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Build on Polkadot

Polkadot SDK​

The Polkadot SDK repository provides all the resources needed to start building on the Polkadot network, a multi-chain blockchain platform that enables different blockchains to interoperate and share information in a secure and scalable way. The Polkadot SDK comprises three main pieces of software:

The programming language used for development is Rust.

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For more information about building on Polkadot, see the Builder's Guide.

Requests for Comment (RFCs)​

With the release of Polkadot runtime 1.0, Polkadot's codebase is in the hands of the community. Anyone can open a Request for Comment (RFC) to propose and discuss changes to the network protocol, runtime logic, public interfaces, and other technical matters.

To submit an RFC, follow the instructions here.

RFCs can only be approved and merged by III-Dan members of Polkadot Technical Fellowship via on-chain voting mechanism. Definitive approval or rejection is done by issuing the RFC_APPROVE(xxxx, h) or RFC_REJECT(xxxx, h) on-chain remark from the Fellowship origin on the Polkadot Collectives parachain, where xxxx is the RFC number and h is the hash of the raw proposal text.

For example, the first RFC RFC-1 about Agile Coretime was proposed by Gavin Wood on the 30th of June 2023 and merged on the 12th of August 2023. Subsequently, the code for the Agile Coretime Broker pallet was added to the Substrate FRAME system.

In general, the workflow from RFC write-up submission to its implementation follows the timeline below:

  • RFC submitted by following the instructions.
  • RFC review by the Technical Fellowship via GitHub
  • Polkadot Technical Fellowship Referendum of the RFC submitted to the Track 3 / Fellows by members with a rank greater than or equal to 3.
  • If the Referendum is approved through on-chain vote by the Technical Fellowship, changes discussed in the RFC will be implemented.
  • If the changes requested through the RFC require a broader consensus of DOT holders, an OpenGov referendum may be created. For instance, adding a new system collective or making changes to network parameters like inflation rate, treasury inflow etc.
Polkadot Runtime Code Changes through Root track

Although the Technical Fellowship maintains the runtimes of Polkadot and Kusama, changes to the network protocol are not gated by the fellowship. Any DOT holder can submit a referendum on the Polkadot OpenGov Root track to set the runtime code with the proposed changes.

For more information about the adoption of RFCs within the Polkadot ecosystem, see this Medium article and the original Polkadot Forum post.