Polygon 2.0 (POL): Transitioning from MATIC to POL

Over the years of the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain's existence, numerous Layer 2 projects trying to address the network's cost and speed inefficiencies have been introduced. Among these projects, Polygon (POL) stands out as one of the most popular and influential.

The Polygon ecosystem is a set of mostly Layer 2 technologies that allow users to conduct Ethereum transactions in a more cost-effective and scalable way than using the blockchain's Layer 1 directly. Founded in 2017 as Matic Network (MATIC), the project rebranded to Polygon in early 2021 while still keeping the MATIC token as its native cryptocurrency.

In September 2024, the Polygon project completed a pivotal native token migration — from MATIC to the new POL crypto — as part of its Polygon 2.0 initiative. The transition to the new Polygon ecosystem token, POL, isn't just a name change: the new cryptocurrency brings functional and security improvements and extensions that will help the Polygon project in its quest to become the leading Ethereum-linked Layer 2 ecosystem.

Key Takeaways: