Polygon Grants Program Season 2 - DeFi Projects Spotlight

Polygon Labs announces a strategic collaboration with Agora and the AUSD network to expand the Agglayer ecosystem. This partnership follows the successful integration of Movement Labs with Polygon's AggLayer in 2024, which focused on unifying liquidity and enhancing blockchain interoperability. Key developments: - Partnership aims to strengthen Agglayer ecosystem - Builds on previous Movement Labs integration - Focuses on expanding cross-chain capabilities This collaboration represents another step in Polygon's ongoing efforts to improve blockchain infrastructure and connectivity.

BlackRock has achieved a significant milestone in the tokenization of traditional assets with its $2.8B BUIDL Fund, now the largest Real World Asset (RWA) initiative in the space. Key developments: - Fund tokenized through Securitize - Deployed on Polygon network - Expanded to multiple blockchains - Represents institutional adoption of DeFi This move demonstrates the accelerating convergence of traditional finance and blockchain technology, as major financial institutions embrace digital asset infrastructure. [Learn more about BlackRock's blockchain expansion](https://www.coindesk.com/business/2024/11/13/blackrock-expands-tokenized-fund-buidl-beyond-ethereum-to-five-new-blockchains)

Polygon continues expanding USDC payment solutions with new stablecoin ramps now live on Slash app. This integration is specifically designed for affiliates, companies, and contractors. The update follows CCTP V2's recent launch, which enhanced cross-chain USDC transfers with improved speed and efficiency. Key developments: - Over 3M stores can now accept USDC via Stripe on Polygon - 1.5% fee for stablecoin payments vs 2.9% for traditional cards - Businesses can receive fiat while customers pay in USDC The stablecoin market reached $230B in February, partly driven by Stripe and Polygon's infrastructure improvements.

The Polygon PoS network has implemented the Aalborg upgrade, marking a significant improvement in transaction processing. - The upgrade focuses on enhancing transaction finality speed - Implementation follows successful testing and community approval - Network continues normal operations with improved efficiency The upgrade represents Polygon's ongoing commitment to scaling solutions while maintaining security. Users can expect faster transaction confirmations without compromising network stability. For technical details, visit the [official announcement](twitter.com/0xPolygonDevs/status/1709319917617783177#m)