Networks
A network of specialized chains that share one security layer. Polkadot lets each project run its own chain tuned to its needs while renting security from the relay chain instead of bootstrapping validators.
Live market data
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What Polkadot is for
Polkadot lets each project run its own chain tuned to its needs while renting security from the relay chain instead of bootstrapping validators.
Technical summary
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Layer | Layer 1 |
| Launched | 2020 |
| Consensus | Nominated proof of stake |
| Throughput | Varies by parachain |
| Finality | Around 60 seconds |
| Native token | DOT is staked, used for governance, and bonds parachain slots |
Block explorers
An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.
Wallets that support it
What to be aware of
- Validator concentration varies widely between layer 1s and is worth checking rather than assuming.
- Newer chains have shorter track records under real adversarial pressure.
- Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
- Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.
Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.
Where to go next
New to Polkadot?
We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.