{"id":13358,"date":"2023-09-08T09:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T07:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/?p=13358"},"modified":"2023-09-08T09:50:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T07:50:05","slug":"polygon-layer-sidechain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/en\/2023\/09\/polygon-layer-sidechain\/","title":{"rendered":"Polygon is not a Layer 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-intro\">Intro<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Polygon<\/strong> is a framework for creating blockchain networks and scalability solutions compatible with Ethereum. The chains currently launched or in development within the <strong>Polygon<\/strong> ecosystem include <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Edge, <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Hermez, <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Miden, <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Zero, <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Avail, and <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Nightfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-10.59.17-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13370 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"592\" height=\"334\" src=\"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-10.59.17-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-10.59.17-1.png 592w, https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-10.59.17-1-560x316.png 560w, https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-10.59.17-1-150x85.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a current market capitalization of $5 billion, the <strong>Polygon<\/strong> ecosystem is widely regarded as the best Layer 2 solution for Ethereum. It offers several chains that aim to address Ethereum&#8217;s main issues, namely, the low number of transactions per second and high costs. In 2022, <strong>Polygon<\/strong>&#8216;s blockchain forged collaborations with major global brands such as Adobe, Disney, Meta, NFL, NuBank, Reddit, Robinhood, and Starbucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The combination of these high-profile partnerships and the rapid growth of protocols on the <strong>Polygon<\/strong> chain solidified 2022 as the year of mass adoption for <strong>Polygon<\/strong>. A quick look at the following data illustrates this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-11.00.14-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13371 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"622\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-11.00.14-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-11.00.14-1.png 622w, https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-11.00.14-1-560x324.png 560w, https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Schermata-2023-09-07-alle-11.00.14-1-150x87.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on data from <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Labs (Figure 2), it can be observed that over the past year, the ecosystem generated $26 million in Network Revenue, thanks to an incredible 211% increase in Unique Active Wallets. This metric represents the number of unique cryptographic wallet addresses that interacted with the <strong>Polygon<\/strong> ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to <strong>Polygon<\/strong> Labs, 2023 will be the year of Zero Knowledge (ZK) technology. The team&#8217;s primary focus will be on developing and enhancing Zero Knowledge technology, DeFi, and Web 3, with the aim of achieving exponential growth in the <strong>Polygon<\/strong> ecosystem in the coming year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-polygon-is-not-a-layer-2\"><strong>Polygon<\/strong> is not a Layer 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What if I told you that <strong>Polygon<\/strong> is not a true Layer 2? Strange, isn&#8217;t it? But that&#8217;s precisely the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike other Layer 2 solutions like Optimism and Arbitrum, <strong>Polygon<\/strong> has a substantial difference that positions it more as a <strong>sidechain<\/strong> than a Layer 2. This is because <strong>Polygon<\/strong> has a consensus mechanism and block structure that differs from Ethereum&#8217;s, making the <strong>Polygon<\/strong> blockchain more similar to a Layer 1 than a Layer 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what is an Ethereum <strong>Sidechain<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sidechains<\/strong> are independent blockchains with different consensus mechanisms, block sizes, validators, and roadmaps. While a <strong>sidechain<\/strong> may share some surface-level similarities with Ethereum, it has distinct functionalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Ethereum <strong>sidechain<\/strong> is a separate blockchain network that runs parallel to the Ethereum main chain. <strong>Sidechains<\/strong> connect to the main chain through a two-way system that enables the exchange of assets between the chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sidechains<\/strong> have their own consensus protocols, often designed for specific applications, making them more scalable and significantly reducing <strong>transaction<\/strong> speeds and costs. However, this also means that they typically do not inherit the security properties of the parent chain, i.e., Ethereum. When using a <strong>sidechain<\/strong>, users rely solely on the security of the <strong>sidechain<\/strong>, including its validators and consensus mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite sacrificing some security, <strong>sidechains<\/strong> alleviate congestion on the main chain, reducing costs for everyone and enhancing the usability and scalability of the Ethereum ecosystem. Developers can also use <strong>sidechains<\/strong> to explore and test new features and use cases not available on the main chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned, the main advantages brought by <strong>sidechains<\/strong> are increased <strong>transaction<\/strong> speed and cost reduction. If we were to compare Ethereum&#8217;s blockchain with <strong>Polygon<\/strong>&#8216;s, we would notice a significant difference:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In terms of TPS (Transactions per second), Ethereum (POS) stands at around 27 transactions per second, while <strong>Polygon<\/strong> can handle up to 65,000 transactions per second on a single <strong>sidechain<\/strong>, surpassing Ethereum by a wide margin.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In terms of <strong>transaction<\/strong> fees, Ethereum (POS) currently has a cost of $2.77 per <strong>transaction<\/strong>, but during chain congestion, fees have exceeded $30 per <strong>transaction<\/strong>. In contrast, <strong>Polygon<\/strong> has a cost of $0.01 per <strong>transaction<\/strong>.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These comparisons reveal why an increasing number of users are turning to alternative solutions to Ethereum, seeking faster transactions and cost savings, albeit at the expense of some security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusions\">Conclusions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Anurag Arjun and MIhailo Bjelic, the founders of <strong>Polygon<\/strong>, have confirmed that the engineers contributing to the chain are working to transform it into a true Layer 2, this transformation has not yet occurred. Therefore, it is more accurate to consider <strong>Polygon<\/strong> as a Layer 1 blockchain that performs multiple functions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is an Ethereum sidechain. How it works. What it is used for. Advantages and disadvantages of its use. Is Polygon a layer 1 or layer 2 sidechain?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":202,"featured_media":13368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"2","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"0","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"1","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"0","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"no-crop","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-715"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[349,525],"tags":[794,170,804,175,808,183,844,846],"coauthors":[978],"class_list":["post-13358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-educational-eng","category-real-applications-en","tag-ai-eng","tag-blockchain-en","tag-crypto-en","tag-ethereum-en","tag-exchange-en","tag-pos-en","tag-speed","tag-wallet-eng"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/202"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13358"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affidaty.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=13358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}