Cosmos faces internal leadership challenges, with its founder advocating for a 'hard fork.' Concurrently, the Ethereum Name Service founder contemplates challenging Unstoppable Domains in light of its recently approved patent. Meanwhile, concerns arise about a potential Blast 'backlash,' leaving investors unsettled by recent developments in the crypto landscape.This episode is sponsored by Consensus 2024 Follow the show here for more.In this installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk,  explore the following stories:Cosmos - Cosmos' founder Jae Kwon favors splitting the blockchain into twoCosmos Hub is an intermediary among all independent blockchains created within the Cosmos network. ATOM powers the Cosmos ecosystem of blockchains programmed to scale and interoperate with each other.Ethereum Name Service (ENS), in an intellectual-property dispute with rival Unstoppable Domains.ENS Founder Nick Johnson told CoinDesk he’s unhappy with Unstoppable Domains's patenting of work that he claims he produced and published earlier.PROTOCOL VILLAGE SEGMENT  BLAST The idea of a yield-paying layer-2 blockchain atop Ethereum has demonstrated market allure. However, even the project's biggest investor has taken issue with the execution and marketing surrounding the initial rollout.And something hot off the presses - CELO With hot competition between layer-2 technology providers like Optimism, Polygon, and Matter Labs, Celo's choice is being closely watched by the blockchain industry.EPISODE LINKS |  Cosmos Founder Calls for Chain Split; ATOM Down 3%'We Are Prepared to Go to the Mat:' ENS Founder on Patent Dispute With UnstoppableCelo Developer Proposes Mid-January Timeline for Evaluating Closely Watched Layer-2 MoveBlast's One-Week, $600M Haul Shows Promise of Yield, Pitfalls of HypeSign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER From Our Sponsor: CONSENSUS 2024 by Coindesk Secure your $109 Developer Pass today and join us in Austin May 29-31 to explore the epicenter of blockchain innovation at Consensus. This is where the top blockchains show off their latest advancements, share their detailed roadmaps, dive deep with technical workshops and forecast the next wave of innovation. Don’t wait! These passes are limited. Learn more and register: https://consensus.coindesk.com/register/developer/-The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.