Noble ditches Cosmos for standalone EVM layer 1

Noble, a stablecoin appchain that facilitates real-world asset transfers and issuance on Cosmos-based chains, announced plans to launch a new standalone EVM Layer 1 blockchain, moving away from its previous Cosmos SDK framework. The upcoming Noble EVM is scheduled to go live in the next few weeks, marking a symbolic break from its roots in the Cosmos ecosystem in favor of a fully independent, EVM‑compatible Layer 1 designed specifically for stablecoin and real‑world financial applications. This announcement sparked excitement in the crypto ecosystem, with many demanding to know why the Cosmos-based app-chain platform embraced this sudden change. Responding to the question raised, Noble founder Jelena Djuric stated that, “Cosmos has been great for us over the past couple of years, but now it’s time for us to move forward,” adding that, “Transitioning to EVM will let us build a better product and provide a solid foundation for developers. We aim to become a stablecoin and foreign exchange infrastructure that others can build upon, rather than just being one app.” As for Noble’s latest news, sources involved who did not want to be identified, as the upgrade’s progress was not disclosed to the public, reported that the EVM Layer 1 is set to start functioning on March 18 this year. At the same time, Noble’s team said they would like to support the Cosmos blockchain for the short term. Importantly, Noble has cemented its position as the most popular stablecoin appchain, making way for several top real-world issuers in the asset market — Circle, Hashnote, and Ondo Finance — who have been transferring their assets across various Cosmos-based chains for many years. Initially, this network was launched as a provider of interoperability and a neutral liquidity hub. At this point, it began to gain popularity, and within no time, it was widely accepted. To support this claim, reports from reliable sources indicate that the network has handled more than $22 billion in transaction volume across 50 chains since 2023. As technology advances, Noble’s team has made public its intentions to introduce real end-user stablecoin applications. With this in mind, reports highlighted that the team aims to establish active collaborations across DeFi, privacy, corporate, and payment use cases, encompassing both foreign exchange and autonomous payment flows. As for the new EVM Layer 1, sources with knowledge of the situation said it will focus on delivering stablecoin applications. “The next step in Noble’s growth is to bring the fast and secure environment we’ve developed to the EVM. We aim for sub-second finality for real-world stablecoin applications,” the team said. “Noble will use the advanced Commonware stack along with a reliable Proof of Authority validator set focused on institutions in its upcoming EVM L1.”