Ignite CLI v29

Ignite CLI v29: A Milestone Release for Cosmos App Development

Ignite CLI has landed its first major release of the year, and it’s a meaningful one. Version 29 introduces cleaner scaffolds, smarter defaults, and expanded tooling that reflects the ongoing evolution of the Cosmos development stack. It improves the daily developer experience by generating cleaner code, reducing setup time, and simplifying common tasks. At the same time, v29 ensures Ignite remains fully compatible with the latest Cosmos SDK and IBC updates, so developers can build with current standards out of the box.

This version includes default support for Cosmos SDK v0.53 and IBC-go v10, which introduces IBC v2 capabilities while remaining compatible with the existing IBC v1 protocol. Scaffolded modules now use cosmossdk.io/collections for state management, and the CLI has been internally restructured to produce leaner, production-ready code.

A More Capable and Predictable Development Workflow

New commands like scaffold config and scaffold params allow for modifying modules configurations and parameters even more easily. A new --default-denom flag simplifies token configuration at scaffold time, saving developers from having to make early edits post-generation.

Under the hood, the introduction of the xast package improves how Ignite modifies Go code.

This internal change enables Ignite to analyze and modify AST to perform targeted changes to Go files, such as adding, updating, or removing code elements (e.g., variables, functions, or imports). It already powers many of the improvements in this release and sets the foundation for more advanced features, including more deeply integrated Ignite Apps (such as the upcoming Ignite EVM App).

For developers upgrading from v28, ignite doctor has been updated to assist with most of the required changes. This includes the switch to Go 1.24, Buf v2 config updates, and transitioning tools.go to the new go tool directive format. A new chain lint command is also included, integrating golangci-lint into your workflow out of the box.

A number of legacy features have been removed in favor of simpler defaults, including oracle scaffolding, vuex, and pulsar file generation. Additionally, the prompting logic is improved, command UX are improved across the board, thanks to the Charm libraries.

Ignite’s updated Makefile enables users to easily install the binary with the make install command, streamlining setup for blockchain development. It introduces commands like make build to compile the binary into a dedicated ./dist folder and make test and more to run both unit and integration tests for robust code validation and embed this into your CI workflow. Additionally, new users can leverage make proto-all to format, lint, and generate code from proto files, simplifying protocol buffer management.

A Better Starting Point for Cosmos Development

Ignite CLI v29 makes it easier to start new projects and maintain existing ones. For new developers, it offers a more focused and reliable starting point to begin with the Cosmos Stack.

For teams already building with Ignite, this version cuts down on the overhead that used to come with cleanup and configuration.

If you're building with Ignite, be sure to explore the release notes:

https://github.com/ignite/cli/releases/tag/v29.0.0

and join the discord to ask questions and stay up to date with the latest developments:

https://discord.com/invite/ignite