Polkadot Soars to Decentralization Pinnacle Amid Price Rally
Polkadot has solidified its position as a leader in decentralization, with data from Chainspect placing it atop global rankings. On September 17, 2026, the network's Nakamoto coefficient measured at 173, surpassing other major chains such as TON and Avalanche. A higher score indicates that power is spread across more independent validators.
Polkadot uses Nominated Proof of Stake, a system where token holders nominate validators to secure the network rather than running a node directly. The network has over 600 validators contributing to its stake, with a total value of $936.6 million, according to Chainspect data from the same date.
The price of DOT rose 7.73% over the past 24 hours, trading near $1.01 as of September 17, 2026, according to CoinMarketCap data. This increase in price aligns with a sharp rise in trading volume, which often points to renewed short-term trading interest.