# Cosmos Docs: IBC Protocol

> Developer documentation for the Cosmos stack. Build secure, reliable, and high-performance blockchains.

## IBC Protocol

- [IBC Protocol / v11.x.x (163 pages)](https://docs.cosmos.network/_llms/ibc-protocol/v11-x-x.md): Documentation for IBC Protocol / v11.x.x.

### next

#### Documentation

##### Learn

- [IBC Documentation](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/intro.md): IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) protocol documentation
- [What is IBC?](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/learn/overview.md): An introduction to the Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol
- [How IBC Works](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/learn/how-ibc-works.md): A conceptual overview of IBC's components: packets, light clients, relayers, and IBC Core
- [IBC Lifecycle](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/learn/ibc-lifecycle.md): How IBC packets move from send to acknowledgement or timeout, with message and callback references

##### Cosmos ↔ EVM Interoperability

- [Architecture Overview](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/overview.md): How IBC v2 enables direct connectivity between Cosmos chains and EVM networks using IFT token transfers

###### Cosmos ↔ EVM Tutorial

- [Tutorial Intro](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/introduction.md): A step-by-step tutorial for setting up a live IBC connection between a Cosmos chain and an EVM network with IFT token transfers
- [Quickstart](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/quickstart.md): Run the full Cosmos ↔ EVM IBC demo end-to-end with a single command

###### Walkthrough

- [Step 1: Start the Chains](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/walkthrough/01-chains.md): Start the Cosmos sandbox chain and Besu EVM node used in the IBC demo
- [Step 2: Deploy EVM Contracts](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/walkthrough/02-deploy.md): Deploy the IBC Solidity contracts to the Besu chain
- [Step 3: Create Attestation Light Clients](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/walkthrough/03-clients.md): Create attestation light clients on each chain and register their counterparties
- [Step 4: Wire the IFT Bridge](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/walkthrough/04-wire.md): Register IFT token contracts on each chain to enable cross-chain burn and mint
- [Step 5: Configure and Start Attestors](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/walkthrough/05-attestors.md): Configure and start the attestor services that sign packet state for the Proof API
- [Step 6: Configure and Start the Relayer and Proof API](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/walkthrough/06-relayer.md): Configure and start the relayer and Proof API for the IBC demo
- [Step 7: Run a Transfer](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/cosmos-evm/tutorial/walkthrough/07-transfer.md): Run token transfers in both directions and validate the full packet relay flow end-to-end

##### Infrastructure

###### Relayer

- [Relayer Overview](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/infra/relayer/overview.md): Overview of the IBC v2 Relayer
- [Relayer Guide](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/infra/relayer/relayer-guide.md): Configure and run the IBC v2 relayer
- [Proof API](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/infra/relayer/proof-api.md): How the Proof API works and how to configure it

###### Attestor

- [Attestor Overview](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/infra/attestor/overview.md): Overview of the IBC Attestor service
- [Attestor Guide](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/infra/attestor/attestor-guide.md): How to deploy and operate the IBC Attestor service

##### IBC Migrations

###### Version Upgrades

- [IBC-Go v11.0 to v11.1](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/migrations/v11-to-v11-1.md): This guide provides instructions for migrating from ibc-go v11.0 to v11.1.
- [IBC-Go v10 to v11.1](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/migrations/v10-to-v11-1.md): This guide provides instructions for migrating from ibc-go v10 to v11.1.

##### IBC Light Clients

###### Attestation

- [Attestation Light Client](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/light-clients/attestation/attestation-light-client.md): Learn how the attestation-based IBC light client works and how to integrate it

##### IBC Apps

###### GMP

- [General Message Passing (GMP)](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/apps/gmp/gmp.md): How ICS27-GMP works and how to use it

###### IFT

- [Interchain Fungible Token (IFT)](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/apps/ift/ift.md): What IFT is, how it works, and how to integrate it on EVM

##### IBC Middleware

###### Rate Limit Middleware

- [Overview](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/middleware/rate-limit-middleware/overview.md): A governance-configured middleware that caps net token flow across IBC transfers.
- [Integration](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/middleware/rate-limit-middleware/integration.md): Wire the rate limiting middleware into a chain for IBC v1 and v2.
- [Setting Rate Limits](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/middleware/rate-limit-middleware/setting-limits.md): Configure rate limits through governance, and set whitelists and blacklists in genesis.
- [Migration](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/middleware/rate-limit-middleware/migration.md): Move an existing ibc-apps rate limiting integration to ibc-go.

#### Changelog

- [Changelog](https://docs.cosmos.network/ibc/next/changelog/release-notes.md): Release history and changelog for Cosmos IBC