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Polkadot Releases Rococo, Its Test Environment for Interoperable 'Parachains'

Polkadot has released its first testnet, Rococo, for its parachain network. The testnet will commence with three parachains, Parity Technologies said.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 9:41 a.m. Published Aug 6, 2020, 6:30 p.m.
(David Clode/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)
(David Clode/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)

Parity Technologies' Polkadot has launched a testnet, Rococo, of the protocol’s first parachain specification, according to a blog Thursday. Parachains underlie Parity Tech’s vision of a "protocol for protocols."

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  • Rococo allows developers to “register” a Substrate-based blockchain as part of Polkadot’s grander parachain network.
  • Substrate is a blockchain building kit for other networks to interoperate as a Polkadot parachain.
  • Rococo is the first test of inter-blockchain communication through its Relay Chain logic.
  • Rococo launched as a Proof-of-Authority (PoA) network under the governance of Parity Technologies. The testnet will begin with three parachains, the firm said.

Read more: Polkadot Raises $43M in 72-Hour Private Sale: Source

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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Solana’s new phase is ‘much more about finance,’ says Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante

Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante (CoinDesk)

The Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a financial infrastructure, Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante told CoinDesk.

What to know:

  • Solana’s latest phase looks a lot less flashy than its memecoin-fueled highs, and that may be the goal.
  • Armani Ferrante, CEO of crypto exchange Backpack, told CoinDesk in an interview the Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a more sober focus: financial infrastructure. A
  • fter years of experimentation as the wider crypto industry focused on NFTs, games and social tokens, attention is now shifting back toward decentralized finance, trading and payments.