DotSama

DotSama is a community nickname, combining DOT, the token of Polkadot, with Kusama, for the shared ecosystem of the two networks. Both were created by Parity Technologies and the Web3 Foundation, led by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood, and both use the same core design: a central relay chain that provides security and consensus, with many connected application-specific chains, called parachains, built using the Substrate framework. Kusama launched in 2019 as a "canary network", a faster-moving, lower-stakes version where new features are tested with real value before reaching Polkadot, whose mainnet launched in 2020. Many teams deployed on both, and early parachain slots were funded through crowdloans on each network. The nickname was most popular around 2021; usage has faded as the projects increasingly present themselves separately. Also see blockchain interoperability and appchains.