Polkadot caps DOT at 2.1 billion: why only 392 million DOT can still be created

Polkadot has put a hard limit on its money supply for the first time. Referendum 1710 has been executed, the cap stands at 2.1 billion DOT, and 1.708 billion of them had been issued as of October 17, 2026. That leaves 392.2 million DOT that can still come into existence. It amounts to 18.7 percent of the cap, and it will not arrive in one go but in steps that shrink every year. If you hold DOT, two things change straight away: the yield you can expect from staking, and the quantity against which your share will be diluted in future. The price of Polkadot stands at $1.13 on Saturday afternoon, 5.5 percent below the previous day. Supply and price have little to do with each other on this particular day, and that is exactly where most reports fall short. Referendum 1710 executed: the 2.1 billion DOT cap is in place The proposal is titled "Hard Pressure Capped & Stepped Supply Schedule" and carries the status "Executed" in Polkadot governance. It brings to an end the open issuance model Polkadot has run since launch: until now roughly 120 million new DOT came into being each year, with no figure fixed at the top. The proposal itself can be inspected in the governance portal: Refere...