Polygon Unleashes Madhugiri Hardfork: A Major Speed & Throughput Leap for the Network

Polygon just cut the ribbon on its Madhugiri hardfork—a network upgrade engineered to supercharge performance where it matters most.

Why This Upgrade Hits Different

Forget marginal gains. This hardfork targets the core bottlenecks, slashing transaction finality times and ramping up overall network throughput. It's a direct response to the scaling demands of a maturing ecosystem—decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and enterprise applications that can't afford to wait.

Beyond the Technical Spec Sheet

The move isn't just about bigger numbers on a dashboard. It's about cementing Polygon's position as a premier scaling solution in an increasingly competitive layer-2 arena. Faster finality means better user experiences, lower latency for developers, and a more robust foundation for the next wave of mass adoption.

The Bottom Line for the Network

This upgrade is a strategic power play. By boosting speed and throughput, Polygon isn't just fixing a problem—it's future-proofing its infrastructure. It sends a clear signal to builders and investors: this network is here to handle serious volume. Of course, in crypto, a tech upgrade is often just a prelude to the market's favorite activity—finding a new reason to speculate. The real test? Whether the improved performance translates into sustained ecosystem growth, not just another fleeting pump on the charts.

Enhancing and building on earlier updates

Polygon Foundation reiterated the technical enhancements that come with the Core changes like increased stability through faster node synchronization and proactive EVM security enhancements. Users and applications do not need to take action to enable the upgrade.

The foundation also confirmed the upgrade on X, “The MadhugiriPro hardfork has been released on Polygon PoS mainnet for block number 80084800.” TFaster blocks, higher throughput

Polygon’s Madhugiri hardfork allows blocks to be announced in just one second if ready, instead of waiting the full two seconds. Consequently, the network can handle more transactions per block and provide higher yields for stakers. 

Blockchain developer Vadim noted, “Polygon quietly raised the gas limit from 50M → 55M. These aren’t ‘cosmetic’ numbers. More transactions per block, more fees collected, more POL burned, higher real yield for stakers.” This adjustment demonstrates confidence in network stability and marks a meaningful step in scaling Polygon’s infrastructure.

This upgrade builds on earlier improvements. In July, Polygon deployed Heimdall 2.0, described by CEO Sandeep Nailwal as the network’s “most technically complex” hard fork since launch. That update cut transaction finality from one to two minutes down to roughly five seconds. 

Shipping Announcement! 🚢

We’ve been on a shipping spree—and next up is Polygon PoS’s consensus layer, Heimdall v2, landing 10 July 2025.

‼️ This is the most technically complex hard-fork Polygon PoS has seen since it's launch in 2020 ‼️

What’s changing?
1. Heimdall sheds all…

However, a September bug caused finality delays of 10–15 minutes, disrupting validator sync and third-party tooling. The Polygon Foundation quickly restored consensus and finality functions through a corrective hardfork.

Strategic partnerships and emerging use cases

Polygon has been drawing interest from big companies recently. India’s Reliance Jio is testing a new cryptocurrency called JioCoin (JIO) on Polygon. Early screenshots on Polygonscan show it’s still in testing or may have multiple versions.

This initiative aligns with Jio’s 2025 partnerships with Polygon Labs for Web3 services and with Aptos for blockchain-based subscriber rewards. Polygon’s Global Head of Payment & RWA Aishwary Gupta sees these moves as part of a broader stablecoin “super cycle.” He recently shared, “The world is entering a stablecoin wave that could reshape the global financial system in just a few years.”

Besides increasing throughput and speed, Madhugiri sets a foundation for future upgrades without requiring hardforks. The network’s proactive approach strengthens both performance and security while supporting emerging corporate projects. The update shows that Polygon can recover from past problems and continues to support Ethereum-compatible Web3 applications.

Also Read: Vitalik Buterin Praises Fusaka Upgrade for Ethereum Networking Leap