What is Osmosis? How It Works & Where to Use It

Overview

Osmosis at a glance.

Osmosis is a purpose-built chain in the Cosmos ecosystem that works as a decentralized exchange and automated market maker, letting users trade and provide liquidity across Cosmos assets. Here is how it works and how it is used, not the price.

Total value locked (DeFi)

n/a

Value locked in DeFi protocols on Osmosis. Updated Jun 2, 2026. Source: DefiLlama.

Native token

OSMO

Used for fees and securing the network. See the live OSMO price.

How it works

How Osmosis works.

Validators stake OSMO and confirm blocks using CometBFT, a Byzantine-fault-tolerant proof-of-stake engine. Osmosis connects to other Cosmos chains through IBC, so assets from across the ecosystem can be traded on it.

Consensus: CometBFT Proof of Stake

Validators stake OSMO and confirm blocks using CometBFT, a Byzantine-fault-tolerant proof-of-stake engine. Osmosis connects to other Cosmos chains through IBC, so assets from across the ecosystem can be traded on it.

Built as a DEX

Osmosis is an app-chain dedicated to trading rather than a general-purpose smart-contract platform.

Automated market maker

Liquidity pools set prices automatically, so users can swap assets without an order book.

IBC connected

Through IBC, Osmosis can trade assets from many other Cosmos chains.

Liquidity provision

Users supply assets to pools and can earn rewards for providing liquidity.

Ecosystem & usage

What Osmosis is used for.

Osmosis is used for trading and providing liquidity across assets in the Cosmos ecosystem.

Token swaps

Trading Cosmos assets through automated market maker pools.

Providing liquidity

Supplying assets to pools to support trading and earn rewards.

Cross-chain trading

Trading assets that arrive from other Cosmos chains over IBC.

In the Zypto App

Hold, swap and spend OSMO.

Osmosis is integrated in the Zypto App. Hold OSMO in self-custody, swap it to any supported asset, and use it across Zypto’s features.

Hold OSMO in Zypto How to buy OSMO

Be the reason Osmosis ships next.

Osmosis isn’t in the Zypto App yet. Post the request to your followers, chains with the most demand get prioritised.

Request on X

FAQ

Common questions.

What is Osmosis?

Osmosis is a Cosmos app-chain built as a decentralized exchange and automated market maker for trading Cosmos assets.

How does Osmosis reach consensus?

Osmosis uses CometBFT proof of stake, where validators stake OSMO to confirm blocks.

How does Osmosis trade assets from other chains?

It connects to other Cosmos chains through the IBC protocol, so their assets can be traded on Osmosis.

Can I hold OSMO in the Zypto App?

Not yet. OSMO isn't in the Zypto App at the moment. You can hold it in any self-custodial wallet, and you can ask us to add Osmosis using the "Request Osmosis" button above.

Explore more chains