Cosmos

Cosmos is a network ecosystem in which independent blockchains with their own rules can communicate with one another. In this ecosystem, chains are developed with the Cosmos SDK, use the CometBFT (formerly Tendermint) consensus engine and exchange messages across chains through the IBC protocol. ATOM is the native coin of the Cosmos Hub, the first chain in the ecosystem.

The Cosmos Hub runs on proof of stake: ATOM holders take part in securing the network by delegating their coins to validators and receive staking rewards; when undelegating, the coins remain in a waiting period for some time. ATOM is used for transaction fees on the Hub and as a voting instrument for on-chain governance proposals. Through a structure called Interchain Security, the Hub can share the security of its validator set with other chains. Many projects, such as dYdX, Osmosis and Celestia, use Cosmos SDK technology; however, these chains do not need to use ATOM.

The ATOM price can be influenced by governance decisions on the Cosmos Hub's role in the ecosystem, token inflation and the staking ratio, the trend in IBC usage and competition with other interoperability solutions. The ATOM page on Lzzo.com converts the price from ATOM/USDT trading on Binance into dollars at Coinbase Exchange's USDT/USD rate; the chart follows this dollar-based series.