Gnosis

Gnosis is a term derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge. In ancient philosophy and religion, gnosis referred to esoteric or spiritual insight believed to lead to salvation. In early Christian and Hellenistic movements, Gnostic systems emphasized hidden knowledge as a path to understanding the divine.

In a modern context, Gnosis refers to a blockchain technology company and ecosystem that develops decentralized finance infrastructure and governance tools. Founded in 2015 in Berlin by Martin Köppelmann and Stefan George, the project aims to provide open and modular software for on‑chain trading, asset custody, and cross‑chain interoperability. Its core products include Gnosis Protocol, a non‑custodial trading protocol that uses batch auctions to improve liquidity and price discovery on Ethereum and other networks, and Gnosis Safe, a multi‑signature smart contract wallet used by individuals, teams, and decentralized autonomous organizations for secure asset management. The ecosystem also encompasses Gnosis Chain, an Ethereum‑compatible sidechain (originating as the xDai Chain) designed for fast, low‑cost transactions and stablecoin transfers, often bridged to Ethereum for interoperability.

Gnosis operates with a governance-oriented approach and uses a native token, GNO, to participate in decision‑making within the ecosystem. The project has contributed to the broader DeFi landscape by providing infrastructure for secure custody, efficient on‑chain trading, and scalable governance tools, while supporting developers and communities through open‑source software and interoperable solutions.