Polygon’s new zk-powered token is live on Ethereum mainnet

The transition from MATIC to POL is part of the Polygon ecosystem’s 2.0 plans

article-image

photo_gonzo/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

The new native token of Ethereum scaling solution Polygon has gone live on Ethereum mainnet. 

Polygon first revealed its intention to revamp its native MATIC token in July this year. This new token is designed to be “hyper-generational” and support a vast ecosystem of various zero knowledge layer-2 chains through a native re-staking protocol.  

This means that POL holders will be able to use the token to validate various chains across Polygon, including Polygon PoS and Polygon zkEVM. 

Polygon PoS is currently one of the largest blockchain ecosystems today. It has a $758.28 million total valued locked (TVL) and a stablecoin market cap of almost $1.7 billion, according to information available on DeFiLlama. There are 480 dapps currently deployed on the network.  

The transition from Polygon (MATIC) to POL is part of Polygon’s 2.0 plans, where the project aims to become the “value layer” of the internet. 

Read more: Polygon’s MATIC is getting a makeover: Founders release white paper for POL

A Polygon representative did not respond to a request for comment by press time. 

Since the announcement of the news on X, Polygon’s existing native token, MATIC, has seen its price dip by 0.84%. POL, which has just launched, has seen its price increase to 2.6%, according to information available on CoinGecko.

At the time of writing, the POL token has seen a 24-hour trading volume of $97,795 and a fully diluted valuation of over $6.4 billion

Users will have up to four years to transition their tokens from MATIC to POL, though the implementation has no specific deadline. Users who wish to transfer their tokens can do so by sending MATIC tokens to a designated POL smart contract that will automatically convert the deposited tokens.

Updated Oct. 26, 2023 at 10:05 am ET: Added quote from Polygon PR representative stating that POL is designed to be “hyper-generational.”

Updated Oct. 25, 2023 at 3:59 pm ET: Clarified context provided by Polygon PR representative. A previous version of this article described POL as “zk-based” instead of “zk powered.”


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

recent research

REPORT_Template.png

Research

The Sonic blockchain is leveraging redesigned airdrop incentives and its FeeM program to propel DeFi activity and attract institutional capital, setting the stage for ecosystem growth. Within this environment, leading protocols Shadow Exchange and Silo are poised to asymmetrically benefit due to innovative features and favorable valuations, despite facing ecosystem dependency and competitive pressures. This positions them as compelling, potentially shorter-term, investment opportunities contingent on Sonic's sustained success.

article-image

Bitcoin needs a price, but its magic runs deeper

article-image

Circle had a pretty successful first day of trading, but what’s next for the stablecoin issuer?

article-image

Solana’s USDC caught a boost after being paired with the TRUMP memecoin

article-image

The stablecoin issuer’s successful first day of trading is likely to spur more crypto IPOs, industry watchers say

article-image

Job openings rallied and continuing claims stalled ahead of May’s employment report

article-image

A group of Twitch streamers battle for bitcoin. Will their chats help them?