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Layer 2

Polygon PoS

One of the earliest scaling networks, with huge consumer and enterprise adoption.

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Networks
All networksLayer 1Layer 2Layer 3BitcoinEthereumSolanaBNB ChainXRP LedgerCardanoAvalancheTRONPolkadotCosmos HubNEAR ProtocolAptosSuiTONLitecoinHederaAlgorandMoneroCelestiaInjectiveBaseArbitrum OneOP MainnetPolygon PoSzkSync EraStarknetScrollLineaBlastMantleModeTaikoopBNBRobinhood ChainImmutable zkEVMXaiApeChainDegen ChainSankoB3RARI ChainOrderly NetworkBlock explorersName servicesBridgesSwap guides
By the Orca Crypto teamUpdated 2026-09-28How we check this5 min readReference
The short answer

One of the earliest scaling networks, with huge consumer and enterprise adoption. Polygon got there first for a lot of brands. Payments, loyalty programs and games shipped there while other options were still testnets.

Live market data

LiveCoinGecko
Price
$0.1139
-1.53% 24h
Market cap
$1.21B
24h volume
$125.46M
Rank
#74
All time high
$1.29

Prices as of September 29, 2026, replaced by live figures as the page loads. Prices move constantly and are for orientation only.

What Polygon PoS is for

Polygon got there first for a lot of brands. Payments, loyalty programs and games shipped there while other options were still testnets.

Because Polygon PoS settles to Ethereum, your funds ultimately depend on Ethereum security plus the correctness of the rollup itself. That is a genuinely strong position, and it is not identical to holding on the base chain.

Technical summary

PropertyValue
LayerLayer 2
Launched2020
TypeSidechain moving to zk
Settles toEthereum
Built withPolygon CDK

Block explorers

An explorer lets you verify any transaction, address or contract on this network yourself. Learning to read one is the fastest way to stop taking anyone's word for anything.

PolygonScanOKLink

How to read a block explorer

Wallets that support it

MetaMaskRabbyCoinbase WalletLedger

Getting funds onto Polygon PoS

The official bridge is the safest route. Third party bridges are faster and add their own risk, which has historically been the largest source of losses in crypto.

Polygon PortalHow bridges work, and their risks

What to be aware of

  • Most layer 2s currently run a single sequencer operated by one company, which can in principle reorder or delay transactions.
  • Upgrade keys are often held by a small multisig, meaning the rules can change.
  • Withdrawing through an official optimistic rollup bridge takes about seven days by design.
  • Crypto assets are volatile. Drawdowns of seventy percent or more have happened on every network in this list, including the largest.
  • Sending to an address on the wrong network can lose funds permanently. Always send a small test amount first.

Nothing on this page is investment advice. We describe how networks work, not whether you should buy anything.

Other networks at this layer

Same job, different tradeoffs. Each of these has its own page covering what it is actually for, who runs it and where it struggles.

zkSync EraStarknetScrollLineaBlastMantleAll of them

Common questions

Is Polygon a layer 2 or a sidechain?
Polygon PoS has historically been a sidechain with its own validator set rather than a rollup inheriting Ethereum security, and it has been moving toward a zk based architecture. The distinction matters: a sidechain does not fall back on Ethereum if its validators fail.
What happened to MATIC?
It was replaced by POL in a migration that began in 2024. POL is the gas and staking token across Polygon networks. Holders of MATIC were expected to migrate.

Where to go next

Compare all networksHow the layers fit together.Block explorer directoryEvery chain, every explorer.Wallets by chainThe right wallet for this network.Mining and stakingHow blocks actually get made and who gets paid.

Compared head to head

The question people actually ask is not "what is this" but "this one or that one". Each of these ends with a pick and the reasoning behind it.

Polygon vs BaseAll comparisons

New to Polygon PoS?

We can get you set up with the right wallet, funded, and through a first transaction on this network in about an hour, on a screen share.

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