TLDR
- Sei plans to drop Cosmos support and go EVM-only.
- Maintaining dual systems has made development too complex.
- Users must switch to EVM wallets if the proposal passes.
- Staking and governance via Cosmos will still be available.
- The change supports Sei’s goal of higher speed and DeFi growth.
The Sei Network has proposed removing support for Cosmos-based infrastructure to simplify the user experience and enhance Ethereum compatibility. According to a Sei Improvement Proposal (SIP-3) submitted by Sei Labs, the change would deprecate CosmWasm contracts and native Cosmos accounts, allowing the network to operate exclusively on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) technology.
Sei, a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain built with the Cosmos SDK, currently supports both EVM and CosmWasm. The dual-architecture has allowed for flexibility, but Sei Labs argues it adds unnecessary complexity for developers and users. The proposal outlines a plan to streamline the platform by supporting only EVM-compatible addresses and transactions, while removing Cosmos-native message handling and applications.
Developer Efficiency and Infrastructure Simplification
Sei Labs noted that maintaining both EVM and Cosmos functionality has resulted in increased overhead. Developers have had to create custom logic for cross-compatibility, manage two types of accounts, and deal with added complexity in debugging and testing. SIP-3 proposes that consolidating the codebase around EVM would simplify infrastructure and reduce the burden on development teams.
Source: Dune
The move follows Sei’s v2 upgrade in July 2024, which enabled parallel support for CosmWasm and the EVM. Since the upgrade, the majority of new users and developers have favored the EVM. Sei Labs cited this trend for consolidating around the Ethereum standard, which is more widely adopted in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.
Impact on CosmWasm and Existing Users
If implemented, the proposal would mean only EVM addresses could send and receive transactions on the Sei Network. Users would be required to migrate assets to EVM wallets or exit Cosmos-native wallets. Existing CosmWasm developers would also need to transition their applications to EVM.
While Cosmos-based smart contracts and native accounts would be phased out, certain protocol-level functionalities such as staking and governance would remain accessible through Cosmos-based operations. This is because Sei remains built on the Cosmos SDK, which retains some underlying features regardless of the transaction layer.
Barry Plunkett, co-CEO of Interchain Labs, acknowledged that even with the proposed changes, Sei would retain Cosmos’ foundational elements. He added that users and validators would continue to benefit from some Cosmos features even if CosmWasm support ends.
Path Toward Scalability and Future Upgrades
The shift to an EVM-only architecture aligns with Sei’s roadmap toward a major network upgrade known as Giga, which targets scalability of over 100,000 transactions per second. Sei Labs believes simplifying the execution layer will facilitate faster progress toward this goal.
With the EVM as the dominant standard across DeFi platforms, Sei’s proposal aims to improve compatibility, encourage broader developer participation, and reduce maintenance efforts. The Sei community is currently reviewing SIP-3, and no outcome can be guaranteed until a consensus is reached.
