A Review of Polkadot Cross-Chain Technology Evolution, Understanding the Future of Polkadot 2.0

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OneBlock Community

12 min readNov 28, 2023

The technological innovations and upgrade paths that Polkadot has experienced in its origin, development, and launch — how deeply understanding the technical model of Polkadot and the ecological contracts can enhance our involvement in the Polkadot ecosystem.

On the evening of November 25th, Substrate Saturday’s 19th session was held as scheduled. Parity engineers Suvi Dong and Kaichao shared with online audiences the evolution of Polkadot’s cross-chain technology and the future development path of Polkadot in terms of technology and ecology. Kaichao delved into the origins, improvements, and launch process of Polkadot, introducing how Agile Coretime and Coreplay execute smart contracts and Corejam’s applications in the phased model of parallel, decentralized state machines, among other cutting-edge technical topics.

Substrate Saturday is an online live program under OneBlock that focuses on technical and in-depth content analysis. It invites Polkadot and its ecosystem projects or engineers to discuss primarily Substrate-related content, serving as a diverse communication platform for guests and audiences.

If you missed the 19th Substrate Saturday session, don’t miss out on the essence recap prepared by OneBlock for you!

📺 Video playback: https://www.youtube.com/live/SXAbLAotTfY?si=OE9ivYGX5QYuzeCh

The Evolution of Polkadot’s Cross-Chain Technology

A Review of Polkadot’s Technical Roadmap

Looking back over the past few years of Polkadot’s technical development roadmap, it dates back to 2017 when Gavin Wood proposed the vision of multiple chains. Parity, as the technical team behind Polkadot, started from multiple blockchain clients and gradually accumulated blockchain development experience, eventually contributing to the underlying code of Polkadot.

At the end of 2017, to achieve the vision of multiple chains, the Parity team proposed the Substrate framework, later named the Polkadot SDK. This framework provided convenience in development, enabling developers to no longer need to use ultiple blockchain clients for functional enhancements, thereby improving development efficiency.

The 2018 Web3 Summit showcased how to quickly build blockchains using Substrate, officially marking Substrate as a general-purpose blockchain development framework. The Substrate framework encompasses various consensus algorithms such as PoW (Proof of Work) and PoA (Proof of Authority), as well as smart contract modules.

In 2019, the Substrate 1.0 version was released, initiating the formal deployment of many ecosystem projects, including the formal network of Kusama. After refactoring Substrate’s business function modules, the modular architecture called Substrate FRAME was released, making it easier to write business code.

In 2020, Polkadot was officially deployed, introducing the more developer-friendly FRAME v2 syntax, adding pallet version management modules, and data migration necessary for on-chain upgrades.

XCM: The Main Method of Communication Between Parachains

In June 2021, parachains were officially deployed on the Kusama network, introducing many parachain projects through slot auctions. XCM V3 became the primary communication method between parachains and between parachains and relay chains.

XCM, Polkadot Wiki

At the same time, XCM defined a series of rules, deploying and upgrading from v1 to v3. As Kaichao explained, XCM is similar to HTTP in the Web2 domain in terms of communication protocols, defining standard rules for cross-chain messages, as well as important concepts such as MulticaLocation, MultiAsset, Instruction Location for representing locations and assets, and defining instructions to operate on-chain data. XCM’s message format standard features consensus independence, execution assurance, asymmetry, and asynchronous nature.

Additionally, VMP and XCMP-lite (HRMP) are the implementation layers for XCM format message communication, used for message passing between parachains. XCVM (xcm-executor) is used for executing XCM message instructions, responsible for modifying the current chain, relay chain, and target parachain’s state. You can find specific details about XCM here:

RFCs (Request for Comments) are repositories within Polkadot, including technical designs and implementations related to Polkadot and modifications in Polkadot-related domains. These proposals include implementations of node parts, cryptographic algorithms, and modifications to XCM/XCMP in the Polkadot ecosystem. It is noteworthy that in the Polkadot ecosystem, on-chain refers to the process executed by all relay chain validators, in-core refers to the process executed by a subset of validators (Validator Group), and PVF (Parachain Validation Function) is the runtime logic code of parachains stored on the relay chain.

Agile Coretime: A More Flexible Allocation Model for Coretime

In the process of Polkadot’s technological development, some problems were encountered. Kaichao pointed out that the online deployment of parachains required a surge in short-term online needs through slot auctions. During intense competition periods, the team needed robust fundraising capabilities, indicating the necessity for strong interaction with investors and holders. At the same time, the long-term allocation of Polkadot’s core resources to a certain parachain was not reasonable since different chains have different resource demands, leading to suboptimal resource allocation. Additionally, the cost of renewing core cannot be estimated, lacking certainty.

To address these issues, Polkadot proposed the Agile Coretime model, which flexibly allocates core resources without the need for slot auctions. Moreover, Coretime can be transferred and sold as an NFT and used for executing tasks. Under this model, there is no need for slot auctions. The system parachain that needs to sell coretime can transfer and sell coretime in the form of a non-fungible asset, allocate it to a specific task, or store it in an immediate coretime pool.

Coretime, Polkadot Wiki

Agile Coretime’s goals include:

Reasonable value-capture mechanism for Polkadot
Predictable long-term spending for ecosystem teams
Lower entry barriers
Support for 1000 cores, dynamically changeable
Promote task usage across dynamic intervals and different spans

Coreplay: Executing Smart Contracts Using Core

Apart from explaining the utilization mechanism of Coretime, Kaichao also introduced Coreplay, which is still in the conceptual stage. Coreplay utilizes core to execute smart contracts, making the use of core resources more flexible, potentially reducing the development threshold, and allowing developers more freedom to deploy on Polkadot.

Advantages of Coreplay include:

Familiar development patterns for developers
No need to deploy a separate chain
Less concern about resource consumption (weight) during execution period
Promoting parallel execution of core
Suitable for urgent application scenarios

You can find detailed information about Coreplay here:

Corejam: A More Universal Model to Meet Various Core Resource Uses

In the development process of Polkadot technology, there have been multiple technological iterations and upgrades. These include on-chain integrated status, Corejam, asynchronous backend mechanism, Sassafras consensus, and other functionalities still in the design and construction phase. After verifying the data feasibility and availability, on-chain integrated status was performed, modifying and introducing changes to the status at this stage. During the intense discussions in the core stage, Corejam emerged, drawing high attention from the community.

Kaichao explained that Corejam is a more universal model that can better accommodate different uses of core resources. These new technical models and virtual machines will provide a more reasonable position for the Polkadot ecosystem and a better experience for developers and users. Corejam is a phased collection-refinement-aggregation-accumulation model used for parallel, decentralized state machines.

Previously, Polkadot was designed for long-running parachains, and with the introduction of Agile Coretime and Coreplay, there arose demands for a more universal model and future scalability. The freedom of the universal model may bring potential user usage scenarios, reduce developer burdens and entry barriers, and open up usage strategies for core beyond core development community members. Thus, technical innovations like Corejam hold the promise of bringing new possibilities and broader development space to the Polkadot ecosystem.

The use of a universal model for core resources includes two aspects: in-core and on-chain. In-core involves the transmission, production, computation, and verification of work packages, while on-chain involves the collection, aggregation, and accumulation of results entering the relay chain’s on-chain state.

More Features Under Continuous Development for Polkadot

In addition to these core features, Kaichao also explored a new performance enhancement mechanism called Asynchronous Backing. Through this mechanism, it is no longer necessary to rely on the latest relay block to construct blocks when building parachains; instead, the block building process can be accelerated asynchronously. This asynchronous method not only extends the block building time from the original 500 milliseconds to 2 seconds, but also reduces block production time from 12 seconds to 6 seconds, approximately increasing overall throughput by about 8 times.

Asynchronous Backing, Polkadot Wiki

Besides the mentioned core functionalities, other functionalities are in the design and construction phase. For instance, more system parachains are used to more efficiently allocate tasks to relay chains, including the design of system parachains like Stacking, Identity, and Governance.

There are ongoing developments for functionalities such as Sassafras consensus, which is used to build blocks ensuring final consensus; meanwhile, smoldot as a lightweight client feature is continuously being improved to provide users with a better decentralized application experience; Internode mixnet as a feature for protecting IP data and metadata privacy between nodes, as well as explorations in decentralized social aspects, constructing some ecological and governance aggregates by serving developers and users on-chain.

In summary, the Polkadot ecosystem continues to explore and design new functionalities to further improve network performance, privacy, and decentralized social aspects. These developments are advancing network governance and technological progress while providing users and developers with better user experiences and higher efficiency.

Polkadot’s Future: Focused on Developing the Developer Community

After sharing the origins, development journey, and future upgrades of Polkadot, Parity engineers Suvi Dong and Kaichao discussed Parity’s role evolution within the Polkadot ecosystem and the potential future development of the Polkadot ecosystem.

Changes of Parity in the Polkadot Ecosystem

Kaichao first mentioned the problem of the blockchain ecosystem excessively relying on a single company. Although Parity is highly efficient in resource collaboration, such dependence is not necessary in the decentralized blockchain ecosystem. Taking Bitcoin as an example, its founder’s identity remains mysterious, and certain blockchain projects, although supported by companies, might face regulatory interventions or even bankruptcy. He pointed out that while a company’s presence in the emerging blockchain ecosystem has its uses, it might simultaneously limit the ecosystem’s free development.

In the long run, he believes that an ideal decentralized collaborative platform should not excessively rely on support from a single company. Although this requires a lengthy process, different projects and developers have varying timelines and methods to achieve decentralization. He opined that in the long-term development, a single company should not continually support the entire ecosystem. Parity is continuously adjusting itself to support the ecosystem and, at the appropriate time, providing more functionalities, permissions, and market opportunities to different ecosystem teams and participants. This approach is more conducive to the development of the blockchain ecosystem.

In the world of Polkadot 2.0, the development of the developer experience and the developer community remains a focal area.

Regarding proposals, Polkadot has lowered entry barriers, making it easier for developers to participate. This has significant implications for Polkadot’s influence and potential within the developer community. Simultaneously, the ability of ecosystem developers to efficiently build valuable products is a critical issue for the community. As a company with extensive experience in building developer communities, Parity has a significant advantage in this regard. Therefore, upgrading and improving in this area are crucial to assisting developers in better utilizing Polkadot ecosystem tools.

In terms of decentralization, Polkadot recently launched a series of initiatives and projects such as Polkadot Fellowship, Polkadot Blockchain Academy, OpenGov, and reward systems to support ecosystem development. Polkadot is an open and inclusive innovative blockchain platform, exploring various experimental methods and technological upgrades. Through technical transformations and upgrade voting, it promotes technological development and helps more aspiring developers and founders begin their blockchain journey. These initiatives significantly contribute to the growth and diversity of the Polkadot ecosystem, and similar initiatives are anticipated in the future. Simultaneously, further improvements in OpenGov and the openness of the treasury continue to support the participation of different ecosystem participants.

In Kaichao’s view, these measures aim to provide ecosystem developers with necessary resources, whether from a funding pool perspective or personnel education, to help them realize their ideas more quickly. Future initiatives depend on new ideas from ecosystem participants; anyone can propose their ideas, and if supported, these ideas have the opportunity to become reality. Such diverse initiatives will continue to drive further development of the Polkadot ecosystem.

Polkadot 2.0: Continuously Lowering the Deployment Barriers for Developers

In the future, how will Polkadot 2.0 evolve, and what possible challenges might it face?

Firstly, there are differing views on technical implementation. Regarding the implementation time of Coreplay, there is a somewhat pessimistic view that it might be relatively late, while another is more optimistic, suggesting that the initial version might be launched within several months to half a year. Polkadot 2.0 does not have significant structural changes at the underlying level but is continually making regular advancements in basic technology, such as a focus on optimizing asynchronous technology. This provides Polkadot with a relatively smooth transition in its development plans.

Technically, Polkadot 2.0 has made significant improvements in developer friendliness and competitiveness. The modular Substrate development framework, the FRAME framework for rapid Runtime code writing, and the development framework written in Rust are all very developer-friendly. Lowering the deployment barriers for developers is an important competitive strategy for Polkadot 2.0.

In terms of ecosystem development, Polkadot has done well in supporting developers in education, funding, and collaborative online deployment. However, continual improvements are still needed in technical aspects and collaboration methods.

In the coming years, Kaichao mentioned that the Polkadot ecosystem might face several significant challenges. One is the clarity of regulations and consensus within the community. Another challenge is the problems developers might face. In addition to providing education and support for developers, the community needs to have a deeper understanding of and resolve the issues faced by developers to achieve long-term success and sustainable growth.

The 2023 Winter Polkadot Hackathon is in full swing!

The 2023 Winter Polkadot Hackathon, co-hosted by Parity and OneBlock+, is currently open for registration! As an extremely developer-friendly technical ecosystem, Polkadot offers participants the opportunity to incubate and grow projects from 0 to 1. It gathers resources from frontline technical experts and receives pitching opportunities highly favored by various investors, truly helping developers find the optimal path to the Web3 world.

To assist more partners who want to achieve entrepreneurial development through the hackathon in getting their “first bucket of gold,” this edition of the hackathon has set up a prize pool of up to 300,000 USD, equivalent to 60,628 DOT, and bounty rewards worth a total value of $13,500 provided by Acala, Bifrost & Moonbeam, CESS, Gear Foundation, and Tanssi!

The competition has also invited industry leaders, technical experts, and investors to serve as judges and guests. The final Demoday will showcase project pitches, providing more opportunities for early-stage development teams to gain exposure and enter the industry.

Simply click the link to register now and join the 2023 Winter Polkadot Hackathon, embarking on a practical project development journey this winter!

💎 Register now: https://forms.gle/DX359M661hg17tPN9

💎 Participation guide: https://dorahacks.io/zh/hackathon/polkadot-hackathon-2023-winter/detail

About OneBlock+

OneBlock+ is the first and the largest blockchain developer community in China. At OneBlock+, we provide full support for developers with their substrate studies and further set off their career paths. We host Polkadot Hackathons every season to attract top-notch developers to build and innovate for the prosperity of the ecosystem. As a greater China technology resource integrator, OneBlock+ also partners with developers, communities, business elites, and key media who have business insights and experiences in the blockchain industry to provide educational events, such as technical courses, webinars, AMAs, and offline events for the industry. Want to shape the crypto world together? Come and join us today!

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