The Polkadot network activated native smart contracts on Polkadot Hub to attract Ethereum developers. However, it appears the blockchain faces initial adoption challenges.
The developers of the Polkadot ecosystem are executing a critical phase of their technical roadmap, enabling native support for smart contracts in Polkadot Hub, in an attempt to regain ground against competing networks such as Ethereum and Solana.
The new functionality, launched at the end of January, allows developers to deploy applications directly onto the core network infrastructure without needing to resort to parachains outside.
However, despite the innovation represented by the possibility of implementing native smart contracts on this blockchain, the initial reception from the community after its deployment shows a cautious progression, with only a few 27 contracts registered to date, According to data from the Subscan platform. For experts, this figure contrasts sharply with the activity on networks like Ethereum and Solana, which processed more than 1.700.000 and 900 new contracts, respectively, in the same period.
Even so, despite the gap, Parity Technologies operators maintain a stance of technical firmness, prioritizing the stability of a proven foundation over the accelerated growth of initial metrics.
Accumulate DOT before its mass adoptionNative smart contracts and EVM compatibility
The deployment of smart contracts on the Polkadot blockchain relies on an architecture called Revive, a dual backend environment that seeks to simplify the transition for developers coming from other chains.
The developers explained that, by faithfully replicating the behavior of the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)Polkadot makes common tools like Foundry, Hardhat, and MetaMask work seamlessly. This provides a familiar experience for teams already using Solidity to build applications, lowering the barriers to migrating their projects to the Polkadot ecosystem without having to rewrite code from scratch.
However, the rollout of native smart contract support has not been without internal debate among developers. The implementation of PolkaVM (PVM)Based on a RISC-V architecture, it promises superior performance and long-term support for languages like Rust, but has generated criticism regarding its current execution speed.
Some experts point out that, while interoperability with Ethereum reduces migration resistance, Polkadot will need to demonstrate that its processing power can compete with the most efficient scalability solutions in the crypto ecosystem, including Ethereum's Layer 2 networks. This is essential if Polkadot wants to attract major DeFi protocols, they argue.
For now, the implemented infrastructure supports smart contracts of up to one megabyte, a limit that surpasses several of its main rivals and leaves room for growth.
Operate with Polkadot from Bit2MePolkadot is revitalizing itself to regain ground in the crypto ecosystem
Polkadot's evolution is occurring within a complex financial context for its native token, DOT. After reaching an all-time low of $1,15 last week, the network's governance has implemented mechanisms to increase the asset's scarcity, seeking to stabilize its market value, which currently hovers around $2.100 billion. The organization's strategy is based on the reliability of its network metrics: a latency of approximately 28 milliseconds and a block inclusion confidence of 99,8%.
Thus, as the chain activity matures, the ecosystem prepares for further structural changes, such as the replacement of the BABE consensus protocol with SassafrasIn X, the network developers explained that this new protocol aims for constant time block production to maximize efficiency.
As projects in sectors like decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) and video games begin to integrate, Polkadot faces the challenge of translating its technical robustness into mass adoption to halt its declining market relevance. Parity Technologies' management has indicated that strategic partnerships related to these new smart contracts will begin to be announced as integrations progress in the coming weeks of 2026.
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