The inter blockchain communication protocol (IBC) is a sets of standards that define how one blockchain can communicate with another blockchain. Before I explain IBC,I will cover in the most basic terms the following terms : blockchain, communication, a protocol in non technical terms

A blockchain is a form of distributed system(ledgers). when a change is initiated(transactions etc),such is validated,processed and stored in a ledger,this ledger is kept by everyone(nodes) in the network. This record is appended(chained) to a block of previous records, this appendage is what we call blockchain.

A block is a container that houses transactions initiated per certain time, depending on how many that specific blockchain agreed upon( block height), when that container(block) is full to capacity, validators will go to work and come to consensus on the validity of the transaction and then commit the record to previous records in a chain-like manner. Hence it’s called “Blockchain”. So the blockchain cannot be broken because to break it or roll it back, one has to start the process from the first record(genesis block) in that blockchain.

A blockchain can be built and customized for many different things, bitcoin for example is built to handle basic transactions(sending and receiving payment), Ethereum and other blockchains support much more than sending and receiving, they offer a scripting and execution environment for codes.

A blockchain can also be public, private and hybrid in design. So to recap,a blockchain is just like an excel spreadsheet that is updated by some stone cold rules and such spreadsheet is held by everyone(nodes),it can support scripting and code execution as well.

Communication refers to “all” processes of expressing intent from one party to another. It can be from person to person, it may be from machine to machine, it may be person to machine and vice versa.

For communication to be effective, it has to be according to some laid down protocols, a protocol in non technical realms refer to some set of standards and procedures that are generally accepted and agreed upon.

The IBC protocol defines the specification of data, data transmission and data authentication between two chains.

Each blockchain has its own consensus, state and set of validators etc,so for Blockchain A to communicate with Blockchain B, it must have some pre-determined conditions to allow such.

The IBC protocol consists of two broad layers : The transport layer and the application layer

What is sent pack and forth from one chain to another is data packets, the transport layer consists of light clients, connections, channels, ports and relayers.

A light(lite) client is the most minimalistic form of node running on a blockchain. It does not involve itself in the instant by instant “consensus and validation” of a blockchain.

The weight of validation and consensus falls on full nodes and consensus nodes, a light client only store the headers of blocks.

A header in the most simplest form is a ID of a block according to some timestamp.

In our description of block above, we can liken other kind of nodes as a store keeper while a light client as a store auditor.

The store keeper needs a space to keep his goods, he also keeps the ID of all the goods in his shop, the store auditor only needs a book or spreadsheet to keep records.

So having explained light clients, for blockchain A to communicate with blockchain B, A has to run a light client of B. He does not have to trust a bridge to know the state of B, he can do it himself by running a light client on B.

So whenever chain B initiates a communication to chain A, A can easily see any anomaly because they don’t have to rely on what A is telling them, they can see for themselves.

A channel is opened when a blockchain wishes to communicate with another blockchain. A channel defines “specific” data packets, each channel has its own channel ID and other parameters.

Anyone can run a relay, Relayers pick data packets and communicate them to destination chain for outputs.

Connections are end points on both blockchains, they are necessary for cross chain verification once channels are open. Connections are receive messages from more than one module.

The application layer refers to what set of data packets a chain can receive or send to another. To help with this layer, the interchain foundation has defined some standards. A standard is like that of ERCs in Ethereum. They define what is possible and how it can be used.

IBC current supports standards that help with fungible token transfer(ICS-20), Cross Chain Verification( here a larger chain can provide security to a less secure chain, this is the basis of replicated security), Interchain NFTs(this is currently in the works), Interchain Accounts(a standard that enables basic functions like swaps,voting etc to be executing on a chain while on another chain), Interchain Queries etc.

The security of the network is based on the design of security over liveness. So in the case of a misbehaviour,the receiving chain can pause or freeze an asset until the coast is clear. The misbehaving party can then be punished accordingly.

With IBC,the design thesis is trust the chain not some bridge.

Communication is as old as man, whether it be written or oral, be it symbols or signs. Communication is the way we reach to others to get things done.

IBC enables interoperability between blockchains which further brings composability.

The need for scalability, security and decentralization has pushed the crypto world to many solutions today, currently, there are over 200 blockchains, all living in their own silo and bubble.

Before us, the future of blockchains is modular and multi-chain.

Dapps building on Ethereum enjoy out of the box composabiltiy between one another but how about interoperating with dapps on other chains, at best all we have today is bridges, they can only transfer assets from one chain to another. By far the IBC protocol is one of the most advanced interoperabibility protocol out there.

IBC is to blockchains ,what TCP/IP is to the internet.

The IBC protocol has enabled over $178b of assets since inception 2 years ago, over 274 appchains so far and lots more.

Cosmos Hub : This is the most simplest implementation of IBC. It connects appchains built with the cosmos SDK with each other and the main cosmos network.

IBC transactions for the last 30 days( MapofZones)

• Babylon chain : Babylon chain aims to strengthen the security of IBC appchains by using bitcoin timestamping. This will be made possible by connecting Bitcoin to these appchains via IBC.

• Electron Labs and Polymer : Both teams are working on connecting Ethereum and other EVM networks through IBC.

• Centauri bridge : Created by the Composable Finance team, this will connect the cosmsos network and the DOTSAMA networks

• Landslide network : Currently building a subnet that will connect the cosmos network to AVAX

• Penumbra : They showed how possible it is to connect non cosmos SDK chains via IBC, lots of works here.

• Nomic BTC : Through IBC,it will offer a safe bridge to get BTC to IBC chains

• Inter rollup communication : Rollups undeniably are gaining momentum as a scaling solution. IBC will help rollups communication. Saga, Eclipse,Celestia and Dymension are doing a lots of works on this front.

With lots more upgrades to come for IBC,we expect more adoption and greater development.

This article was originally published in my medium blog

The inter blockchain communication protocol (IBC) is a sets of standards that define how one blockchain can communicate with another blockchain. Before I explain IBC,I will cover in the most basic terms the following terms : blockchain, communication, a protocol in non technical terms

A blockchain is a form of distributed system(ledgers). when a change is initiated(transactions etc),such is validated,processed and stored in a ledger,this ledger is kept by everyone(nodes) in the network. This record is appended(chained) to a block of previous records, this appendage is what we call blockchain.

A block is a container that houses transactions initiated per certain time, depending on how many that specific blockchain agreed upon( block height), when that container(block) is full to capacity, validators will go to work and come to consensus on the validity of the transaction and then commit the record to previous records in a chain-like manner. Hence it’s called “Blockchain”. So the blockchain cannot be broken because to break it or roll it back, one has to start the process from the first record(genesis block) in that blockchain.

A blockchain can be built and customized for many different things, bitcoin for example is built to handle basic transactions(sending and receiving payment), Ethereum and other blockchains support much more than sending and receiving, they offer a scripting and execution environment for codes.

A blockchain can also be public, private and hybrid in design. So to recap,a blockchain is just like an excel spreadsheet that is updated by some stone cold rules and such spreadsheet is held by everyone(nodes),it can support scripting and code execution as well.

Communication refers to “all” processes of expressing intent from one party to another. It can be from person to person, it may be from machine to machine, it may be person to machine and vice versa.

For communication to be effective, it has to be according to some laid down protocols, a protocol in non technical realms refer to some set of standards and procedures that are generally accepted and agreed upon.

The IBC protocol defines the specification of data, data transmission and data authentication between two chains.

Each blockchain has its own consensus, state and set of validators etc,so for Blockchain A to communicate with Blockchain B, it must have some pre-determined conditions to allow such.

The IBC protocol consists of two broad layers : The transport layer and the application layer

What is sent pack and forth from one chain to another is data packets, the transport layer consists of light clients, connections, channels, ports and relayers.

A light(lite) client is the most minimalistic form of node running on a blockchain. It does not involve itself in the instant by instant “consensus and validation” of a blockchain.

The weight of validation and consensus falls on full nodes and consensus nodes, a light client only store the headers of blocks.

A header in the most simplest form is a ID of a block according to some timestamp.

In our description of block above, we can liken other kind of nodes as a store keeper while a light client as a store auditor.

The store keeper needs a space to keep his goods, he also keeps the ID of all the goods in his shop, the store auditor only needs a book or spreadsheet to keep records.

So having explained light clients, for blockchain A to communicate with blockchain B, A has to run a light client of B. He does not have to trust a bridge to know the state of B, he can do it himself by running a light client on B.

So whenever chain B initiates a communication to chain A, A can easily see any anomaly because they don’t have to rely on what A is telling them, they can see for themselves.

A channel is opened when a blockchain wishes to communicate with another blockchain. A channel defines “specific” data packets, each channel has its own channel ID and other parameters.

Anyone can run a relay, Relayers pick data packets and communicate them to destination chain for outputs.

Connections are end points on both blockchains, they are necessary for cross chain verification once channels are open. Connections are receive messages from more than one module.

The application layer refers to what set of data packets a chain can receive or send to another. To help with this layer, the interchain foundation has defined some standards. A standard is like that of ERCs in Ethereum. They define what is possible and how it can be used.

IBC current supports standards that help with fungible token transfer(ICS-20), Cross Chain Verification( here a larger chain can provide security to a less secure chain, this is the basis of replicated security), Interchain NFTs(this is currently in the works), Interchain Accounts(a standard that enables basic functions like swaps,voting etc to be executing on a chain while on another chain), Interchain Queries etc.

The security of the network is based on the design of security over liveness. So in the case of a misbehaviour,the receiving chain can pause or freeze an asset until the coast is clear. The misbehaving party can then be punished accordingly.

With IBC,the design thesis is trust the chain not some bridge.

Communication is as old as man, whether it be written or oral, be it symbols or signs. Communication is the way we reach to others to get things done.

IBC enables interoperability between blockchains which further brings composability.

The need for scalability, security and decentralization has pushed the crypto world to many solutions today, currently, there are over 200 blockchains, all living in their own silo and bubble.

Before us, the future of blockchains is modular and multi-chain.

Dapps building on Ethereum enjoy out of the box composabiltiy between one another but how about interoperating with dapps on other chains, at best all we have today is bridges, they can only transfer assets from one chain to another. By far the IBC protocol is one of the most advanced interoperabibility protocol out there.

IBC is to blockchains ,what TCP/IP is to the internet.

The IBC protocol has enabled over $178b of assets since inception 2 years ago, over 274 appchains so far and lots more.

Cosmos Hub : This is the most simplest implementation of IBC. It connects appchains built with the cosmos SDK with each other and the main cosmos network.

IBC transactions for the last 30 days( MapofZones)

• Babylon chain : Babylon chain aims to strengthen the security of IBC appchains by using bitcoin timestamping. This will be made possible by connecting Bitcoin to these appchains via IBC.

• Electron Labs and Polymer : Both teams are working on connecting Ethereum and other EVM networks through IBC.

• Centauri bridge : Created by the Composable Finance team, this will connect the cosmsos network and the DOTSAMA networks

• Landslide network : Currently building a subnet that will connect the cosmos network to AVAX

• Penumbra : They showed how possible it is to connect non cosmos SDK chains via IBC, lots of works here.

• Nomic BTC : Through IBC,it will offer a safe bridge to get BTC to IBC chains

• Inter rollup communication : Rollups undeniably are gaining momentum as a scaling solution. IBC will help rollups communication. Saga, Eclipse,Celestia and Dymension are doing a lots of works on this front.

With lots more upgrades to come for IBC,we expect more adoption and greater development.

This article was originally published in my medium blog