A Sei Network developer proposed on Wednesday to deprecate the blockchain’s Cosmos support in an effort to eliminate “unnecessary” complexity for users. If the proposal succeeds, Sei users will only be able to send and receive transactions compatible with Ethereum. Removing Cosmos support will notably simplify the blockchain, reduce infrastructure overhead, and strengthen Sei’s position within the broader Ethereum ecosystem, said Philip Su, Sei Labs’ Engineering Lead, in the proposal. “This transition will lead to greater adoption, improved developer experience, and a more cohesive community, ” he added. This move occurs amid competition among blockchain infrastructure builders aiming to attract developers and expand their ecosystems. Ethereum-based infrastructure, running on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), powers the majority of decentralized finance (DeFi) apps. Ethereum and other major blockchains such as Coinbase’s Base and Binance-affiliated BNB Chain all utilize the EVM. However, alternatives exist. Solana employs its own software called the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM), while Cosmos has developed software known as CosmWasm. Currently, Sei supports both EVM and CosmWasm. “While this dual architecture has provided flexibility, it also introduces significant complexity and friction for both users and developers, ” Su explained. If Sei moves away from CosmWasm, it could significantly hinder the software's adoption. Since its 2023 launch, the Sei Network has grown steadily.

Deposits to DeFi apps on the network have reached an all-time high of $1 billion, according to DefiLlama data, ranking it as the 15th largest blockchain by total value locked. Barry Plunkett, co-CEO of Interchain Labs—the development and growth team for Cosmos—told CoinDesk that even if Sei drops Cosmos support, it will remain a Cosmos-based blockchain. Users and developers will still have access to some Cosmos features, including staking and governance, he said. Unnecessary overhead At launch, Sei did not support the EVM and adoption was slow. In its first year, the blockchain attracted only about $50 million in deposits to its DeFi apps, a small amount compared to other blockchains that launched around the same time, like Sui, which surpassed $600 million in deposits during its first year. However, this changed in July 2024 when Sei released its second version, allowing users to create DeFi apps using either CosmWasm or the EVM. Activity surged as developers and investors flocked to the blockchain. EVM is the most familiar platform among DeFi developers, allowing Sei to tap into a much larger developer base by adding EVM support. Data from Sei Labs on the Dune Analytics platform shows new Sei users now predominantly choose EVM over CosmWasm. Moreover, the current cross-compatibility carries downsides, Su noted. It causes “unnecessary overhead in the codebase and complicates debugging and testing, ” he said. Still, there is no guarantee the broader Sei community will share this view. Build with Sei, a group managed by the nonprofit Sei Foundation, will host a call on May 14 to discuss the proposal in detail and provide opportunities for developers and the community to ask questions and offer feedback. UPDATE (May 8, 13:16 UTC): Added comment from Interchain Labs in the 11th paragraph.