The Week in Polkadot: JAM Pushes Toward ‘Original Concept’ of World Computer: Gavin Wood

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Welcome to Decrypt’s Week in Polkadot, our regular round-up of the latest developments in the Polkadot ecosystem.

Gavin Wood gives deep dive on JAM upgrade

Polkadot founder Gavin Wood sat down to answer some of the questions surrounding the network’s proposed Join-Accumulate Machine (JAM) upgrade, following the publication of its graypaper last month.

In a hour-long podcast interview with The Kusamarian, Wood touched on how JAM represents a step towards his “original concept” of a world computer that’s scalable enough to “compute significant amounts, like global amounts of transactive computational data.”

Wood added that based on “back of the envelope calculations,” which he cautioned should be taken with a “very, very, very large pinch of salt,” JAM could manage, “500,000 times the EVM computation performance […] maybe into the millions.”

DeFi Navigation app comes to Polkadot

MapMetrics, a drive-to-earn navigation app which enables users to earn rewards by mapping the world, has migrated to peaq from competing blockchain Solana.

Peaq is a Polkadot-based parachain that specializes in supporting decentralized physical infrastructure networks, or DePINs. This involves using blockchain to run and maintain decentralized networks of physical hardware, including sensors, wireless infrastructure, and energy grids.

MapMetrics has 55,000 users and devices in 177 countries, as well as a partnership with Microsoft’s Bing Maps.

The start-up said it hopes the migration away from Solana will help to promote synergies with other DePINs in the peaq ecosystem.

Polkadot joins Rug Radio at Southeast Asia Blockchain Week

PolkaPAT, co-curator of Polkado APAC and Polkadot SEA, joined Rug Radio contributor Pukerainbow at Southeast Asia Blockchain Week for a discussion on the Polkadot ecosystem in Asia.

Speaking to @polka_pat on all the latest development on @Polkadot, cohosted by my brother @NatChittamai

-How @Polkadot works?
-Bringing in the next wave of builders
-Who created the WEB3 word?
-How much @polka_pat loves her job

Powered by @RugRadio, @decryptmedia &… pic.twitter.com/083b8LOfc7

— Pukecast (@pukecast) May 1, 2024

The conversation ran the gamut of topics, including how the Polkadot community is set to vote ahead of the latest JAM Upgrade, and how a growing number of western Polkadot developers are looking towards Southeast Asia for growth and vice versa.

Acala unveils Sinai update

Acala, a parachain within the Polkadot ecosystem, has announced its Sinai Upgrade.

The upgrade will focus on multichain integration, using XCM (Cross-Consensus Messaging) and Wormhole to enable cross-chain transactions.

Users will be able to access staking, liquidity provisioning, and lending across major platforms such as Polkadot, Ethereum, and Solana.