Cosmos is a blockchain project addressing challenges in the industry by offering an interconnected ecosystem of blockchains. It aims to overcome issues of slow and expensive proof-of-work protocols like Bitcoin and simplify decentralized app development with a modular framework. Cosmos also facilitates communication between different blockchain networks to prevent fragmentation. Tendermint, a core contributor, was founded in 2014, and the Cosmos white paper was published in 2016. ATOM tokens, earned through a hybrid proof-of-stake algorithm, secure the Cosmos Hub and play a role in governance.