Polygon

**John Egan**, former Head of Crypto at Stripe, has joined **Polygon Labs** as Chief Product Officer. The move represents a significant hire for Polygon Labs as they continue building Ethereum scaling solutions. Egan brings extensive experience from his role at Stripe, where he led crypto initiatives for the payments giant. - Fortune Magazine covered the executive transition - Egan's appointment signals Polygon's focus on product development - The hire comes as Layer 2 solutions gain mainstream adoption This leadership addition strengthens Polygon's position in the competitive Ethereum scaling landscape. [Read full coverage](https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/09/15/stripe-head-of-crypto-john-egan-polygon-labs-chief-product-officer/)

**Coinbase will support the POL upgrade** scheduled for October 14-17, 2025. The exchange has announced official support for this upcoming protocol upgrade, providing important guidance for token holders during the transition period. - Upgrade window spans **4 days in mid-October** - Coinbase users will receive specific instructions - Holders should prepare for the migration process This represents a significant infrastructure update that will affect POL token holders across the platform.

**Polygon confirms safety** after NPM supply chain attack targeting debug and chalk packages. - Polygon PoS and Agglayer code libraries **not impacted** - No vulnerable package versions in use - Team continues active monitoring **Security reminders:** - Verify websites before interacting - Avoid suspicious links - Triple-check addresses and transactions Layer3 also confirmed they remain unaffected by the exploit. [Technical details](https://www.aikido.dev/blog/npm-debug-and-chalk-packages-compromised)

**Polygon PoS now controls 47% of USDT supply** following its upgrade to native USDT0 standard. The upgrade brings several key improvements: - **Faster transactions** with lower fees - **Enhanced liquidity** across the network - **Native interoperability** powered by LayerZero - **Cross-chain compatibility** with 40+ networks via Stargate Polygon's **6M+ wallets** now have access to both USDT0 and XAUt0 (Tether Gold's omnichain version). The native USDT0 implementation eliminates bridging friction while maintaining **full composability** with existing DeFi protocols. [View data on Dune Analytics](https://dune.com/sealaunch/usdt0)

**REX**, a regulated trading platform for tokenized real estate, has launched on Polygon PoS, marking a significant development in property investment accessibility. Key features: - First regulated secondary market for property-backed tokens - Enables fractional investment in residential, commercial, and luxury real estate - Built by DigiShares with U.S. regulatory approval - Offers low-cost, rapid settlement via Polygon - Plans for global expansion and Agglayer integration The platform addresses the longstanding liquidity challenges in real estate, the world's largest but traditionally illiquid asset class. [Read more on Cointelegraph](https://cointelegraph.com/news/tokenized-real-estate-trading-platform-launches-polygon)

The first round of invites for the DC Crypto Policy Bootcamp on October 24th has been sent out. There's still one week left to apply for this event, which aims to educate the industry on government and vice versa. Key points: - Co-hosted by Polygon Labs, Solana Foundation, Wormhole Foundation, and Stand With Crypto - Part of a two-series initiative: 1. Pre-election: Industry advocacy mobilization 2. Post-election: Educational effort for Congress To apply: - Be in Washington D.C. on Oct 24th - Have interest in blockchain advocacy - Want to advance policy landscape Submit your application: [Google Form Link] The organizers look forward to welcoming participants and advancing policy discourse.

Immutable zkEVM, powered by Polygon, is becoming the foundation for Web3 gaming. This development marks a significant shift in the blockchain gaming landscape: - **zkEVM Technology**: Combines zero-knowledge proofs with Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility. - **Scalability**: Offers improved transaction speed and reduced costs for gaming applications. - **Ecosystem Growth**: Attracts game developers and players to the Polygon network. The phrase 'Slowly, then all at once' suggests a tipping point in adoption. As more games integrate this technology, we may see a rapid acceleration in Web3 gaming popularity and functionality.

Humanity Protocol, a project aiming to provide proof of humanity for the AggLayer ecosystem, has successfully launched its testnet. This development marks a significant milestone in the project's journey. Key points: - Testnet launch powered by Polygon CDK - Brings proof of humanity closer to reality for AggLayer - Represents a step forward in blockchain identity verification This progress demonstrates the ongoing evolution of decentralized identity solutions and their potential impact on Web3 ecosystems. For more information on Humanity Protocol and its testnet, visit their official website or follow their social media channels.

The AggLayer offers a unique approach to blockchain interoperability compared to most L2 megachains: - **L2 Megachains:** - Utilize multiple bridges - Transactions across chains are complex - Individual chains often lack sovereignty - **AggLayer:** - Onboarding to one chain grants access to all chains - Chains maintain sovereignty - Allows for independent governance and development - Provides benefits of interoperability - Offers access to multi-chain ecosystem liquidity and users This comparison highlights the AggLayer's potential to simplify cross-chain interactions while preserving chain independence.

The QA Community Cohort (@theqacc) has expanded its inaugural group with the addition of four new teams. This development marks a significant step in fostering innovation within the zero-knowledge (ZK) and Ethereum scaling ecosystem. Key points: - Four new teams added to @theqacc's first cohort - Expansion aims to boost ZK innovation and Ethereum scaling efforts - Demonstrates growing interest in advanced blockchain technologies This expansion highlights the increasing focus on scalability solutions in the blockchain space. **Stay tuned** for more details on the new teams and their potential contributions to the ecosystem.