The co-founder of Manta Network, a project within the Polkadot ecosystem, openly criticized the ecosystem, citing its alleged toxicity and lack of substantial support for builders, especially Asian founders.
Expressing his discontent, the co-founder, who was previously associated with the largest (non-DOT) TVL and market cap/FDV project in the Polkadot ecosystem, declared that they had no interest in engaging with the Polkadot ecosystem and team. Describing it as a highly toxic environment devoid of any real value for web3, he emphasized that it failed to prioritize users or adoption.
Furthermore, the co-founder accused the Polkadot team of discriminating against Asian developers. He pointed out an imbalance in the allocation of grants, favoring European and American projects over Asian ones. He claimed that they were too occupied to disclose the numerous instances of discrimination faced by Asian founders in this ecosystem, a sentiment echoed by all Asian founders.
Highlighting the lack of support and decentralization within Polkadot’s leadership, the co-founder emphasized the need for more meaningful efforts from the team, including co-founder Gavin Wood, in supporting builders. He asserted that the Polkadot team was incompetent and lacked true decentralization. They would be satisfied if Gavin Wood and his team dedicated substantial effort to supporting builders on their platform.
As a result of these issues, the co-founder announced that Manta Network would redirect its focus from Polkadot to other ecosystems such as Ethereum L2, Solana, and Bitcoin. He explained that they were now fully committed to Manta Pacific as the Polkadot ecosystem was considered inactive. Additionally, he hoped that more developers currently within the Polkadot ecosystem would transition to more active ecosystems like Solana, Ethereum, and Bitcoin.
To support his claims, the co-founder referenced the Polkadot Academy event held in Hong Kong, which was predominantly attended by non-Asians despite taking place in Asia. He pointed out that less than a quarter of the participants were Asian, highlighting the lack of representation at an event intended for Asians.
While assuring that Manta Network would fulfill its commitments to the Polkadot parachain, the co-founder reiterated their decision to pivot towards more supportive ecosystems. They affirmed their dedication to delivering the parachain as promised and continuing to develop innovative solutions. However, they firmly stated that discrimination against builders, particularly hardworking Asian builders during the bear market, was entirely unacceptable.