Polygon

Polygon has released the latest upgrade to Polygon zkEVM called Etrog on mainnet following a 10-day timelock. This upgrade includes support for four additional precompiled smart contracts, bringing the network closer to becoming a full Type 2 ZK-EVM. End users do not need to take any action as everything will work the same, only better. Infrastructure developers maintaining network infrastructure will need to update to the latest version of the node and prover. For more information and links to GitHub repos, visit the blog.

Polygon team is set to discuss the high level technical developments made in Q4 for Polygon PoS in the upcoming Quarterly Recap.

Merlin Chain, powered by LumozOrg, is incorporating ZK rollups to interact with the BTC network, including native L1 assets, protocols, and products. The project aims to make Bitcoin more enjoyable and is built with Polygon CDK.

Polygon founders and special guests will discuss the new Type 1 prover and AggLayer technology for scaling L2 chains on Ethereum. The advancements will enable EVM chains to upgrade to ZK and utilize the Polygon ecosystem resources. Join the conversation on Discord with guests such as @MihailoBjelic, @_bfarmer, @davidesilverman, @hudsonjameson, and more.

Tokenization in various forms, like real estate and digital collectibles, allows assets to be brought onchain for global liquidity. One example is tokenized Pokémon cards on Polygon PoS by Courtyard_NFT. With the collectibles market worth $460B+ in 2023, there's great potential to innovate in this space. An interview with Courtyard sheds light on the onchain excitement, part of a series focusing on tokenization projects in the Polygon ecosystem.

Polygon has released the Type-1 upgrade to the zkEVM prover, allowing EVM chains to become ZK Layer 2 without forking. Projects like Immutable zkEVM and MantaNetwork plan to leverage this upgrade, which offers lower costs, lower latency, and better user experience. The Type-1 prover maintains Ethereum's execution logic and can prove existing Ethereum blocks at an average cost of $0.002 to $0.003 per transaction. Further improvements, including a Type 2 mode, are in the pipeline for a 30 to 50X cost reduction over the next year.

Polygon Village Build Ideas and Village Startup Support have selected teams for their respective programs, aiming to support builders in the web3 space. Village Build Ideas will assist startups focusing on DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and more, while Village Startup Support offers guidance and mentorship to founders like those working on tokenized investment strategies, blockchain games, decentralized platforms, and more.

Polygon PoS chain is gaining momentum with significant activity in 2023 and the start of 2024. It was the second most popular chain for first-time developers after Ethereum. There was a significant growth in EVM L2 smart contracts, with Polygon PoS accounting for a large portion. The number of addresses swapping on Uniswap on Polygon PoS has doubled, and around 70% of onchain gaming development is associated with the Immutable and Polygon ecosystem.

SocialFi announced its focus on the Polygon ecosystem, welcoming @friendzone_pro to join early access to Friendzone and earn points. The platform will utilize the innovative B^2 Network powered by @alt_layer team. Visit for more details on the ecosystem of solution providers.

B² Network will allow projects to build Bitcoin rollups on Polygon CDK, fostering evolution, collaboration, and prosperity in the Bitcoin ecosystem.