DEV UP! - Newsletter Edition 92

In this week’s edition:

1. Editorial: DAS vibes, Polkadot developments, and join in to develop yourself.

2. Top Story - Dotvelopment: the latest Polkadot ecosystem development updates.

3. Featured Wag Roundup: news from our Finders Program between March 20th and March 26th, plus some background and tips for those who wish to participate.

4. Extras: credits and anything else.

Editorial

What is up, my friends!

History was made this past week at the Blockworks Digital Assets Summit (DAS), as it became the first crypto conference where a sitting president was a headline speaker. While President Trump was not present in person at the New York event, he addressed the audience on the big screen at the conference’s main stage.

The key takeaways appear to be more of the same messages since inauguration, which we touched upon in last week’s editorial. That said, since DAS is not a developer conference but rather aimed at the institutional crowd, the address certainly helped boost the already seemingly bullish sentiment.

Meanwhile, the Polkadot faithful were sorely missing Phunky in a referenda gone by, though he was positively AYE AYE from DAS. Away from the fanfare and market volatility, our ecosystem’s developers continue to build. This brings us to the top story of the week, where we're going to dive into what is being dotveloped.

For those who want to develop themselves, you could consider joining the WagMedia Finders Program. Not only does it contribute to our weekly news roundup, participants get to refine their research and writing foundations, as well as earn some rewards.

Be sure to check out this week’s news roundup, where we’ll also share some hints and tips on how to get started. If development goes well, you may eventually find yourself writing segments of this very newsletter.

Dodow, Chief Editor

Top Story of the Week - Dotvelopment

Written by yay.oi

What’s pushin’, coders? While shipping season is still in full swing, we may be waiting just a little longer for the next epic announcement. Nonetheless, behind the scenes, development is advancing on all fronts.

With the JAM Toaster ready to warm some toes in DOT Palace jacuzzi, the countdown is on for implementation teams to be deployment-ready when the testnet launches in May. This week, JAMdot Technologies advanced its rank with the announcement of full Milestone 1 conformance for its Python implementation of JAM.

During a break from airdropping its loyal community, Acala posted some updates on its own JAM implementation, based on Swift. First past the post, Jamixir, in the meantime, is well into Milestone 2, while simultaneously optimizing for the improved Kusama and Polkadot performance required in Milestones 3 and 4.

While not reaching the epic proportions of the 10M DOT JAM Implementers Prize, the Encode Polkadot Scalability Hackathon, kicking off next month, is offering a generous $30K prize pool spread across three tracks. Polkadot Africa, Subquery, Apillon, and OpenGuild have partnered with the event, providing educational events, support, and additional bounties.

Meanwhile, this week in Argentina, Crecimento held the Aleph conference and hackathon. Sponsor Polkadot sent an all-star envoy comprising Bill Laboon (Web3 Foundation), Nicolas Arevalo (Velocity Labs), Jakub Panik (Hydration), and local ecosystem rep Gabo Posta.

In his presentation, Bill Laboon covered topics such as the Polkadot Hub and Cloud, PolkaVM, and smart contracts. Judge, mentor, and speaker Jakub Panik held a workshop on building interoperable blockchains, and then took a moment to strengthen the Polkadot-Ethereum community bond with a Flappy Wud sesh at the Polkadot gaming terminal.

WUD you believe what happened next? Following a renewed surge in interest for Gavun, a wave of new WUD holders joined in, driving up trading volume and pushing the market cap to all-time highs. As a result, WUD has broken into the top 2000 tokens on CoinGecko for the first time.

While WUD might be giving gold a run for its money this week, TVVIN is ensuring on-chain accessibility to the safe-haven asset. The tokenized precious metals protocol, originating from Cardano, is in the process of expanding to Polkadot after realizing the need for additional functionality for RWAs.

After already forming partnerships to tap into emerging markets via Mandala Chain and lending and borrowing with Kylix Finance, TVVIN now has its sights set on multi-chain expansion. Who better to trust to transport gold across chains than Hyperbridge, Polkadot’s multi-chain trustless bridge?

In further developments on the Polkadot RWA front, tokenized real estate platform Xcavate is only a couple of thousand dollars off hitting its 33% minimum funding target in its Polimec Funding Round. If you are still on the fence about participating, this week’s announcement might get you on board.

Xcavate has partnered with Lanes Exclusive Homes to bring more than £50M of new-build developments in North London, Hertfordshire, and Essex on-chain at launch in Q3. Investors will have the chance to earn rental yields and participate in property-management governance with tokenized and fractionalized holdings as small as 1%.

On the housing front, our in-house dev Niftesty is expanding his portfolio after updating us on WagMedia’s website developments. He’s now dropped a template that will kickstart Polkadot DApp development in Next.js. With PAPI, Shadcn UI components, Tailwind CSS, and one-click Vercel deployment integrated, it’s the perfect tool to swiftly submit your next hackathon project.

For those with loftier ambitions, the Polkadot Development Portal (PDP) is targeting launch in mid-April and is currently seeking testers. PDP offers a one-click rollup deployment solution that includes token configuration, runtime templates, and Coretime purchasing for Polkadot and Kusama.

In other one-click Kusama token configuration news, 161 voters with 98.4% voting power so far and counting have clicked NAY on a proposal that would reduce KSM inflation to 5%. The general consensus is that at this level, validators would barely be breaking even, thus reducing incentive to secure the network.

While the proposer goes back to the drawing board, we’ll have plenty of developments to look forward to as soon as the Web3 Foundation begins the distribution of 10M DOT to make Kusama cypherpunk again, as reported in Forkless Chaos. However, a new proposal from Jay Chrawnna could see privacy-centric tech introduced to Kusama with existing treasury funds.

It’s a novel treasury-funding approach collaboratively developed in AAG, Kusama Referendum 509 proposes creating a $50K bounty for an RFP (request for proposals) from interested parties to build and implement shielded token transfers on Kusama. Due to the sensitive nature of this project, the bounty structure would also help protect the anonymity of the successful development team.

From RFPs to RFCs, the SEC has acknowledged the filing of the 21Shares Spot Polkadot ETF. This signals the official start of the review process, during which public comments will be collected, and market impact will be assessed. That said, it is just a baby step in what can be a very long-winded process.

As ETF discussions continue behind closed doors, rest-assured that Polkadot development discussions continue transparently in our numerous public forums. Be sure to tune in to the monthly OpenDev Call for some deeper protocol development insights from the Technical Fellowship.

In this month’s session Gavin Wood finally put the debate to rest, and clarified that DOOM was absolutely run on-chain and JAM is not a DA layer. Meanwhile, Hyperbridge’s Seun Lanlege chimed in to push for the re-prioritization of some much-needed advancements to the BEEFY bridging finality protocol.

While OpenDev discussions can get a little tech-heavy, the Polkadot Decoded conference provides much more accessible content. The community is currently speculating on this year’s destination.

Perhaps we can look forward to partying on the Polkadot pink bus in NY or DC. Or maybe taking it on a roadtrip to Argentina isn’t too far-fetched an idea. Forget croissants, things could get a lot BEEFYer in South America.

If you prefer something porkier, enjoy the best wurst in Berlin and discussions on the broader ecosystem at the Web3 Summit this July. A quick read of Dot is Summit might give you an idea of what to expect.

As the Polkadot ecosystem and community continue their development this week, the next batch of protocol pioneers at Polkadot Blockchain Academy in Switzerland will ensure future growth. No matter where in the world this year’s journey takes you, Polkadot’s progress to build the world computer marches on.

Featured Wag Roundup (March 20th to March 26th)

Written by Dodow

Developing Finders

WagMedia’s News Finder Program provides existing creators with the latest information and leads to help inspire new content. It also supports new creators as they actively improve their knowledge, research, and writing skills through participation.

It’s important to recognize that smart creators and readers can often spot when generic AI is used, as it tends to be full of hot air and lacks context. Because of this, the program also serves as an opportunity to build a strong foundation by developing research skills, essential for forming context, as well as improving your writing to better convey your message.

As your experience within the Polkadot ecosystem grows, you'll be in a stronger position to read the room, capture sentiment, and adjust for your audience. Furthermore, your contribution in sharing news is also rewarded.

For those who are new to the ecosystem, take a look at our featured story, Wagtastic Tips & Tricks, published around Bonfire Night. Or, for a more personal take from someone who has been through the journey, check out Becoming a WagMedia Finder from our newsletter nearly a year ago.

Those committed to the program can earn an opportunity to kick-start their journalism career. This means they may be invited to contribute as writers in the weekly newsletter, where even greater rewards are available.

The news you share gets included in our weekly newsletter under the Wag Roundup section. Additionally, the top highlights of the week are published on our X account in a News Roundup. As we often say: News found by the community. Curated by the community. Backed by OpenGov.

DOT Ecosystem News

• Once you're verified on Polimec, you can add as many wallet addresses as you want.

• Yap on the go now that DOT Yappers dApp has been added to NovaWallet.

• You can now trade DOT perpetual futures on BingX.

• Hyperbridge strategically partners with TVVIN, which will enable access to gold and other precious tokenized real-world assets across multiple chains.

• Acurast announces its integration with OriginTrail’s DKG, which is set to enhance the advancement of AI agents through secure decentralized compute powered by smartphones.

• Update to NovaWallet v9.6.0 to be able to use one address across all parachains that support Unified Address Formats.

• Xcavate announces a partnership with Lanes Exclusive Homes. The move is set to tokenize over £50M worth of UK prime new-build real estate on-chain.

• You can now swap KSM on Hydration in NovaWallet.

• ETH is now supported privately on Incognitee through its app.

• Acala has airdropped ACA to participating voters from Month 1 of its Meme and DApp contest.

• Migrating from Solana to Peaq is AquaSave, a water sustainability DePIN.

• Acurast hits the monumental milestone of onboarding 50,000 mobile devices, making it possibly the most decentralized compute network in Web3.

• Calling on Energy Web Marketplace node runners to update to the latest version (v1.18.15). There might also be a prompt to enable location services.

• Further features have been added to the InvArch DAO Management Portal, which now includes the ability to add new members and enable custom voting

• Remember to complete the KYC process via SumSub if you took part in Hyperbridge’s Initial Relayer Offering in order to claim your tokens.

• Xcavate shares details of its loan process for on-chain verifiable real estate developer funding, which can be repaid through traditional property sales or fractionalized RWA sales on realXmarket.

• On March 21st, Albedo, a generative art collection by Monty Bartlett, dropped on KodaDot. It has since minted out in two days and is now only available for purchase via marketplace listings.

• KodaDot has introduced an Atomic Swap feature for peer-to-peer NFT trading, ensuring a secure and trustless experience.

• Evrloot teases Season 2 of its Marks campaign, which is set for early April.

• N3mus closes out March with 108K gameplays, 109% month-over-month growth, and 8% of all transactions on Moonbeam.

• Join the DragonSoulBound quest, where the main task is to nest and unnest NFTs on Unique Network. Other tasks include inviting friends and participating in a Zealy campaign, with a $500 reward pool up for grabs.

• The second stage of Bifrost’s Liquid WAVE campaign, BNC Explorers, has ended after reaching an increased cap of 3.5M vBNC minted. Up next is bbBNC Riders.

• Energy Web’s native EWT token is now available on Hydration via an Isolated Pool. You can now swap for EWT on NovaWallet.

• Maybe it’s time for some TA, as Stellaswap’s V4 pools are now on Gecko Terminal.

• XT exchange has opened up a launchpool with 6M of Bifrost’s BNC token up for grabs.

• The lowdown on Moonbeam’s Season 3 incentives has been published by Gauntlet. While Stellaswap and Moonwell met and exceeded expectations, Beamswap and Prime Protocol struggled.

• OriginTrail initiates an RFC to seek community feedback for trustless bridging its TRAC token on Ethereum to Neuroweb using Snowbridge.

• Hydration's governance referendum 45 proposes extending DOT incentives for another month. However, given the uncertain future of KILT and the transition of vDOT incentives to gigaDOT, these will be omitted.

• Referendum 44 on Hydration proposes to enable tBTC for lending and borrowing.

• InvArch’s VARCH token is set for a liquidity pool on Stellaswap, as Moonbeam Referendum 104 proposes to open an HRMP channel as well as register xcVARCH.

• Referendum 46 is preparing for Hydration’s eagerly anticipated launch of gigaDOT. It includes the withdrawal of protocol-owned liquidity of vDOT from the Ominpool, as well as transfer DOT staking rewards from the Relay Chain to the Hydration treasury.

• Hydrators, did you vote on what logo you deemed worthy of gigaDOT?

• Polkadot OpenGov Referendum 1501 proposes renewing treasury acquisitions of USDT and USDC. This time, the approach involves selling a fixed amount of the 5M DOT into stables rather than purchasing a fixed amount. Furthermore, at the start, the full amount of DOT will be converted to yield-bearing aDOT and deployed in Hydration’s money market for capital efficiency.

• Ajuna is seeking Polkadot treasury funding of 80K USDT to complete the open-source Substrate Asset Game Engine, as well as two playground games to showcase it.

• Acala referendum 163 is requesting 300K ACA to integrate its EVM+ with the LBank exchange. This includes direct ACA deposits and withdrawals using its EVM, as well as support for future EVM+ tokens.

DOT Ecosystem Events

• On March 25th, Parity’s Vincent Di Gimbattista joins a panel of Hacken experts for a deep dive into security on Polkadot.
• In welcoming WAGOI, a vehicle data DePIN, Peaq hosted a Spaces session on March 26th.
• Catch up on all the latest OriginTrail developments as founders Ziga, Branimir, and Tomaz hosted the On Trac podcast on March 24th.
• Check out the Aventus community update on the latest business development initiatives.
• On March 26th, Richard (Xcavate), Michael (Mandala Chain), and Pakman go in-depth about real estate on-chain.
• Polkadot Africa is hosting an introduction session about Polkadot with the Web3Ladies Community on March 27th. Shoutout to our long-time wagger, Sanchez!
• In an effort to bring more women into the ecosystem, Polkadot Africa is hosting a networking event at the Lavy Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 29th.
• Want to find out more about local event funding? Make sure to join one of the Polkadot Meetup Bounty AMAs, like the one held on March 25th.

Extras

• Awesome cover art created by SKULLZ.
• For all you budding creators out there, don't hesitate any longer – join us now! There are plenty of rewards awaiting your creativity.