration, and user data transfer). Anything beyond that would be inefficient use of the community pool.

3 Likes

Hello!

If SG will migrate to cosmos hub , will all Stargaze NFT collection holders have to manually transfer their collections to another blockchain, or will this happen automatically for everyone?

I have a question, why NFT Collection migration is 500,000 USDC ?

I totaly for this proposal, just I’m sure, that it can be done cheaper

It means, that we are ready to migrate NFT Collections for 300K easily

So, can we make a tender for this proposal ?

3 Likes

Stargaze is a real product, with real users.

Stargaze can be explained meaningfully.

$1.5 million is a steal for ATOM holders.

8 Likes

These are milestones to ensure performance, not the cost of performance (I think?).

I hope some of the funds are used by the Stargaze team to buy and lock $STARS tokens. That would greatly boost morale and jumpstart the massive, sleeping engine that is Stargaze. I don’t know what the funds will actually be used for (probably to pay salaries and stuff for the team members)… but if some of the funds are set aside to kickstart the STARS token and breath new life into the token, it would be a wise.

Morale is at an all time low. A tiny boost of morale could save the entire ecosystem.

1 Like

After carefully reviewing the proposal, I would like to share some reservations regarding the requested funding level. The total budget, around $1.5M, feels high relative to the technical scope currently presented. Even considering the code migration, integration work, and accompanying support, it is difficult to assess the justification for such a cost without additional detail.

Additionally, certain parts of the proposal suggest that Stargaze may choose to deploy elsewhere if funding is not provided. While this may be understandable from a strategic standpoint, the way it is conveyed can give the impression of implicit pressure, which does not create the most constructive environment for a partnership with the Hub community.

Unless there are particularly ambitious or differentiated features planned in the medium-term roadmap and clearly communicated, it remains unclear why the Hub community should commit to such a significant financial outlay.

More broadly, I am not opposed to funding delivered in phases tied to concrete deliverables. This can be a healthy approach. However, such a structure would require clear timelines, well-defined milestones, and ideally a clawback mechanism in case of disputes, delays, or unmet deliverables. These safeguards are important to ensure accountability and protect the community’s resources.

That said, I remain open to the discussion and to the idea of a collaboration, but within a more balanced framework. A substantial reduction in the budget, on the order of 50% would make the proposal more coherent and more acceptable, while still recognizing the work of the Stargaze team.

As it stands, I cannot support the proposal in its current form, but I would be open to a revised version that is more detailed and better aligned with the expectations and constraints of the community.

4 Likes

Hi,

The proposal goes in favor of Stargaze

  • Getting funding to relocate into a new home to survive
  • Don’t affect the economy of $STARS - even provide benefits to it

For the Cosmos Hub, it seems there is direct costs

  • The requested amount (have to be paid in $ATOM)
  • Metrics are quite impossible to know in advance, will it would bring any value to $ATOM? Will users use it? The current activity seems pretty low, why would it change?

In our sense, Stargaze should have taken the last few months since the first proposal to already prepare the migration and be close to it.
From our point of view, it seems like Stargaze is just sitting on a position that their product is inevitable and profitable for the Hub. In reality, after two proposals requesting a funding, it seems more that Stargaze is in position of collapse.

We validate both networks and like the product, but it seems unreasonable with the current position of the Cosmos Hub to accept such terms.

Hopefully the migration is starting outside of the proposal. Otherwise, it doesn’t feel to be in the current scopes of the new roadmap/vision of the Hub.

2 Likes

It would be a lock —> snapshot –> claim method. Where the NFTs are locked and snapshoted on Stargaze and claimed on the Hub.

2 Likes

$200k to migrate a name service is diabolical.

4 Likes

Possible to let an already IBC enabled collection opt out of this part?

What about ALREDY IBC transferred NFTs? Will this not create a duplicate or missing token on other networks if they’re not on Stargaze at the time?

Totally agree! We need to up the moral of whole ecosystem

Just we have a team of developers, who are ready to do the same for the lower price

3 Likes

If the proposal passes, STARS inflation will eventually end, reducing sell pressure. If the proposal fails, Stargaze will continue to flourish in a new home.

Stargaze already has an active and engaged community. Volume dipped mid-year due to uncertainty about its future, but with clarity ahead, I’m confident activity will rise. Even during this slower period, Stargaze apps have averaged 130,000 transactions per month over the last six months. This would contribute more than 16 percent additional transaction volume to the Cosmos blockchain and increase ATOM utility.

Migrating would also provide wider distribution and lower onboarding friction. The migration will proceed only if the proposal passes.

To clarify, the $1.5M request already represents about a 90% reduction from the original ask made earlier this year. Stargaze is not a concept-stage project; it’s a fully developed, feature-rich product with a live marketplace, launchpad, name service, and thousands of active users. This isn’t something new and untested it exists, works well, and has a seasoned team supporting it.

We’ve also outlined new features: NFT Vaults, Names Marketplace, Collection Chat, and Creator Tools

The tone regarding alternative deployment options wasn’t intended as pressure, simply transparency about our operational timeline. We remain committed to collaboration with the Hub and to full accountability through milestone-based disbursements as mentioned in the proposal.

2 Likes

The migration would be mandatory for all projects on Stargaze. We can take snapshots of other chains to enable claiming.