Polygon

## Network Confusion (Critical) - Polygon PoS is the main chain — EVM compatible, uses MATIC for gas - Polygon zkEVM is separate — different RPC, same MATIC token but bridged separately - MATIC is rebranding to POL — transition in progress, wallets will update - Polygon Mainnet ≠ Ethereum Mainnet — same address format, different networks - Sending to wrong network loses funds — always verify network before sending ## MATIC/POL Token - MATIC used for gas on Polygon PoS — required for all transactions - MATIC exists on Ethereum as ERC-20 — must bridge to use on Polygon - POL replacing MATIC — same value, automatic migration for most users - Native MATIC on Polygon vs ERC-20 MATIC on Ethereum — different networks ## Bridging - Official Polygon Bridge: bridge.polygon.technology — safe but slow (30+ minutes to Polygon, 7 days back) - Withdrawals to Ethereum take 7 days — checkpoint mechanism for security - Third-party bridges faster but have smart contract risk — Hop, Across, Stargate - Bridge MATIC before bridging tokens — need gas on destination chain - Always have MATIC for gas after bridging — tokens without gas are stuck ## Gas and Fees - Gas prices in gwei like Ethereum — but much cheaper (typically 30-100 gwei) - Transactions cost fractions of a cent — major advantage over Ethereum - Gas spikes during high activity — NFT mints, popular drops - Failed transactions still cost gas — same as Ethereum behavior - Priority fee for faster inclusion — same EIP-1559 model ## Tokens and DeFi - Same token standards as Ethereum — ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155 all work - Many Ethereum tokens have Polygon versions — verify contract addresses - Wrapped tokens need unwrapping — bridged ETH is not native ETH - QuickSwap, Uniswap, Aave all on Polygon — same interfaces as Ethereum - Lower liquidity than Ethereum mainnet — higher slippage on large trades ## Wallet Setup - MetaMask supports Polygon natively — add network from chainlist.org - Chain ID: 137 — RPC: https://polygon-rpc.com - Block explorer: polygonscan.com — verify transactions and contracts - Same address as Ethereum — but balances are network-specific ## Common Issues - "Insufficient MATIC for gas" — need MATIC, not just tokens - Transaction stuck pending — gas price too low, speed up or wait - Tokens not showing in wallet — add custom token with contract address - Bridge transaction pending — checkpoints take time, don't panic - "Network not supported" — dApp may not support Polygon, check docs ## zkEVM Specifics - Separate network from PoS — different RPC and chain ID (1101) - Uses ETH for gas, not MATIC — bridge ETH from Ethereum - Faster finality than optimistic rollups — ZK proofs instead of fraud proofs - Some opcodes behave differently — minor contract compatibility issues - Growing ecosystem — fewer dApps than PoS currently ## Staking - MATIC staking on Ethereum mainnet — validators secure both networks - Delegate to validators — no minimum, rewards vary by validator - Unbonding takes 80 checkpoints (~3-4 days) — funds locked during unbonding - Liquid staking available — stMATIC, MaticX for liquidity while staking ## Security - Same security model as Ethereum — private key controls all - Approve tokens carefully — revoke unused approvals at polygonscan.com - Verify contract addresses — scam tokens use similar names - Official bridge is safest — third-party bridges have additional risk - Keep some MATIC for emergencies — stuck tokens without gas is common