Polygon (Matic)

Polygon (formerly Matic Network) is a leading Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution that aims to provide faster and cheaper transactions without compromising on security. Built on a system of sidechains secured by Proof-of-Stake (PoS) validators, Polygon enables high-throughput processing and low fees while remaining connected to Ethereum’s mainnet.

The native token, POL (previously MATIC), is used for transaction fees, staking, and governance across the Polygon ecosystem. Learn more in the official whitepaper.

Polygon’s infrastructure supports a wide range of scaling solutions, including sidechains, Plasma chains, ZK-Rollups, and the emerging AggLayer, which aims to unify various Layer 2 chains into a seamless, interoperable network using zero-knowledge proofs.

Originally launched in 2017 by Jaynti Kanani, Sandeep Nailwal, Anurag Arjun, and Mihailo Bjelic, Polygon went live on mainnet in 2020 and rebranded in 2021 to expand its scaling mission beyond just one approach. Backed by investors like Sequoia Capital India, Polygon raised over $450 million to accelerate ZK research and ecosystem growth.

Polygon has formed major partnerships with companies like Mastercard, Starbucks, Disney, and Google Cloud, and powers top decentralized apps like Aave and Polymarket. The network processes transactions in about 2.3 seconds with fees usually under $0.01.

Despite its popularity, Polygon has faced criticism over decentralization — a hard fork passed with only 13 validator votes out of 100 — and validator concentration, such as DraftKings operating a node.

Still, Polygon remains one of the most developer-friendly and widely adopted Web3 infrastructures, with a community treasury recently funded with $720M to support future growth. Institutional interest is growing, including a dedicated fund from Nomura’s Laser Digital to offer exposure to POL.

Official links:

• 🌐 Website
• 📄 Whitepaper
• 💻 GitHub
• 📚 Wikipedia

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