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DotPulse - Polkadot Ecosystem Aggregation Dashboard
POLKADOT OPENGOV TREASURY PROPOSAL
DotPulse
Polkadot Ecosystem Aggregation Dashboard
An L2Beat-Style Unified Analytics Platform for the Polkadot Ecosystem
| Proposer: | XXIX Labs (29Projects) |
|---|---|
| Track: | Small Spender |
| Requested Amount: | 14700 USDC |
| Beneficiary: | 1U3JboaBjPViEFDwwzKpFLVeV2LHQx9Jy31FuMgHuRBnmxq |
| Duration: | 12 weeks (3 months) |
| Date: | February 2026 |
1. TL;DR
DotPulse is an open-source, L2Beat-style ecosystem aggregation dashboard that presents Polkadot as one unified ecosystem rather than a fragmented collection of isolated parachains. It aggregates TVL, active addresses, transaction volumes, XCM transfer activity, bridge volumes, staking metrics, and smart contract deployments across all parachains into a single, real-time, publicly accessible dashboard.
The platform directly addresses Polkadot's biggest perception and data problem: DefiLlama, DappRadar, and other analytics platforms track each parachain separately, making the ecosystem appear significantly smaller than it actually is. DotPulse consolidates this data to show the full picture of Polkadot's combined ecosystem strength.
2. Problem Statement
2.1 The Fragmentation Problem
Polkadot's multichain architecture is its greatest technical strength but its worst analytics weakness. When investors, researchers, or media look up Polkadot ecosystem data, they encounter a fragmented picture:
- DefiLlama lists Hydration (~$55M TVL), Moonbeam (~$40M), Acala, Bifrost, and others as separate chains rather than as a unified ecosystem.
- No single view shows Polkadot's combined TVL (~$300M+ across Bifrost and Hydration alone), which would place it competitively against Cosmos, Avalanche, and other L0/L1 ecosystems.
- XCM transfer volumes (one of Polkadot's key differentiators) are invisible on any major analytics platform.
- The new Polkadot Hub smart contract ecosystem (launched January 2026) has no aggregated deployment/activity tracking.
2.2 Why This Matters for DOT
This fragmentation directly impacts DOT token perception and adoption. Institutional investors evaluating L1/L0 chains see Polkadot's individual parachains ranking low on analytics leaderboards, rather than seeing the combined ecosystem that competes with $500M+ TVL chains. The Polkadot Forum has discussed this problem since 2023, but no purpose-built public solution has been delivered.
The Tie's Polkadot Ecosystem Dashboard (September 2024) partially addresses this for institutional clients behind a paywall. DotPulse delivers a free, open-source, publicly accessible equivalent as a public good.
3. Proposed Solution: DotPulse
DotPulse is a free, open-source web application that serves as the definitive ecosystem health dashboard for Polkadot. Think of it as the L2Beat equivalent for Polkadot's multichain architecture.
3.1 Core Features
Ecosystem Overview (Landing Page)
- Aggregated Ecosystem TVL: Combined TVL across all parachains, Asset Hub, and Polkadot Hub with historical charts and breakdown by chain
- Active Users: Unique active addresses aggregated across all chains (deduplicated where possible using SS58 address mapping)
- Transaction Volume: Daily/weekly/monthly extrinsic counts and signed transaction volumes across all parachains
- Ecosystem Comparison: Side-by-side comparison showing Polkadot (aggregated) vs Ethereum L2s, Cosmos, Avalanche, and Solana
XCM Intelligence Module
- Cross-chain message volume, success rates, and latency metrics
- Top XCM routes visualization (which parachains communicate most)
- HRMP channel utilization and capacity dashboard
- Bridge volume tracking (Snowbridge, Hyperbridge) with TVL and transfer metrics
Parachain Health Scorecards
- Individual parachain pages with TVL, users, transactions, token metrics, and development activity
- Coretime consumption and allocation tracking
- Staking metrics (validators, nominators, stake distribution)
Polkadot Hub Smart Contract Tracker
- New contract deployments (REVM + PolkaVM) with daily/weekly trends
- Contract interaction volumes and unique users
- Developer adoption metrics tracking the growth of Hub's smart contract ecosystem
3.2 Technical Architecture
| Layer | Technology | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Data Ingestion | DotLake API, Dune API, DefiLlama API, SubQuery/Subsquid | Real-time and historical data aggregation from existing public data sources |
| Backend | Rust (Actix-web) or TypeScript (Node.js) | REST API with caching layer, data normalization, and aggregation logic |
| Database | PostgreSQL + TimescaleDB | Time-series optimized storage for metrics history and efficient queries |
| Frontend | Next.js + React + Recharts/D3.js | Server-side rendered, responsive dashboard with interactive visualizations |
| Hosting | Vercel (Frontend) + Railway/Fly.io (Backend) | Low-cost, scalable infrastructure with free tier covering initial traffic |
| Open Source | MIT License on GitHub | Full codebase, documentation, and deployment guides publicly available |
3.3 Data Sources (No New Infrastructure Required)
DotPulse builds on existing public data infrastructure funded by the Polkadot Treasury, requiring no new chain indexing:
- Dune Analytics (Ref #366 / substrate-etl): SQL-queryable data for 50+ parachains
- DotLake API (Parity Data Team): Public REST API for relay chain and parachain data
- DefiLlama API: TVL data for individual parachains (aggregation done by DotPulse)
- Subscan API: XCM transfer data, extrinsic counts, and staking metrics
- Polkadot Hub RPC: Direct smart contract deployment and interaction data
4. Milestones, Timeline & Budget
The project is structured into 3 milestones over 12 weeks with clear deliverables at each stage.
| Milestone | Description | Timeline | Budget (USDT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 – Foundation | Data pipeline + backend API + core aggregation logic | Weeks 1–4 | 5,100 USDC |
| M2 – Dashboard UI | Frontend dashboard, charts, parachain pages, XCM module | Weeks 5–9 | 6,300 USDC |
| M3 – Launch & Polish | Hub tracker, comparison views, docs, deployment, community launch | Weeks 10–12 | 3,300 USDC |
| TOTAL | 12 Weeks | 14,700 USDC |
4.1 Milestone 1 – Foundation (Weeks 1–4)
| Task | Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Data Source Integration | Connect to DotLake, Dune, DefiLlama, and Subscan APIs; build normalized data models | 40 |
| Aggregation Engine | Cross-chain TVL aggregation, address deduplication logic, metric normalization | 48 |
| Backend API | REST API endpoints for aggregated ecosystem data, individual chain data, and time-series queries | 40 |
| Database Schema | TimescaleDB schema design, migration scripts, caching layer with Redis | 24 |
| Testing & CI/CD | Unit tests, API integration tests, GitHub Actions pipeline | 16 |
M1 Deliverables: Working backend API (publicly accessible), GitHub repo with full source code, API documentation, data pipeline processing 15+ parachains.
4.2 Milestone 2 – Dashboard UI (Weeks 5–9)
| Task | Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem Overview Page | Aggregated TVL charts, active users, transaction volume, headline metrics with time filters | 48 |
| Parachain Pages | Individual chain scorecards with TVL, users, extrinsics, token info, coretime usage | 40 |
| XCM Intelligence View | Cross-chain message volume, top routes sankey diagram, HRMP channel utilization, bridge metrics | 48 |
| Comparison Module | Polkadot (aggregated) vs other L1/L0 ecosystems side-by-side view | 32 |
| Responsive Design & UX | Mobile-first responsive design, dark/light mode, loading states, error handling | 24 |
M2 Deliverables: Live beta dashboard (dotpulse.xyz or similar), ecosystem overview, 15+ parachain pages, XCM analytics module, comparison views. Public beta link shared on Polkadot Forum.
4.3 Milestone 3 – Launch & Polish (Weeks 10–12)
| Task | Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hub Smart Contract Tracker | Contract deployment counts, interaction volumes, developer adoption metrics for Polkadot Hub | 32 |
| Staking & Treasury Module | Network staking overview, treasury balance and spend tracking, governance activity | 24 |
| Embeddable Widgets & API Docs | Embeddable chart widgets for ecosystem projects, comprehensive API docs for developers | 16 |
| Documentation & Deployment | Contributor guide, self-hosting instructions, production deployment, performance optimization | 16 |
| Community Launch | Forum post, Twitter/X announcement, feedback integration, v1.0 release | 8 |
M3 Deliverables: Production-ready v1.0 launch, Hub smart contract tracker, embeddable widgets, full API documentation, contributor guide, community launch post.
5. Budget Breakdown
| Category | Hours | Rate (USD/hr) | USD Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Stack Development | 376 | $30 | $11,280 |
| UI/UX Design | 40 | $25 | $1,000 |
| DevOps & Infrastructure | 24 | $30 | $720 |
| Documentation & Community | 16 | $25 | $400 |
| Infrastructure Costs (12 mo) | — | — | $600 |
| Contingency (5%) | — | — | $700 |
| TOTAL | 456 | $14,700 |
6. Team
XXIX Labs (29Projects)
XXIX Labs is a blockchain development organization with proven delivery across multiple ecosystems.
Kunal – Founder & Lead Developer
- Polkadot Fast Grants alumni – delivered PowerGrid Network (decentralized virtual power plant with real IoT-blockchain integration using Substrate/FRAME)
- Currently building Halo Protocol on Solana (50 beta users, 94% retention, zero defaults)
- Multiple hackathon winner: UN COP’24 ISA Solarthon, Solana SuperteamDE
- Multi-chain expertise: Polkadot, Solana, Ethereum, NEAR, Starknet (Rust, TypeScript, Solidity)
- MS in Information Technology (in progress)
Track Record in Polkadot: Successfully delivered PowerGrid Network under Polkadot Fast Grants, demonstrating ability to ship production-quality Substrate-based systems on time and within budget. The team has direct experience with Polkadot's data architecture, XCM messaging, and parachain ecosystem.
7. Success Metrics & KPIs
The following measurable KPIs will be tracked and reported at each milestone:
| Metric | Target (at Launch) | Target (3 Months Post-Launch) |
|---|---|---|
| Parachains Tracked | 15+ active parachains | 25+ parachains + Kusama |
| Data Refresh Rate | Every 30 minutes | Every 15 minutes |
| API Response Time | < 500ms (p95) | < 300ms (p95) |
| Monthly Unique Visitors | 500+ | 2,000+ |
| API Consumers | 5+ projects integrating | 15+ projects integrating |
| Community Engagement | Forum post + 50 reactions | Featured in ecosystem media |
| Open Source Contributors | Codebase on GitHub | 3+ external contributors |
8. Sustainability Plan
DotPulse is designed to be self-sustaining beyond the initial treasury funding:
Phase 1 (Treasury-funded): Build core platform, open-source all code, deploy production instance.
Phase 2 (Community-sustained): Accept community contributions via GitHub. Hosting costs are minimal (~$50/month) and can be covered by a Big Tipper proposal or absorbed by the team.
Phase 3 (Revenue-optional): Optional premium API tier for high-frequency data consumers (exchanges, institutional researchers) while keeping the dashboard and standard API free forever.
The open-source nature ensures the project survives regardless of the team's continued involvement. Any community member can fork, deploy, and extend the codebase.
9. Risks & Mitigations
| Risk | Impact | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data source API changes or rate limits | Delayed data updates | Medium | Multi-source redundancy; caching layer; fallback to Subsquid/SubQuery |
| Scope creep beyond 12 weeks | Delayed delivery | Low | Fixed scope per milestone; additional features deferred to v1.1 |
| Low initial community adoption | Reduced impact | Medium | Pre-launch community engagement; embeddable widgets drive organic adoption |
| DOT price volatility affecting budget | Budget shortfall | Medium | Conservative DOT pricing; contingency buffer; milestone-based payout |
10. Why This Proposal, Why Now
Several ecosystem developments make this the optimal time to build DotPulse:
- Polkadot Hub launched smart contracts (January 2026) – creating a new dimension of ecosystem activity that needs tracking from day one.
- Data infrastructure is now mature – Dune (Ref #366), DotLake API, and Subscan collectively cover 50+ parachains. The data layer is ready; the aggregation layer is missing.
- Treasury is operating conservatively – Q4 2025 saw $7.4M in spending (lowest since OpenGov launch). Small, high-leverage public goods proposals align with the current fiscal posture.
- 53% inflation cut coming March 2026 – reduced treasury income makes it essential to maximize visibility and narrative impact per dollar spent.
- JAM transition requires ecosystem-level metrics – DotPulse's architecture can adapt from tracking parachains to tracking JAM services as the protocol evolves in 2026–2027.
11. Reporting & Accountability
Following OpenGov.Watch best practices:
- Milestone reports posted on Polkassembly/SubSquare at each milestone completion with deliverable links
- All code open-source on GitHub from day one (not just at final delivery)
- Final report with KPI achievement assessment, lessons learned, and future roadmap
- Permanent PDF of this proposal stored on Crust/IPFS for immutability
- Community Q&A availability throughout the decision period and development phase
12. Contact & Links
Organization: XXIX Labs (29Projects)
GitHub: github.com/29Projects [repo will be created upon proposal approval]
Contact: [email protected]
DotPulse: Making Polkadot's ecosystem strength visible to the world.
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