Polygon co-founder Mihailo Bjelic has suggested upgrading the Polygon Proof of Stake (PoS) network to a “zkEVM validium” version in a forum post. The proposed upgrade involves adding zero-knowledge proof technology to increase the network’s security while keeping fees low. If implemented, both Polygon PoS and Polygon zkEVM will rely on zero-knowledge proofs, but the new version of Polygon PoS will not be a rollup and will store only validation proofs on layer 1, while the actual transaction data will be kept on a separate chain. This compromise offers lower transaction fees than Polygon zkEVM while increasing the security of Polygon PoS. Once implemented, Polygon zkEVM may be used for high-value transactions, while Polygon PoS could become the network for gaming and social media enthusiasts. The upgrade proposal is expected to become a formal Polygon Improvement Proposal by November, with implementation on mainnet scheduled between February and March 2024. The upgrade is part of the team’s plan to create a “Supernet” uniting many different application-specific chains.
The move comes after Polygon zkEVM launched in March and uses zero-knowledge proof rollups to scale Ethereum. The Polygon PoS network is an Ethereum scaling solution that has over $900 million total value locked within its contracts and does over 2 million transactions per day. The upgrade proposal aims to solve three key challenges faced by Polygon PoS. Meanwhile, Polygon’s native coin, MATIC, was delisted by eToro on June 13 after the US Securities and Exchange Commission claimed that it had been sold as an unregistered security.