THE PROTOCOL: Leadership Turmoil Hits Cosmos, ENS and Unstoppable Domains Fuel Tech Ownership Debate and More

Cosmos faces internal leadership challenges, with its founder advocating for a 'hard fork.' Concurrently, the Ethereum Name Service founder contemplates challenging Unstoppable Domains in light of its recently approved patent. Meanwhile, concerns arise about a potential Blast 'backlash,' leaving investors unsettled by recent developments in the crypto landscape.

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In this installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk,  explore the following stories:

• Cosmos - Cosmos' founder Jae Kwon favors splitting the blockchain into two

Cosmos Hub is an intermediary among all independent blockchains created within the Cosmos network. ATOM powers the Cosmos ecosystem of blockchains programmed to scale and interoperate with each other.

• Ethereum Name Service (ENS), in an intellectual-property dispute with rival Unstoppable Domains.

ENS Founder Nick Johnson told CoinDesk he’s unhappy with Unstoppable Domains's patenting of work that he claims he produced and published earlier.

PROTOCOL VILLAGE SEGMENT  

• BLAST 

The idea of a yield-paying layer-2 blockchain atop Ethereum has demonstrated market allure. However, even the project's biggest investor has taken issue with the execution and marketing surrounding the initial rollout.

• And something hot off the presses - CELO 

With hot competition between layer-2 technology providers like Optimism, Polygon, and Matter Labs, Celo's choice is being closely watched by the blockchain industry.

EPISODE LINKS |  

Cosmos Founder Calls for Chain Split; ATOM Down 3%

'We Are Prepared to Go to the Mat:' ENS Founder on Patent Dispute With Unstoppable

Celo Developer Proposes Mid-January Timeline for Evaluating Closely Watched Layer-2 Move

Blast's One-Week, $600M Haul Shows Promise of Yield, Pitfalls of Hype

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