A catalyst for DOT’s upward price movement last week was the start of the second batch of parachain auctions on the Polkadot network. Parachains are distinct blockchains that run atop the main Polkadot network. Polkadot, however, has a limited number of openings available. To gain access, a parachain has to win a community-run auction that uses DOT to vote for slots, leading to increased demand for the cryptocurrency.