Polkadot parachains saw a record surge in new addresses in March, with over 400% growth surpassing 1.5 million. The majority of this increase is attributed to Asset Hub, contributing 1.3 million new addresses. Asset Hub, formerly Statemint, is a system parachain for issuing, managing, and using digital assets, including NFTs.

Several factors contributed to this surge. Circle's addition of Polkadot to its USDC-hosting chains list in late 2023, with the stablecoin generated on the Polkadot Asset Hub, may explain part of the new address increase. The anticipation of the major Polkadot 2.0 upgrade, expected later this year, could also be a factor.

The launch of new tokens on Polkadot via Asset Hub, including two meme coins, PINK and DED, may have had a more direct impact. PINK, the first meme coin on the chain, and DED, airdropped to DOT holders, have garnered significant followings. The Polkadot ecosystem continues to attract crypto users with its new projects, with the impact of the upcoming upgrade yet to be seen.