{"id":548089,"date":"2026-01-28T14:11:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T14:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crypto-news-flash.com\/?p=1279109"},"modified":"2026-01-28T14:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T14:11:27","slug":"polkadot-levels-up-with-runtime-upgrade-focused-on-real-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/2026\/01\/28\/polkadot-levels-up-with-runtime-upgrade-focused-on-real-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"Polkadot Levels Up With Runtime Upgrade Focused on Real Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"eth-editorial-banner\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"eth-editorial-logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crypto-news-flash.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cnf2-scaled-1-1-1.png\" alt=\"Crypto News Flash\"> <span class=\"eth-editorial-text\">All news is rigorously fact-checked and reviewed by leading blockchain experts and seasoned industry insiders.<\/span> <\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Polkadot has announced a runtime upgrade that will boost speed for apps, confirm transactions faster and ease development on the network.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Parity Technologies, the for-profit behind the network, recorded a net profit in Q4 last year for the first time, boosted by the return of founder Gavin Wood.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p>Polkadot has announced a new upgrade to its mainnet which includes faster app execution and native smart contracts. The network says it has \u201clevelled up\u201d and that its interface will now feel closer to Web2 while retaining its Web3 decentralization.<\/p>\n<p>The upgrade will make Polkadot a \u201cfaster, simpler, more usable network designed for real apps,\u201d it stated on social media. Apps deployed on the network will now feel faster while transactions finality will be quicker. The upgrade also makes it easier to build apps on the network, allowing developers to concentrate on the products and not the protocol engineering.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Polkadot just leveled up.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s runtime upgrade marks the beginning of a faster, simpler, more usable network designed for real apps.<\/p>\n<p>What changes for you?<br \/>\u2192 Apps feel fast and fluid<br \/>\u2192 Transactions confirm quicker<br \/>\u2192 Builders can focus on products, not protocol engineering\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1DkWSTifCe\">pic.twitter.com\/1DkWSTifCe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Polkadot (@Polkadot) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Polkadot\/status\/2016182966062297177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One of the most significant upgrades, according to the network, is that it now supports native smart contracts. Polkadot operates a mainnet, known as the Relay Chain, and side networks, known as parachains. The Relay Chain does not support smart contracts and dApps; it\u2019s only used for shared security and consensus. Previously, developers had to deploy their smart contracts on parachains like Astar and Moonbeam, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crypto-news-flash.com\/polkadot-dot-in-2025-the-network-of-networks-powering-interoperable-web3\/\">our guide<\/a> explains.<\/p>\n<h3>The Second Age of Polkadot<\/h3>\n<p>In addition to faster apps and smart contracts, the upgrade promises to reduce delays and the steps required to perform basic actions on the network. The app ecosystem will also be easier to explore, while developers will no longer face long iteration cycles with their apps. Ultimately, all these improvements are geared toward offering an experience closer to Web2, but underpinned by Web3 technology.<\/p>\n<p>DOT, the native token, will also experience a \u201csignificantly lower token inflation,\u201d the project says, adding:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>This means a network designed to last; for users, builders, and long-term holders. Polkadot is ready for everyday apps.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The upgrade is the first step in what the network has <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Polkadot\/status\/2008103978249424960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">described<\/a> as \u2018the Second Age of Polkadot.\u2019 As founder Gavin Wood recently explained, the network has long been focused on proving capabilities and improving architecture. This year, it\u2019s shifting to creativity and applications.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Parity Technologies, the company that has been developing Polkadot, <a href=\"https:\/\/forum.polkadot.network\/t\/2025-q4-polkadot-treasury-report\/16847\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">revealed<\/a> recently that it had turned a profit for the first time since it started going public with its financials three years ago. After a bruising second quarter last year, the company turned its fortunes around in the third quarter and brought in $4.1 million in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1279114\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1279114\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1279114 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crypto-news-flash.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Parity-Tech.png\" alt=\"Polkadot Parity Tech\" width=\"1182\" height=\"620\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1279114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/forum.polkadot.network\/t\/2025-q4-polkadot-treasury-report\/16847\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Polkadot Forum<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The turnaround has been attributed to the return of Wood as the Parity Tech CEO, a role he retook in August. He has since doubled down on a lean budget to cut the lavish spending that saw the company splash <a href=\"https:\/\/forum.polkadot.network\/t\/2024-h1-polkadot-treasury-report\/8862\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$87 million<\/a> in 2024, with $37 million going to advertising. This included spending $5 million to pay social media influencers and $180,000 to stick the network\u2019s logo on private jets in Europe to target high-net-worth individuals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crypto-news-flash.com\/buy-dot\/\">DOT<\/a> trades at <strong>$1.9<\/strong> at press time, gaining nearly <span><strong>2%<\/strong> <\/span>as trading volume surged <span><strong>40%<\/strong><\/span> to $137 million. Despite the recovery, it\u2019s still in the red on the weekly chart, and after losing the <strong>$2<\/strong> support, analysts say the token\u2019s momentum has been taken over by the bears and could dip further before the end of the week.<\/p>\n<p>However, if it breaks out of a descending wedge pattern it has been stuck in since November, it could trigger bullish momentum, one analyst points out.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1279123\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1279123\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1279123 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crypto-news-flash.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DOT.jpeg\" alt=\"DOT\" width=\"1280\" height=\"610\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1279123\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image courtesy of Whales Crypto on <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WHALES_CRYPTOt\/status\/2016481486552318150\">X<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crypto-news-flash.com\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All news is rigorously fact-checked and reviewed by leading blockchain experts and seasoned industry insiders. Polkadot has announced a runtime upgrade that will boost speed for apps, confirm transactions faster and ease development on the network. Parity Technologies, the for-profit behind the network, recorded a net profit in Q4 last year for the first time, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":548090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[827,25,428],"class_list":{"0":"post-548089","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-other","8":"tag-dot","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-polkadot"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548089\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-bitco.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}