Fellowship Uncovered: What’s Cooking in Polkadot #1
Welcome to the first edition of the Polkadot Technical Fellowship News!
We’re also on track with our weekly Polkadot ecosystem updates (we’ve published 147) and monthly OpenGov insights (22 already). But maybe you can handle something a little more technical?!
Why focus on the Polkadot Technical Fellowship? The Fellowship isn’t just about making decisions (which can still be overridden in OpenGov); it’s the engine behind the development of every new technical advancement in Polkadot. From protocol upgrades to key innovations, the Fellowship is at the forefront, ensuring the ecosystem remains at the cutting edge.
What can you expect? We’ll explore the latest innovations, updates, and discussions. Let’s dive into what’s cooking at the heart of Polkadot’s technical core — the Fellowship!
Content:
1. The Polkadot Technical Fellowship: A Self-Governing Body of Experts
First, let’s find out what Fellowship stands for.
Established in 2022, the Polkadot Technical Fellowship plays a crucial role in Polkadot OpenGov, the network’s governance system. This self-governing body comprises experts and developers dedicated to the Polkadot and Kusama network protocols. It operates through both on-chain and off-chain channels. On-chain governance utilizes the PolkadotCollectives system chain, while off-chain communication occurs through the Polkadot Fellows repository.
The Fellowship boasts a well-structured ranking system with nine levels, ranging from Member (Rank 0) to Grand Master (Rank 9). Notably, Gavin Wood, the founder of Polkadot, holds the prestigious title of “Free Master” (Rank 7) within the Fellowship. Other prominent members include Bastian Köcher in the “Grand Architect” rank (6), or Bryan Chen and Shawn Tabrizi, both currently having the “Architect” rank (4). This ranking system acknowledges expertise and influences voting power within the Fellowship.
2. What’s Cooking in Fellowship: A List of RFCs
The Polkadot Technical Fellowship continues to lead the way in developing Polkadot’s technical capabilities. Here are some of the latest initiatives and updates, including some historic ones:
RFCs (Request for Comments)
- RFC 0120: Referenda confirmation by candle mechanism
This RFC introduces a mechanism, inspired by Polkadot candle auctions, to resolve referenda and reduce the risks associated with long decision times. This is similar to how the parachain auctions worked, where DOT tokens were added over a specific era, and the auction was resolved at a precise time that wasn't known in advance.
Link: RFC 0120 - RFC 0117: The unbrick collective
This RFC proposes the formation of a collective to help parachains resume block production and improve cooperation during network halts. Parachains such as Nodle and Phala have faced similar problems in the past, requiring additional DOT deposits and root referenda to unbrick the chain, which was a painful process while the chain was halted.
Link: RFC 0117 - RFC 0114: Adjust tipper track confirmation periods
Leemo proposes extending the confirmation periods for Small Tipper (from 10 minutes to 12 hours) and Big Tipper (from 1 hour to 1 day). The motivation is to provide enough time for proper review and prevent rash decisions on those tips.
Link: RFC 0114 - RFC 0096: Adding smart contracts functionality to the Coretime chain
This RFC proposed introducing smart contracts (e.g., Solidity, Ink!) to the Coretime chain, enabling features like automated trading and dynamic pricing, thus driving innovation on the network.
Link: RFC 0096 - RFC 0089: Flexible inflation (On hold)
Suggests a new inflation mechanism for Polkadot, making it more transparent and flexible while decoupling it from the staking system. This would allow easier governance control over inflation rates without code modifications.
Link: RFC 0089 - RFC 0045: Lowering NFT deposits on Asset Hub
Proposed reducing the deposit requirements for creating and minting NFTs on Polkadot and Kusama Asset Hubs, lowering financial barriers for NFT creators and fostering ecosystem growth.
Link: RFC 0045
3. Fellowship Referenda
Executed referenda
- Referendum 228: Ecosystem Test Environment (Milestones 2–5)
Payment request of $60,000 USD for completed milestones as part of the Ecosystem Test Environment proposal, originally submitted as Bounty 51. - Referendum 221: Whitelist Runtime Upgrades for 1.3.3 & Install Opengov-CLI
This executed referendum was focused on approving and executing the necessary upgrades for runtime version 1.3.3, alongside the installation of the opengov-cli tool for governance management. - Referendum 220: Whitelist for Increasing Validator Set Size to 500
A successful proposal increasing the validator set size to 500, enhancing Polkadot’s decentralization and security. This referendum is expected to be fully resolved within the coming days. - Referendum 210: Fix Incorrect Price for First Coretime Sale
This referendum addressed and corrected the incorrect price for the first coretime sale, ensuring market integrity and consistency.
4. Other Notable Developments
The Fellowship also continues to explore various technical advancements and ideas. Among these is the progress on JAM, a project spearheaded by Gavin Wood, which has recently seen the release of Graypaper 0.3 and ongoing community involvement. The Fellowship is working on both on-chain and off-chain components for the platform, aimed at creating a more dynamic and decentralized future for Polkadot’s ecosystem.
In addition, recent discussions have focused on topics such as parachain creation, treasury management, and UI improvements, all designed to streamline user experience and make the Polkadot ecosystem more accessible.
For a full view of the latest developments, check out the Polkadot Fellowship GitHub repository.
