2022, A Year in Review
The clock has struck midnight, and we are officially in 2023! In light of a new chapter, it is time to look back on 2022 and the journey that has taken us this far.
Moonbeam and Moonriver had a landmark year: not only did Moonbeam complete its launch on Polkadot in 2022, but Moonriver secured a second spot on Kusama. In addition, cross-chain connected contracts began to earn buzz through the ecosystems, and new community initiatives came to the surface. Let’s take a look at what Moonbeam achieved together in the last 12 months.
2022 By Numbers
|
Total Ecosystem Projects |
Moonbeam Total Transactions | Moonbeam Total Address Count |
| 303 | 23,354,975 |
1,568,957 |
Source: Downtown Moonbeam & Web3Go Moonbeam Dashboard
3, 2, 1, Launch
Moonbeam started 2022 off with a bang by completing its launch process, going live on Polkadot on January 11! Since launching, Moonbeam has seen a remarkable influx of deployments and activity in the Moonbeam ecosystem with new NFT, DeFi, API projects, and so much more. Additionally, Moonriver took its second trip around the sun, securing a spot for the second year on a Kusama parachain.
- Make sure to join Moonbeam’s One-Year Breakthrough celebration on January 11 as we recap Moonbeam’s first year and expand on what to expect in the next year.
Connected Contracts
This year, developers started leveraging the cross-chain features of Moonbeam and Moonriver to build cross-chain connected applications that allow end users to couple any token with functionalities located on any blockchain, all from one application experience. These connected contracts represent a big shift in usability across the Polkadot ecosystem and Web3 world. Here is all the progress Moonbeam made in 2022.
Cross-Chain Blogs and Announcements:
- January | Moonriver adds cross-chain capabilities to enable native cross-chain token capabilities on Moonriver and introduces XC-20s to Kusama.
- April | Moonbeam introduces XC-20 cross-chain tokens to the Dotsama ecosystem
- April | Runtime 1401 enables projects to mint new XC-20 tokens on Moonbeam and Moonriver
- May | Moonbeam establishes cross-chain abilities, bringing xcDOT to the ecosystem
- May | Moonbeam, and Acala, establish the first cross-chain connection between two parachains on Polkadot
- June | Moonbeam announces a cross-chain connection with Prime Protocol, which unifies functionality from multiple layer one platforms, using Moonbeam as a “home base” for coordination between chains
- August | Runtime 1701 enables other parachains to interact with the Moonbeam EVM on Moonbase Alpha
- August | Moonbeam collaborates with LayerZero to enable developers on Moonbeam to use LayerZero to provide unified multi-chain user experiences
- October | Moonbeam announces the release of an XCM software development kit (SDK) to simplify the creation of cross-chain transfers for Moonbeam DApp developers.
- October | Developers can now send secure messages between chains with the help of Hyperlane
Note: The information presented in this newsletter, including project names, logos, and links to external web pages, is made available solely for general information purposes and is by no means an endorsement of the project, the content of its web pages, or the team.
Community
As the networks continue to become more decentralized, Moonbeam and Moonriver look towards the community to determine the future of the networks. It is because of this that Moonbeam and Moonriver curated a variety of different initiatives to celebrate community input.
- The Moonbeam Community Forum is a dedicated space for the community to refine and brainstorm concepts, share their feedback and participate in community discussions about governance, technology development, and future ecosystem initiatives. Users can also help serve the future of the networks by submitting proposals, participating in discussions, snapshot voting to provide early input, and so much more. Check out the Moonbeam Governance process.
- The Community Grants Program is a multi-level funding structure designed to support many kinds of projects in the ecosystem and help establish Moonbeam as the premier destination for cross-chain connected applications. Community members have the opportunity to discuss and vote on grant proposals!
- The Community Treasury Program community council is composed of individuals from the Moonbeam Foundation and the community who work to approve treasury drafts within the Moonbeam community forum and control the spending of the network.
- Community Voice is a space for the community to learn and chat about community-based initiatives in governance.
Moonbuilders
This year, Moonbeam and Moonriver implemented a variety of technological updates and new programs designed to bolster the security of the network and to help developers deploy new projects into the ecosystem.
- Moonbeam’s developer toolkit has expanded to now include projects such as Bobabeam, Moonscan, Tenderly, Waffle, Mars, The Graph, and so much more to make development and deploying projects more simple.
- Moonbeams XCM SDK was built to simplify the development of interoperability use cases on Moonbeam via XCM, Polkadot’s native cross-chain messaging system.
New Programs For Developers:
- Moonbuilder’s Academy is Moonbeam’s first learning hub and educational platform for developers. This Academy has been designed for devs to learn how to build multi-chain applications on Moonbeam and Moonriver.
- The Moonbeam Bug Bounty Program is a collaboration between Immunefi and Moonbeam that works to encourage white hats and developers to disclose potential technical or security issues within Moonbeam’s codebase, website, transactions, and more.
- The Moonbeam Accelerator Program enables the growth of possibilities through technology with exclusive online training and access to its ecosystem.
- Moonbeam’s Funding Programs are comprised of multiple programs and initiatives to help any project get up and running as quickly as possible. From grant programs to educational resources, Moonbeam’s funding resources can take any project to the next level.
- The Community Grant Program is a multi-level funding structure designed to support many kinds of projects in the ecosystem and help establish Moonbeam as the premier destination for cross-chain connected applications.
- The Community Treasury Program is composed of five individuals who work to control treasury spending by approving or disapproving new community or ecosystem proposals.
- The Moonbeam Ecosystem Fund from Arrington Capital focuses on supporting native and multi-chain deployments on Moonbeam that tap into the network’s novel interoperability capabilities.
Ecosystem
In 2022 the Moonbeam and Moonriver ecosystems sprung to life with over 300 projects collaborating in the ecosystem. From new NFTs, DeFi, dev tools, and more, the Moonbeam ecosystem has continued to ignite with new activity. Downtown Moonbeam has an open, inclusive list of all of the projects living within the Moonbeam ecosystem, including the top projects within DeFi, NFT, and gaming categories. Browse All Dapps on Moonbeam and Moonriver.
- Top DeFi Projects: Moonwell, StellaSwap, Lido, Beamswap, Curve, Beefy Finance
- Top NFT Projects: RMRK, Raresama, Moonbeans, NFTrade, TofuNFT, Exiled Racers
- Top Gaming Projects: Moonsama, Kanaria Skybream, Exiled Racers, Moonfit, Damned Pirates Society
Ambassador of the Year
Let’s celebrate the outstanding contributions and talent of our ambassador community.
“I first joined Moonbeam in 2021, before it was even a parachain. As a crypto enthusiast, I began to share the same beliefs and vision as Moonbeam, to build a multi-chain future that focuses on trust and decentralization. I must say that I have been fortunate to be able to help with questions about the crowdloan, and host interviews with amazing founders; I’ve had the whole “Moonbeam” experience, and I have learned A LOT. For people who are looking to join the Moonbeam community, I would recommend: sharing the same vision (the multi-chain future is not about beating other chains but working together towards a common future), don’t be afraid to get to know your colleagues (every ambassador I know is extraordinary) and finally, dive into the world of Moonbeam, there is so much going on, and so many things to learn.”
Join the Moonbeam Ambassador program and build the multi-chain future with us!
→ Apply to be an ambassador!
Moonbeam Events
Moonbeam’s focus on the ecosystem and community in 2022 gave way to a variety of impactful events, talks, and tutorials. The Moonbeam Illuminate/22 Virtual Conference took place for the second year in a row to celebrate thought leaders and developers looking to create a multi-chain future. Additionally, Moonbeam hosted the Connected Contracts Hackathon, Polkadot Decoded NYC conference and, so much more. Take a look at Moonbeam’s most talked about events and talks.
Top Talks of 2022:
- Smart Con 2022 | Building Connecting Contracts
- Polkadot Decoded 2022 | Multi-Chain Use Cases on Moonbeam
- Polkadot Decoded 2022 | Moonbeam: Building the Biggest Community and Ecosystem in Polkadot
Top Workshops and Tutorials of 2022:
- How to Transfer DOT to Moonbeam
- How to Use Moonbeam’s Native App on your Ledger Device
- Moonbeam Universe: Meet the Moonwell Team
- Everything You Need to Know about Staking in Moonbeam & Moonriver
- How to Connect MetaMask to Moonbeam
Upcoming Events in 2023:
Here’s where you’ll find us speaking and demonstrating Moonbeam.
- January 11 | Moonbeam’s One-Year Breakthrough: It’s been almost a whole year since Moonbeam was fully launched. ✨ Join us as we discuss new deployments and technology, games and more.
Thank You
In a world where the blockchain industry is constantly changing and evolving, there is one consistency amongst the chaos; it’s you, it’s the people, it’s the community. Moonbeam would not have been where it is today without the astounding support and love from its community, and for that, we would like to say thank you. Thank you all for believing in Moonbeam, and the multi-chain future.
