---
# System prepended metadata

title: Polkadot Fellowship - About me
tags: [ideas]

---

# Nikos Kontakis - Fellowship Application
## About me

I am Nikolaos Kontakis, starting in the beginning of 2021 as a Parity employee until today, I work on Polkadot related projects, mainly on Substrate-Connect and Zombienet. In addition to my professional commitments, I have dedicated my free time to crafting small applications (e.g. [polkadot-notify.me MVP](https://hackmd.io/@x18aFsmGSR6ejQqAzhNs_A/Skm8DYkB3) which is currently being refactored and rebuild) and contributing to open-source initiatives.
I am a member of [@polkadot{.js}](https://github.com/polkadot-js), [Polkadot Blockchain Academy](https://github.com/Polkadot-Blockchain-Academy). Especially in PolkadotJS, I've made contributions to Polkadot-js apps and API, particularly in the context of the integration with substrate-connect and light clients;
 I am a  Polkadot Blockchain Academy Alumni from Cohort #2 (Buenos Aires), where I contributed to but also supported (with several integrations and code-improvements) the [presentation project of the PBA](https://github.com/Polkadot-Blockchain-Academy/pba-content). My commitment to knowledge sharing led me to deliver presentations on the topics of light clients and substrate-connect, engaging with Cohorts #2 in Buenos Aires and #3 in Berkeley. 
 I currently continue supporting Polkadot Blockchain Academy efforts with tech support and participation in the steps of admissions;

Am one of the top contributors of [Substrate-connect](https://www.github.com/paritytech/substrate-connect), and [Zombienet](https://www.github.com/paritytech/zombienet)

## Some non-trivial PRs
- **Polkadot-SDK**: [Implement wrapping of EPM types](https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk/pull/1633),
- [**Substrate**](https://github.com/paritytech/substrate/pull/11934), [**Polkadot**](https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot/pull/5863) and [**Cumulus**](https://github.com/paritytech/cumulus/pull/1514): Rename CLI and keep block flags;
- Substrate: [Rename node-runtime to node-kitchensink-runtime](https://github.com/paritytech/substrate/pull/11930);
- [Integrate **Substrate Connect** with **polkadotJS** apps](https://github.com/polkadot-js/apps/pull/5644);
- [Integrate **Substrate Connect** with **Polkadot Staking Dashboard**](https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-staking-dashboard/pull/166);
- earliest PRs on PolkadotJS Apps [[1]](https://github.com/polkadot-js/apps/pull/4068), [[2]](https://github.com/polkadot-js/apps/pull/4254);

## Videos
- [Sub0 2021 Online: Unstoppable Apps, Light Clients & Parachains](https://youtu.be/sfwg2aMz66I?si=tRLGCKapPuaSz2IB)
- [Build dApps with the Substrate Connect light client | @PolkadotNetwork Hackathon: North America Edition](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNlLbs359h4)
- [Web3 Workshop - “Substrate Connect” | IBC Continuum 2022-23](https://www.youtube.com/live/md6DPSt5yvk?si=YbtFX1QUlVpiTkpm)

## Repositories I've contributed:

#### Paritytech
- substrate-connect: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/substrate-connect/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- zombienet: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/zombienet/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- zombienet-sdk: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/zombienet-sdk/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- zombienet-vscode-extension: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/zombienet-vscode-extension/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot-api: [PRs](https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-api/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+author%3Awirednkod)

- polkadot-sdk: [PRs](https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/polkadot/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- cumulus: [PRs](https://github.com/paritytech/cumulus/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+author%3Awirednkod)

- npm_publish_automation: [PRs](https://github.com/paritytech/npm_publish_automation/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- metadata-portal: [PRs](https://github.com/paritytech/metadata-portal/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- parity-bridges-ui: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/parity-bridges-ui/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot-cloud: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/polkadot-cloud/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot-scripts: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/polkadot-scripts/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot-staking-dashboard: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/polkadot-staking-dashboard/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- smoldot-ads: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/smoldot-ads/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- substrate-website: [PRs](https://www.github.com/paritytech/substrate-website/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)


#### PolkadotJS
- polkadot api: [PRs](https://www.github.com/polkadot-js/api/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot apps: [PRs](https://www.github.com/polkadot-js/apps/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot dev: [PRs](https://www.github.com/polkadot-js/dev/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot docs: [PRs](https://www.github.com/polkadot-js/docs/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)
- polkadot extension: [PRs](https://www.github.com/polkadot-js/extension/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Aclosed+author%3Awirednkod)


#### Polkadot-Blockchain-Academy
Polkadot-Blockchain-Academy/pba-content: [PRs](https://github.com/Polkadot-Blockchain-Academy/pba-content/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+author%3Awirednkod)


#### smol-dot
smoldot: [PRs](https://github.com/paritytech/smoldot/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Amerged+author%3Awirednkod)

#### substrate-developer-hub
- substrate-docs: [PRs](https://www.github.com/substrate-developer-hub/substrate-docs/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+author%3Awirednkod)


#### Other
[kianenigma/polkadot-release-inspector](https://www.github.com/kianenigma/polkadot-release-inspector)
[kianenigma/polkadot-basic-notification](https://www.github.com/kianenigma/polkadot-basic-notification)
[kianenigma/substrate-metadata-scanner](https://www.github.com/kianenigma/substrate-metadata-scanner)
[shawntabrizi/polkadot-js-bundle](https://www.github.com/shawntabrizi/polkadot-js-bundle)

## Rank range
I apply for Dan 1 at your discretion.
