Polygon (POL), upgraded from MATIC in September 2024, is the native token of the Polygon ecosystem, a Layer 2 (L2) scaling solution for Ethereum and a hub for zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup chains. Polygon enhances Ethereum’s scalability with fast, low-cost transactions via its proof-of-stake (PoS) chain and AggLayer for cross-chain connectivity. POL powers gas fees, staking, governance, and incentives, supporting a $2.9 billion total value locked (TVL) ecosystem, ranking #6 among blockchains.

Key Features

  • L2 Scalability: Processes ~10,000 transactions per second (TPS) with sub-cent fees using optimistic and ZK rollups.
  • AggLayer: Unifies liquidity across Polygon’s ZK-based L2 chains, enabling seamless cross-chain interactions.
  • Ecosystem: Hosts DeFi (Aave, Uniswap), NFTs, and stablecoins ($2B supply, $141B transfer volume in May 2025).
  • Polygon SDK: Supports developers building custom L2/L3 chains with Rust, Solidity, and Move.

POL Token

  • Purpose: Used for gas fees, staking, governance, and incentivizing validator participation.
  • Supply: Circulating supply of ~9 billion POL, with a max supply of 10 billion.
  • Contract Address: 0x455e53cbb86018ac2b8092fdcd39d8444affc3f6 (Ethereum, addable to MetaMask),
  • coingeckgo cmc.

Who Are the Founders of Polygon?

Polygon was co-founded by Jaynti Kanani, Sandeep Nailwal, and Anurag Arjun in 2017 as Matic Network. Backed by Binance and Coinbase, the team transitioned to Polygon in 2021, focusing on Ethereum scaling. The Polygon Foundation and community now govern the ecosystem, with POL holders driving decisions.

What Makes Polygon Unique?

POL and Polygon stand out for their scalability and interoperability:

  • AggLayer: Connects ZK-based L2 chains, creating an “Internet of Blockchains” akin to Polkadot or Cosmos.
  • Stablecoin Hub: Facilitates $141B in monthly transfer volume, with 68x velocity and $2B supply (May 2025).
  • DeFi Leadership: Hosts Aave, Curve, and GMX, with $100B in DEX volume in 2025.
  • NEAR Intents Integration: Enables swaps and OTC trades, enhancing user-owned finance.

Polygon’s 16.3% address growth to 5.6M in May 2025 underscores its adoption.

POL Network Upgrades (2025)

  • Spark Ignition Airdrop (June 2025): Distributed rewards to POL users, boosting engagement.
  • NEAR Intents (June 2025): Integrated Polygon for cross-chain swaps and OTC trades.
  • HOT Wallet Integration: Added bridges, gas refuel, and swaps for POL, enhancing usability.
  • Community Sentiment: X posts are bullish, citing $141B transfer volume and stablecoin growth, but some criticize institutional disinterest.

How Is POL Secured?

POL and the Polygon ecosystem are secured through:

  • Ethereum PoS: Inherits Ethereum’s proof-of-stake security for rollup finality.
  • Polygon PoS: Validators stake POL to secure the sidechain, with slashing for misbehavior.
  • Polygon DAO: POL holders govern upgrades and validator policies.
  • ZK Rollups: Ensures data integrity with cryptographic proofs.

Conclusion

Polygon (POL) powers a leading Ethereum L2 ecosystem, offering scalable, low-cost transactions and cross-chain connectivity via AggLayer. Its stablecoin hub, DeFi dominance, and developer tools position it as a blockchain leader.