Polkadot

Polkadot connects many independent blockchains, called parachains, to a central relay chain that provides shared security for all of them. Validators on the relay chain, backed by staked DOT, finalize the state of every connected chain, so a new project inherits strong security from day one instead of building its own validator set. Chains can also pass messages and assets to each other natively.

DOT is staked to secure the network, used to acquire coretime that gives projects access to Polkadot's shared security, and grants voting power in one of crypto's most active on-chain governance systems, where holders decide protocol upgrades and treasury spending directly. It also serves as the base asset across the Polkadot ecosystem's applications.