Polygon Nears Full MATIC to POL Migration with 99% Completion Milestone for Native Token Upgrade

Polygon's token migration hits critical mass—legacy MATIC tokens now virtually extinct as POL takes center stage.

The Great Migration

Polygon's ecosystem witnesses near-total adoption of its upgraded native token, with 99% of holders making the switch. The network's ambitious upgrade eliminates fragmentation while boosting staking rewards and governance capabilities.

Technical Execution

Smart contract deployments automate the conversion process, bypassing centralized exchanges. Validators report seamless transition with zero downtime—proof that blockchain upgrades can actually work without breaking everything.

Market Implications

The migration creates deflationary pressure on remaining MATIC tokens while POL's utility expands across Polygon's growing Layer 2 ecosystem. Traditional finance analysts remain confused about why anyone would need three different tokens for one network.

Polygon proves that token migrations don't have to be disaster stories—sometimes they're just boringly successful infrastructure upgrades that actually deliver what they promise.

TLDR

• 99% of MATIC tokens have been successfully migrated to POL, completing the upgrade.

• POL is now the native gas and staking token on Polygon PoS, fueling all transactions.

• The migration opens new features, including tokenized collateral and community rewards.

• The migration process includes improved utility for POL and enhanced network security.

Polygon has reached a major milestone in its network upgrade, with 99% of MATIC tokens successfully transitioned to POL. The migration has been a year-long process, starting in September 2024, and marking the completion of the upgrade that changes the network’s native token. POL now serves as the gas token for all transactions on the Polygon PoS network.

The upgrade was introduced to offer more flexibility and utility for the network’s token. It also provides new opportunities for Polygon’s ecosystem, including greater scalability and the potential for broader use in cross-chain interactions. The community-driven initiative has successfully preserved backward compatibility, ensuring that the transition did not disrupt any existing applications or services.

POL Token Becomes the New Native Gas and Staking Token

The successful completion of the MATIC to POL migration means that POL has officially replaced MATIC as the native token for both gas and staking within the Polygon PoS network. All transactions conducted on Polygon PoS are now powered by POL, and this token will play a key role in securing the network and ensuring its continued operation.

As part of this transition, users can also begin staking POL tokens to help secure the network and earn rewards. This staking feature was introduced to increase the network’s security and provide further incentives for the Polygon ecosystem.

The shift to POL also ensures that every transaction is now supported by the upgraded token, aligning Polygon with the broader goals of decentralization and scalability.

Future Utility of POL in the Aggregated Polygon Network

One of the main goals of the POL upgrade is to enhance the token’s utility within the broader Polygon ecosystem. The migration has laid the groundwork for integrating POL with Agglayer, Polygon’s cross-chain solution.

Once community consensus is reached, POL will become part of this aggregated network, enabling new functionalities and providing more use cases beyond securing a single network.

In the future, POL may support additional roles, such as staking rewards and eligibility for community airdrops through the Agglayer Breakout Program. This is expected to further integrate POL into the expanding Polygon ecosystem, making it a critical asset for various projects and users across the network.

Tokenomics and Emission Model for POL

The transition from MATIC to POL also brings changes to the tokenomics of the network. The 1:1 ratio for the MATIC to POL upgrade remains, ensuring that all users receive equivalent value for their migrated tokens. In addition, the migration introduced an emissions model that will allocate 2% of the total POL supply over the next decade to support network security and community development.

Half of these emissions will be directed to the Polygon PoS staking contract, rewarding validators who help secure the network. The other half will be dedicated to a community treasury that will support developers and projects building on Polygon. This emission model is designed to incentivize both the long-term growth and the secure functioning of the network while empowering the community to shape its future.

As the migration process nears full completion, these changes will help ensure that Polygon remains a robust and innovative network, ready to meet the demands of both traditional and digital asset users. The continued integration of POL within the broader Polygon ecosystem promises to drive the next phase of growth and development.