Polkadot Guides

Your single entry point to every guide we publish about Polkadot—wallets, staking, Asset Hub, DeFi, OpenGov, smart contracts, tooling, and JAM. Skimmable intros, step-by-steps, checklists, and FAQs so you can ship faster with fewer mistakes.

Start Here

Polkadot evolves quickly. Terms change, runtimes upgrade, and tooling moves. This hub keeps the latest, canonical guides in one place—curated for builders, power users, and researchers. Every guide pairs a fast “do this now” path with deeper context when you need it.

What You’ll Find (ELI5)

• Do: concrete tutorials (stake DOT, launch a token, open LPs, post a proposal).
• Build: developer patterns (ink!/EVM, SDKs, local forks, CI).
• Understand: architecture explainers (Relay Chain, parachains, XCMP/HRMP, JAM).
• Decide: comparisons, checklists, and pitfalls to avoid expensive mistakes.

Guide Pillars

• Fresh & precise: 2025 terms and flows (Polkadot, Relay Chain, parachains, Asset Hub, OpenGov, JAM).
• Skimmable depth: ELI5 → quick start → deep dive → checklist → FAQs.
• Action-first: step-by-steps with screenshots and real transaction flows.
• Interlinked: each guide routes you to the “next right thing” to do.
• Clarity & safety: plain language, explicit risks; no investment advice.

Browse by Category

Wallets & Accounts

What you’ll learn:

• Pick a wallet (mobile/desktop/air-gapped).
• Seed phrase, hardware, and recovery hygiene.
• Proxy accounts for safer day-to-day ops; multisig for teams.

Guides:

• Best Polkadot Wallets (setup, fees, security basics)
• Proxy Accounts 101 (roles, limits, workflows)
• Multisig for Teams (treasury, payroll, releases)

Staking & Liquid Staking

What you’ll learn:

• NPoS basics, nomination pools, validator selection.
• Reward mechanics, rebalancing, compounding.
• Liquid staking (benefits, risks, integrations).

Guides:

• Stake DOT: beginner → advanced
• Liquid Staking & vDOT strategies
• Validator Health & Rotation Checklist

Asset Hub & Tokens

What you’ll learn:

• Create a token on Asset Hub (ids, metadata, reserves).
• DEX listing routes, pool configuration, remote swaps.
• Indexer-friendly metadata and naming best practices.

Guides:

• Create a Token on Asset Hub (step-by-step)
• Memecoin Launch (responsible setup & LP)
• DEX Listing & Metadata Playbook

DeFi on Polkadot

What you’ll learn:

• Omnipool concepts and LP positioning.
• Money markets, routing, and bridge flows.
• Approval hygiene, spending caps, and portfolio ops.

Guides:

• Omnipool Deep-Dive & LP Tactics
• Stablecoins on Polkadot (types, risks, liquidity)
• Cross-Chain Swaps (routes, fees, custody)

OpenGov & Treasury

What you’ll learn:

• Tracks, deposits, timelines, and enactment.
• How to write fundable proposals (budgets, milestones, delivery).
• How to evaluate referendums and signal effectively.

Guides:

• OpenGov Proposer Playbook (templates & checklists)
• Voter’s Guide (signals, dashboards, alerts)
• Post-Enactment Reporting & Delivery

Smart Contracts & dApp Dev

What you’ll learn:

• ink! vs. EVM trade-offs; when to choose each.
• Local dev with forks; testing and audits.
• Wallet connect flows, ABI/metadata versioning.

Guides:

• Polkadot Smart Contracts (ink! & EVM)
• Testing & Auditing Patterns
• Frontend Integrations (connect, sign, track)

Parachains, Tooling & Indexing

What you’ll learn:

• Polkadot-SDK basics, local chains, and replay tooling.
• XCMP/HRMP messaging for app builders.
• Indexing with explorers and custom ETL.

Guides:

• Open Source Polkadot Stack (2025) → /guides/polkadot-stack-tools
• Local Forks & Replay (builder workflow) → /guides/local-forks-replay
• XCMP/HRMP for Practitioners → /guides/xcmp-hrmp

Architecture & JAM

What you’ll learn:

• JAM concepts and why it matters to app teams.
• Readiness checklist for the road ahead.
• Migration thinking without breaking users.

FAQs

Is this hub for beginners or advanced users? Both. Every guide starts simple, then unlocks deeper context, patterns, and trade-offs.

Do I need a hardware wallet? If you hold meaningful value or run team ops, yes—treat it as baseline hygiene.

Which is better: ink! or EVM? It depends on your team. ink! offers native ergonomics; EVM offers familiarity and speed. Many teams prototype in EVM and later optimize with ink!.

How risky is liquid staking? You gain flexibility and composability, but add smart-contract and liquidity risks. Start small, understand redemption paths, and monitor liquidity.

What makes a strong OpenGov proposal? Clear problem, measurable milestones, transparent budget, auditability, and a delivery plan. Share drafts early for feedback before going on-chain.

How do I keep up with changes? Revisit key guides monthly. We include version notes and highlight breaking changes.

Can I reuse these checklists internally? Yes. Copy them into your runbooks/Notion and adapt to your workflows.

Is any of this investment advice? No. Educational content only. Always assess your own risks.

Request a Guide / Contribute

Missing a topic? Found a step that changed? Tell us what you need. We prioritize updates that unblock builders and reduce risk for users.