by @TheDotsTalks

🐂 top news

• Jay Chrawnna (The Kus) launched a Polkadot Forum discussion and OpenSquare vote for the community to choose between three Capped & Stepped inflation models for DOT, following research funded by DOT RFP #1.

• Polkadot settled $500M of cross-chain volume in July.

• Watch Gavin Wood’sclosing keynote from Web3 Summit.

• Gavin Wood released JAM Gray Paper v0.7.1, combining accumulate and on_transfer functions for improved gas efficiency.

• Web3 Foundation published all 44 videos from the Web3 Summit.

• Parity published What’s new for builders on Polkadot?

• Method5 is developing a Polkadot SDK for Java.

• XCSCAN added native XCM swap tracking with step-by-step token progress monitoring.

• Nova Wallet added multisig support to iOS with create, approve, and sign functions, including hardware wallet and proxy compatibility across Polkadot, Kusama, Moonbeam, Hydration, and Mythos.

• SubWallet now lets you swap natively across chains in just 1 click.

⭕️ ecosystem

• Acalalaunched an incentive plan distributing 1.2 million ACA tokens to LDOT holders who participate in Polkadot validator voting.

• Bifrost increased its maximum Immunefi bug bounty for protocol and front-end vulnerabilities from $20K to $500K.

• Crustwelcomed Web3 gamefi MimboNode to its ecosystem.

• KILT is now connected to the Hyperbridge mainnet.

• Hyperbridge and Bifrost launched phase two of cross-chain liquidity incentives for vDOT pools on Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, and BNB via Merkl.

• Hydration launched a new tBTC boosted farm with 222% APR for three weeks following a successful referendum.

  • Hydration deployed GIGAHydration incentives to SOL, offering APRs of up to 69%.

• Polimec announced it is winding down operations with asset withdrawals and project token distributions still available.

• Talisman is seeking mobile app testers for 30-40 minute feedback interviews, offering 50 USDT rewards.

  • Talismanv2.12.0 is now live, adding support for GDOT and GETH on Hydration, along with a range of key updates and improvements.

• Stellaswap partnered with ICHI to add single-sided liquidity with auto-rebalancing and auto-compounding features.

• Mythos reached 80% of 2024's sales volume in the first half of 2025.

• Unique Network reached 1M accounts.

⚙️ technical

• Polkadot-JS Apps updated to v0.162.1.

• Polkadot-JS Extension updated to v0.61.5.

• Polkadot-JS API updated to v16.4.3.

• PolkaVM smart contracts now support XCM calls from Solidity and ink! on Polkadot testnet.

🏛️ governance

For more information on Polkadot governance statistics, check out the Polkadot Dune governance dashboard.

🆕 new

• Ref 1684: Sponsoring sub0 25 (Polkadot’s flagship event) in Buenos Aires, Argentina (~$739K)

• Ref 1686: Retroactively funding PolkaBiz for May-July 2025 ($62K)

• Ref 1688: Funding Gossamer’s contribution to Polkadot SDK for Q3-Q4 2025 (~$815K)

• Ref 1689: Funding Quadrivium for Polkadot-SDK improvements ($288K)

🕓 confirming

• Ref 1640: Topping up the Polkadot Assurance Legion bounty (500K DOT)

• Ref 1662: Refilling the UX Bounty for Q3 2025 (~67K DOT)

👍🏾 passing

• Ref 1660: Requesting the Web3 Foundation to create a Polkadot Agents program

• Ref 1670: Funding the development of Pixelproof, a decentralized photo storage app ($225K)

👎🏾 failing

• Ref 1650: Funding the development of the Polkadot BD Hub ($255K)

• Ref 1666: Funding an Inter Miami CF rewards program ($250K)

• Ref 1667: Funding the development of a Merkle Mountain Belt, a novel data structure that improves upon and replaces the Merkle Mountain Range such as used in BEEFY ($340K + 42K DOT)

• Ref 1672: Funding Polkadot Africa for builder and community growth ($352.8K)

• Ref 1676: Funding academic research on Polkadot’s OpenGov ($50K)

• Ref 1679: Funding the development of Clarys.AI ($256.1K)

• Ref 1680: Retroactively funding SubWallet development from August 2024 to March 2025 (~$1.7M)

• Ref 1681: Instructing the Polkadot Community Foundation to sign a strategic cooperation agreement with Hong Kong’s Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (~$37K)

• Ref 1682: Funding Snowbridge development for the next year (832.51K DOT)

✅ approved

• Ref 1637: Funding Milestone 2 of the development of Cyborg Network (~$137K)

• Ref 1638: Funding OneBlock+ and PaperMoon’s 2025 developer education & community expansion plan (~$376K)

• Ref 1651: Topping up the Polkadot System Parachains Collator bounty (~43K DOT)

❌ rejected

• Ref 1639: Funding the development of Papi Simulator, a developer tool and playground (21,960 DOT)

• Ref 1642: Funding Colorful Notion for 9 months of Dune integration work (~$610K)

• Ref 1644: Funding LimeChain for phase 2 of devGround (~$172K)

📺 what to watch and listen to

• Attempts at Governance 254: sub0.

• Polkadot Hub - Tech Stack Update by Alice und Bob.

• New Polkadot Tokenomics X Space hosted by Alice und Bob.

• Friday DOT News Pump(Polkadot Capped Supply? 😨 New Stepped Inflation Tokenomic Upgrades! Plus BIG FIFA Rivals Wins) by The Kus.

• Interview with Web3 Foundation’s Bill Laboon (on Kusama's Evolution, ZK, Proof of Personhood, and 10M DOT - Space Monkeys 202) by The Kus.

📖 what to read

• Do nominators & validators hold their rewards or send them straight to CEXs? 5 years of staking behavior from both nominators & validators by SäDwaudeen.

• Why choose Polkadot Rollup over L2s? by KriptoAlly.

• 3 Inflation Models for Polkadot Revealed by The Dots.

• Power to the People: How Crypto is Financially Empowering Communities by Integritee.

• Web3 promised a music industry revolution—it hasn't delivered (yet) by Polkadot.

• WTF happened to $DOT? by Alice und Bob.

• What is the relationship between the Web3 Foundation, Parity Technologies, and Polkadot? by Ravi.

Thank you for taking the DOT leap!