Build Polkadot: Network Launch Bounty Challenges

The genesis block of the Polkadot network was launched on May 26th. To celebrate, we have created the first builder’s bounty with over $6000 DAI to be won, split over three challenges.

By PolkadotMay 28, 2020

Polkadot is live! Be among the first to build on it

The genesis block of the Polkadot network was launched on May 26th. To celebrate, we have created the first builder’s bounty with over $6000 DAI to be won, split over three challenges.

The initial phase of Polkadot will run as a Proof of Authority (PoA) network. To honor the occasion, Web3 Foundation has created a challenge for developers covering three distinct areas: visualization, user tools and everything else in the Polkadot ecosystem.

The Challenges

Visualization: The first challenge is for those with a talent for the visual. With a wide scope to choose from, the goal is to create anything related to visualization and the Polkadot ecosystem. Share your vision with the world!

User Tools: This challenge is for those who delight in making complicated, difficult processes simple. The goal is to create a tool that helps the Polkadot user. This could be anything from ways to observe the governance bodies to tools for validators. Let’s make things even more efficient and easier to use.

Surprise Us: The third challenge gives free rein to build whatever you want for the Polkadot ecosystem; from building your own blockchain using Substrate (Parity’s framework for blockchain development) to creating a cool wall of LEDs that change color based on the number of extrinsics in the latest block. It’s a chance to let your imagination go wild.

Ready to win?

This bounty is worth $6000 DAI, split equally among the three challenges: $1000 DAI for first place; $600 DAI for second place; $400 DAI for third place. The bounty will run for two weeks, from 28.5.2020 to 11.6.2020 11.59 pm CET.

Our judges are Bill Laboon, Technical Education Lead at Web3 Foundation and Joshy Orndorff, Developer Advocate at Parity Technologies. They will evaluate all the submissions we receive using the criteria of technical soundness, usefulness and relevance, as well as design and usability. The winners will be announced a week after the closing date.

Find out more

Get more details on each challenge on the Gitcoin page.

We look forward to reading your submission. Good luck!

Announcing the Winners

Build Polkadot was a major success! Thirty developers rose to the challenge and we received a total of 15 submissions. Due to the high quality, our judges Bill Laboon and Joshy Orndorff had a tough time deciding on the winners. After a week of consideration, they made their final decision. We are delighted to introduce the winning submissions below.

Visualization

1st place: Network2network built by milonite - a very cool visualisation tool that maps every Kusama address to a static anime face, maps Polkadot addresses to a human face and visualizes block heights with an ageing man.

2nd place: FlappyTips built by ltfschoen - a cute game that allows you to fly the DOT character through block gaps. The game also incentivises users to create an on-chain account and deposit sufficient funds to cover the transaction costs required to share their game results.

3rd place: Polka Pulse built by mariopino - a visualization tool that currently uses the Kusama network and shows block time, session progress, era progress and day progress as well as the current block height and last finalized block.

User Tools

1st place: Dotvanity built by hukkinj1- a CLI tool for generating Substrate (or Polkadot) vanity addresses. It comes with a few neat features!

2nd place: Polkadot Telegram Query Bot built by ayobuenavista - this tool is a Telegram bot that queries data from Polkadot and other Substrate-based chains. There are a total of 20 commands that you can run, including returning account balances, election information, council information and many others.

3rd place: Stakers payout kubernetes cronjob built by nicolasochem - a good validator pays its nominators every era. This tool is a cronjob to pay stakers every three hours for the immediately preceding era, making it an essential part of a good Polkadot validator solution.

Surprise Us

1st place: Substrate Identity Module built by dvc94ch - keybase-like identity system for Substrate using a small embeddable IPFS implementation

2nd place: Kusama Automated Registry Identity built by yangwao - a great tool for an automatic identity judgement process using common services such as telegram and phone numbers.

3rd place: Shoot your old validator built by branciard- this tool was built to prevent double signing of multiple running validators, using sms and the Shoot The Other Node In The Head (STONITH) algorithm.

Thank you

Congratulations to all the winners. We’d also like to thank everyone who took part, working towards our common goal of building open source projects and a better, safer internet for all. We will shortly be beginning a series of Hackathons on both Polkadot and Kusama, so we hope to meet you there again. Keep an eye on our Telegram and Riot channels.

From the blog

Uplifting new voices and validators: Polkadot's path to sustainable decentralization

Decentralized Nodes and Decentralized Voices programs by the Web3 Foundation offer pathways for validators and governance participants to gain influence based on merit, helping to build a fairer, more resilient Polkadot ecosystem that aligns with the core principles of web3.

Is large-scale, high-quality Web3 education possible?

The Polkadot Blockchain Academy (PBA) is taking Web3 education to the next level with PBA-X, an online course crafted to deliver high-quality blockchain knowledge at scale. Learn how we’re preserving educational standards, fostering a global community, and creating new opportunities for learners everywhere.

Blockchain explained: A practical guide from concepts to use cases

Blockchain has grown far beyond its roots in cryptocurrency, reshaping industries from finance to healthcare. This guide walks you through the basics, benefits, and groundbreaking potential of blockchain and its impact on the future of the open internet.

Empowering the next wave of founders: Welcome to EasyA x Polkadot University

Unlock a structured path to start building on Polkadot with EasyA x Polkadot University.

Dynamic & Modular: Scaling Ambition with Agile Coretime

Polkadot’s Agile Coretime simplifies launching and scaling blockchain projects with dynamic blockspace allocation and flexible cost options. Learn how Agile Coretime makes it easier to build, launch, and scale ambitious Web3 projects.

How play-to-earn (P2E) is transforming onchain mobile sports gaming

Play-to-earn games are transforming mobile sports gaming. Learn how blockchain, NFTs, and platforms like Polkadot create new opportunities for digital asset ownership and cross-chain gameplay.

Polkadot Token 2049 and Decoded Asia 2024: A multichain ecosystem in action

At Token 2049 and Decoded Asia 2024 in Singapore, Polkadot teams and contributors showcased a multichain future for real-world applications. Key moments included Dr. Gavin Wood’s vision for digital individuality, Chrissy Hill’s regulatory insights, and announcements from emerging projects shaping the Web3 ecosystem.

What is a crypto wallet? Your all-access pass to the future web

In Web3, your wallet is your most valuable digital tool. It’s more than just a place to store, send, and receive cryptocurrencies securely—it’s your passport to the decentralized world.

July 2024: Key network metrics and insights

Welcome to your go-to source for the latest tech updates, key metrics, and discussions within Polkadot, brought to you by the Parity Success Team. This blog series covers a variety of topics, drawing insights from GitHub, project teams, and the Polkadot Forum.

Polkadot 2.0: The rebirth of a network

Polkadot 2.0 reimagines blockchain with a bold rebrand and powerful features: Agile Coretime, Async Backing, and Elastic Scaling. Step into a more flexible, faster, and scalable network. Learn about the improvements and changes that led to this next era of Polkadot.

Meet the Decentralized Futures grant recipients: transforming ideas into impact on Polkadot

The Decentralized Mic is here to spotlight the innovative projects and teams driving Polkadot’s growth. Join us as we explore the achievements of Decentralized Futures grant recipients and their contributions to the Polkadot ecosystem on the new ecosystem community call series.

The ultimate 2024 Polkadot grants and funding guide

Explore Polkadot ecosystem funding: grants, venture capital, bounties, and community initiatives. Discover opportunities for blockchain builders today.