Cosmos Labs, the core team behind the Cosmos blockchain ecosystem, has acquired Mintscan, a Cosmos block explorer, and formed a new Seoul-based subsidiary, Cosmos Labs Korea, to oversee several key pieces of the Cosmos ecosystem infrastructure.
Discussions around the transaction began last October, when co-founders of South Korean crypto firm Stamper, the legal name of Cosmostation, approached Cosmos Labs regarding a sale of Mintscan, Cosmos Labs Co-CEO Barry Plunkett told The Block. He declined to disclose the size of the deal, how it was financed, and whether it involved Cosmos Hub (ATOM) tokens.
As part of the deal, a select number of Mintscan employees will join Cosmos Labs, Plunkett said, noting that the full roster will be announced once onboarding is complete. Plunkett also said that the remaining Stamper business units are unaffected by the transaction and will continue to operate normally.
The acquisition brings Mintscan, which tracks more than 80 Cosmos-based blockchains, together with Skip:Go, IBC Eureka, and Cosmos Hub development under one roof, Cosmos Labs said. It also expands engineering capacity for Cosmos Hub development, Plunkett said, adding that it helps establish a direct institutional presence in South Korea and the broader Asia-Pacific region, where a significant share of Cosmos-related developer and institutional activity is concentrated.
