by 
It’s a little hard to untangle, but Irina Karagyaur is keen to explain the Polkadot network that went live just last year in January 2022, and the role her company, Unique, is playing in onboarding the next generation of Web3 games and marketplaces.
When she spoke to BlockSolid podcast host Yael Tamar recently, Irina spoke enthusiastically about the Polkadot ecosystem where new metaverses are being built.
Blockchains can be private or public, or even a combination of the two. They are distributed databases shared among the nodes of computer networks. While you might know blockchain for the role it plays in the transfer of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, you might also know that blockchain is a transparent, trustless and secure record of data transfer.
Unlike, Ethereum, which is a blockchain network that uses smart contracts to lock in information, or the InterPlanetary File System that shares files and more efficiently leverages storage of large files but does not permit users to share, the new Polkadot system enables secure cross-chain exchange of any type of data, unlocking new products and services that have never been seen before.
“With Polkadot, you can access this new world and then you can create collaborations in this virtual space, and you have the opportunity to be among the first people—the pioneers—of the metaverse,” says Irina.
Giving one example, and drawing on her background in architecture, Irina suggested that the Unique network, with its scalable blockchain for marketplaces, games and dApps, is the perfect place for architects to envision and build three-dimensional buildings that may never see production in the real world.
“There’s a lot of demand for creative people, for artists and graphic designers to help build these virtual worlds and make them entertaining,” she explains. “This experience will evolve as more hardware companies, motion designers and engineers come into the space.”
Listen to Irina’s full interview on episode 50 of the BlockSolid podcast.
