Develop with Polkadot

Introduction

This guide is a starting point for developers who wish to build in the Polkadot ecosystem. To get the most from this section:

1. Identify your development pathway:
   • Parachain Developers - build, deploy, and maintain custom parachains with the Polkadot SDK
   • Smart Contract Developers - leverage smart contracts and execute custom logic over existing chains to streamline your development process
   • Application Developers - leverage Polkadot's underlying protocol features to create solutions for your users to interact with the ecosystem
2. Use the sections under your pathway as follows:
   • Learn - content to deepen your knowledge and understanding
   • Build - connect to goal-oriented guides and step-by-step tutorials
   • Tools - tools commonly used in your pathway
   • Resources - resources for your pathway, including references, code repositories, and outside documentation

Development Pathways

Developers can choose from different development pathways to build applications and core blockchain functionality. Each pathway caters to different types of projects and developer skill sets while complementing one another within the broader network.

The Polkadot ecosystem provides multiple development pathways:

graph TD
    A[Development Pathways]
    A --> B[Parachain Development]
    A --> C[Smart Contract Development]
    A --> D[Application Development]

Tip

All three pathways can leverage Cross-Consensus Messaging (XCM) to create innovative cross-chain workflows and applications. Get started with these resources:

• Introduction to XCM - introduces key concepts, core function definitions, and code examples
• XCM Tools - provides an overview of popular XCM tools
• Tutorials for Managing XCM Channels - guides for using Polkadot.js Apps UI to establish cross-chain messaging channels

Parachain Developers

Build, deploy, and maintain custom parachains with the Polkadot SDK.

• Learn

  ---

  • Parachains Overview
  • Introduction to the Polkadot SDK
  • Customize Your Parachain

• Build

  ---

  • Parachain Developer Zero to Hero Guides
  • Install Polkadot SDK Dependencies

• Tools

  ---

  • Parachain Template
  • OpenZeppelin Polkadot Runtime Templates

• Resources

  ---

  • Polkadot SDK source code repository
  • FRAME source code repository

Smart Contract Developers

Leverage smart contracts and execute custom logic over existing chains to streamline your development process.

Tip

The Polkadot smart contract ecosystem is in active development. Please expect frequent changes. You can follow progress, or join the discussion, by visiting this Contracts on AssetHub Roadmap Polkadot Network Forum post.

• Learn

  ---

  • Overview - Smart Contracts on Polkadot
  • EVM-Compatible Parachains

• Build

  ---

  • Deploy a Smart Contract to Asset Hub
  • Deploy a Wasm Smart Contract

• Tools

  ---

  • cargo-contract CLI Tool
  • Remix - Ethereum IDE

• Resources

  ---

  • Runtime vs Smart Contract - Polkadot SDK Rust docs
  • Pure Rust Implementation of EVM

Application Developers

Integrate with the Polkadot blockchain's underlying protocol features to create solutions that allow users to interact with the ecosystem.

• Learn

  ---

  • Options for Wallet Integration
  • Options for Indexer Integration
  • Options for Oracle Integration

• Build

  ---

  • Install and Get Started with Polkadot.js API
  • Install and Get Started with Polkadot-API (PAPI)
  • Install and Get Started with Python Substrate Interface

• Tools

  ---

  • Polkadot.js API
  • Polkadot-API (PAPI)
  • Sidecar REST API

• Resources

  ---

  • RPC Endpoints
  • Polkadot Ecosystem Toolkit

In This Section

Networks

Explore the Polkadot ecosystem networks and learn the unique purposes of each, tailored for blockchain innovation, testing, and enterprise-grade solutions.

Parachains

Learn how to build, deploy, and maintain your parachain with the Polkadot SDK, from initial setup through customization, testing, runtime upgrades, and network operations.

Smart Contracts

Learn about smart contract development in Polkadot using ink! for Wasm contracts and EVM support for Solidity contracts on Asset Hub and parachains.

Interoperability

Learn how Polkadot enables blockchain interoperability through Cross-Consensus Messaging (XCM), powering secure cross-chain communication.

Toolkit

Learn about Polkadot's core development toolkit, from blockchain construction tools to API libraries and cross-chain messaging capabilities.