Hassan Maishera
The Cosmos team announced via X on Wednesday that it has released Ledger Security 2026.1, bringing the first native post-quantum secure key option to the Cosmos stack. A Cosmos-based ledger can now move to a quantum-resistant architecture.
The new security capabilities in this release include:
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ML-DSA encryption for consensus and user-account keys
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Zero-downtime validator key rotation
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Native support for signing with keys in remote key management services (KMS) and hardware security modules (HSM)
These two enhancements bring FIPS 140-2/140-3-validated cryptographic modules to the validator, which is a requirement for FedRAMP-authorized and other US federal deployments.
Separately, operators subject to SOC 2, HIPAA, or GDPR can point to this validation as evidence when demonstrating their encryption controls.
Cosmos is a network connecting many independent distributed ledgers (e.g., Ethereum, Bitcoin) to achieve interoperability across blockchains.
In a nutshell, Cosmos bills itself as a project that solves some of the “hardest problems” facing the blockchain industry. It aims to offer an antidote to “slow, expensive, unscalable, and environmentally harmful” proof-of-work protocols, like those used by Bitcoin, by offering an ecosystem of connected blockchains.
The project’s other goals include making blockchain technology less complex and difficult for developers thanks to a modular framework that demystifies decentralized apps. Last but not least, an Interblockchain Communication protocol makes it easier for blockchain networks to communicate with each other — preventing fragmentation in the industry.
Cosmos’ origins date back to 2014, when Tendermint, a core contributor to the network, was founded. In 2016, Cosmos published a white paper — and held a token sale the following year. ATOM tokens are earned through a hybrid proof-of-stake algorithm, and they help to keep the Cosmos Hub, the project’s flagship blockchain, secure. This cryptocurrency also has a role in the network’s governance.
ATOM, the native token of Cosmos, is up 5.4% in the last 24 hours and is trading at $1.84 at press time.
