Moonbeam

Moonbeam is an Ethereum-compatible smart contract platform implemented as a parachain on Polkadot and built with the Polkadot SDK/Substrate framework [2]. It positions itself as a cross-chain connected environment for Web3 applications spanning real-world assets (RWAs), gaming, DeFi and other emerging categories, and advertises connectivity across more than 100 blockchains [0][1]. The network operates alongside Moonriver, a companion network on Kusama, and Moonbase Alpha, a public testnet; documentation covers RPC/WSS endpoints, MetaMask connection and block explorers for each [4][2].

Technically, Moonbeam provides full EVM compatibility and Solidity support so that existing Ethereum contracts can be deployed with minimal changes, adopts Ethereum's H160 account format through a "Unified Accounts" design so a single private key works across Ethereum and Moonbeam, and supports mainstream Ethereum tooling such as Truffle, Remix, Hardhat, Waffle and Scaffold-eth via a set of Web3 RPCs [3]. The team worked with Parity on the Frontier pallet that brings EVM compatibility to the wider Polkadot ecosystem, and introduced XC-20s, a token standard that is simultaneously ERC-20-conformant and a Substrate-native asset, enabling assets such as xcDOT, xcKSM, xcRMRK and xcKINT to move between parachains and Moonbeam's EVM via XCM [3].

In 2026 the project announced a strategic change of direction: on 2026-07-03 it said it would migrate the GLMR token to Base and launch a new Moonbeam Protocol described as a decentralized AI agent communication and settlement network, followed on 2026-07-07 by an equivalent 1:1 migration announcement for Moonriver's MOVR token, with a bridge deadline of 2026-07-31 [0][1]. Third-party coverage reports that the Moonbeam parachain itself will cease operations on 2026-07-31 and that users must move assets off the chain before then [5][6][7].