Polygon zkEVM is Polygon's ZK rollup on Ethereum, launched in 2023. It achieves EVM equivalence using zk-SNARKs, meaning most Ethereum smart contracts deploy without modification. In 2026, Polygon zkEVM is evolving into a key piece of Polygon's AggLayer — a shared liquidity and interoperability layer connecting multiple ZK chains.
Polygon zkEVM vs Polygon PoS
Many users know Polygon as the Polygon PoS chain — the fast, cheap sidechain used since 2020. These are different products:
Polygon PoS: A proof-of-stake sidechain with its own validator set. Faster and cheaper than Ethereum but does not use ZK proofs for Ethereum security. MATIC (now POL) is the gas token.
Polygon zkEVM: A ZK rollup that settles proofs to Ethereum. Inherits Ethereum's full security guarantees. Slower and more expensive than PoS but with cryptographic security guarantees.
They coexist. PoS remains active for cost-sensitive applications; zkEVM targets applications needing Ethereum-level security.
AggLayer: Polygon's 2.0 Vision
Polygon 2.0 reframes the entire Polygon ecosystem around the AggLayer — a shared proof aggregation layer that connects multiple ZK chains:
- Polygon zkEVM
- Polygon PoS (transitioning to a ZK validium)
- Third-party chains built on the CDK (Chain Development Kit)
The AggLayer aggregates ZK proofs from all connected chains and posts a single combined proof to Ethereum. Benefits:
- Unified liquidity across connected chains (no bridge needed for transfers between AggLayer chains)
- Lower per-chain proof costs (amortized across many chains)
- Native cross-chain composability
POL Token
Polygon rebranded MATIC to POL in 2024. POL is a "hyperproductive" token:
- Stake POL to validate Polygon PoS
- Stake POL to validate other AggLayer chains
- Earn rewards from multiple chains simultaneously with the same stake
This gives POL value accrual from the entire ecosystem of chains that join the AggLayer, not just Polygon PoS.
CDK: Polygon's Chain Framework
Polygon CDK (Chain Development Kit) lets developers launch their own ZK rollup that connects to the AggLayer. Major adopters:
- X Layer (OKX's L2): Built on CDK, connected to AggLayer
- Immutable zkEVM: Gaming L2 built on CDK
- Astar zkEVM: Japanese ecosystem chain on CDK
- Manta Network: Privacy-focused chain on CDK
This positions Polygon similarly to Optimism's Superchain and Arbitrum's Orbit — a framework for deploying ecosystem chains.
Using Polygon zkEVM
- Add Polygon zkEVM to your wallet:
- Network name: Polygon zkEVM
- RPC URL: https://zkevm-rpc.com
- Chain ID: 1101
- Bridge ETH from Ethereum using the official bridge at portal.polygon.technology
- Use ETH for gas on Polygon zkEVM
- Explore ecosystem apps (QuickSwap, Balancer, Aave are deployed)