Polkadot, the sleeping giant of the cryptosphere, has just completed its most productive quarter to date. While industry eyes were focused on the carnage dominating its lending and venture capital sector, Polkadot developers quietly shipped hundreds of forkless upgrades across its Substrate-based chains, while the Web3 Foundation doled out dozens of grants. The multi-chain network is now in rude health as Q3 gets underway, with new parachains regularly joining its main relay chain and sister network Kusama. If the blockchain of blockchains founded by Dr Gavin Wood can maintain this momentum, Polkadot will be a force to be reckoned with when the markets rally and the “up only” era returns. The Numbers Don’t Lie To mangle an aphorism, only when the tide goes out can you tell who’s been actively building. The recent market downturn has left many crypto projects high and dry, with no runway with which to survive what lies ahead, and no milestones of merit to tick off. While Polkadot and the Web3 Foundation (W3F) are fortunate to have large treasuries that are well managed, money alone does not a thriving blockchain make. There needs to be a tangible activity that presages signs of life. On that front, judging by its Q2 report, Polkadot can’t be accused of slacking. A string of impressive achievements reeled off by Polkadot in its Q2 report include: 400 grants now approved by the Web3 Foundation to help tech startups build new bloc...
