Polkadot Timeline: A History of Polkadot

Polkadot is an incredibly unique open-source shared multichain platform that connects and secures a network of blockchains. Often referred to as an “Ethereum killer,” this blockchain is one of the most innovative projects with its ability to facilitate the cross-chain transfer of any data or asset types.  

Polkadot is one of the most significant projects in the blockchain space and boasts a unique set of qualities that connects different blockchain networks. In 2016, Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood and Parity’s Peter Czaban released Polkadot’s whitepaper intending to facilitate a fully functional, open-source and user-friendly decentralized web. 

Polkadot and Its Native Utility Token DOT

Polkadot is the brainchild of Gavin Wood, the co-founder of Ethereum, and Peter Czaban. Wood released the first Polkadot whitepaper in 2016, aiming to introduce a shared version of Ethereum. In 2017, Wood founded the Web3 Foundation in 2017 with the help of Parity’s Peter Czaban. Polkadot became the flagship project of the Web3 Foundation, a Swiss Foundation founded to facilitate a fully functional and user-friendly decentralized web.

The Web3 Foundation raised $145 million for Polkadot through the first token sale in October 2017. Following another private sale in 2019 that raised an additional $43 million, Polkadot introduced its native token, DOT, to the market in August 2020. 

Polkadot allows different blockchains to work together through its novel parachains. Parachains are heterogenous blockchains connected to Polkadot and are interoperable with the Polkadot network and other parachains. Polkadot is optimized for better scalability through parachains, allowing it to communicate and operate in a secure, trust-free environment. Parachains offer several benefits, including interoperability, scalability, flexibility, and governance. 

DOT and Its Utility

The Polkadot ecosystem’s native utility token is DOT. DOT is used to validate transactions in the ecosystem through staking and to bond Polkadot parachains. DOT further acts as a governance token, meaning holders have a say in the functioning of Polkadot through protocol voting.

Through staking, DOT token holders collect additional token rewards and are incentivized to act honestly in the network’s interest and token holders acting against the network risk losing their stake. DOT’s bonding utility can add new parachains, and removing bonded tokens can remove outdated parachains. DOT’s governance grants token holders complete control over the protocol.  

At the time of writing, the trading session saw $DOT register 0.10% daily gains, trading at $6.22, down 3.56% over the past week.

$DOT’s current market capitalization is $8,950,470,640, and the token reached an all-time high of $2.69 in August 2020. 

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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