Blockchain project Polkadot's founder, Gavin Wood, announced today that Kusama (KSM)—Polkadot's (DOT) canary network and sister chain—will soon launch parallel chains, along with core features like auctions and crowdloans. This milestone signals a new chapter for Polkadot's mainnet rollout.
As a leading cross-chain project and foundational Web 3.0 infrastructure, Polkadot's development progress remains a focal point in the cryptocurrency industry. The imminent launch of Kusama's parallel chains has amplified market anticipation. Positive sentiment drove sharp price rallies for both DOT and KSM today. Per CoinGecko data:
- DOT: $41.14 at press time, up 9.2% in 24 hours.
- KSM: $617.42 at press time, up 18.3% in 24 hours.
Polkadot’s 5-Stage Mainnet Rollout
Gavin Wood outlined Polkadot’s phased mainnet launch, noting the project has entered its final stage—the starting point for parallel chain deployment. The prior four stages began incrementally ~10 months ago, culminating in July 2020 with fully decentralized, permissionless measures.
Kusama’s Parallel Chain Deployment
Kusama’s official Twitter confirmed the successful deployment of a parallel chain Shell early today. Within 24 hours, a governance vote will upgrade this Shell to Statemine, followed by the inaugural parachain slot auctions.
Wood emphasized that Parity Technologies—Polkadot’s core development team—released the "Polkadot 0.9" upgrade for Kusama last week. This version includes:
- Logic required to deploy parallel chains.
- Finalized auction mechanisms and crowdloan functionalities.
Kusama has upgraded to this version (v9010) and is now primed to host parallel chains.
Next Steps: Audits and Auctions
- Security Audits: Full external reviews of new logic must precede Polkadot’s parallel chain launch. Audits are underway, with completion expected shortly.
Kusama’s Role: As Polkadot’s "proving ground," Kusama must successfully execute:
- ≥1 auction involving crowdloans.
- ≥1 functional parallel chain.
Kusama will announce its first auction date ~1 week in advance, allowing locked KSM stakers (7-day unbonding period) to participate. Five auctions are planned initially, spaced 7 days apart.
Polkadot’s Timeline
Post-Kusama auctions, Polkadot’s auction schedule and parameters will be published. Wood noted:
Expect Polkadot auctions to follow Kusama’s successful milestones.
FAQs
Q: What are Polkadot’s parallel chains?
A: Parallel chains are customizable, interconnected blockchains that leverage Polkadot’s shared security and cross-chain messaging.
Q: How do Kusama auctions work?
A: Projects bid KSM tokens via crowdloans to win parachain slots, with winning bids securing lease periods for chain deployment.
Q: When will Polkadot’s mainnet support parallel chains?
A: After Kusama completes its trial runs and audits, Polkadot’s launch will follow, likely within weeks of Kusama’s success.
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