Beyond Parachains: How to Build on the Polkadot Ecosystem with Sota Watanabe

TL;DR

Polkadot offers multiple ways to build, including through parachains like Astor and Moonbeam, which provide simpler development environments for application developers.

Transcript

polkadot is what you can call an internet of blockchains the majority of people think that you can only build on polkadot by being a pair chain um this isn't true at all when folks start building on you know a star or moon i think one of the things we do talk about is it's a good place for them to start all right so let's start let's start a little... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏛️ Polkadot is not limited to building only through parachains; there are various ways to build on the platform.
• 👤 Building on an existing parachain can provide a simpler development environment and better user experience for application developers.
• 🏛️ The concept of para threads offers flexibility for developers to build on Polkadot.
• 🏛️ Moonbeam focuses on being a general-purpose smart contract platform compatible with the EVM, making it easier for projects to start building on Polkadot.
• 🏛️ The goal is to eventually see some projects evolve from building on parachains to becoming their own independent parachains.
• 🏛️ Building a standalone substrate-based chain is not directly related to Polkadot unless connected as a parachain in the future.
• 😉 The crowd loan process for winning parachain slots can be difficult, but incentivizing participation and improving the process is a priority.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the different ways to build on Polkadot?

Polkadot offers various ways to build, including building on parachains like Moonbeam or Astor, utilizing para threads, or creating standalone substrate-based chains.

Q: Why would an application developer choose to build on an existing parachain rather than creating their own?

Building on an existing parachain provides a simpler development environment and better user experience for application developers, as they do not need the flexibility and throughput of a whole parachain.

Q: Can you explain the concept of para threads in relation to Polkadot?

Para threads are pay-as-you-go pair chains that offer an alternative way to build on Polkadot. They provide developers with flexibility and allow them to only build a parachain if it is necessary for their specific solution.

Q: What benefits do projects have when building on top of Moonbeam?

Moonbeam focuses on being a general-purpose smart contract platform that is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This allows projects to leverage the existing solidity developer community and easily integrate into the Polkadot ecosystem.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Polkadot is not limited to building only through parachains, as it is a collection of pair chains.

• Application developers can choose to build on existing parachains like Moonbeam or Astor rather than creating their own parachains, allowing for a better user experience.

• Polkadot also offers the concept of para threads, pay-as-you-go pair chains, and standalone substrate-based chains.