Polygon has announced a new type of dedicated blockchain network. It will also invest $100M in projects that use its Supernets blockchain. The money will go to projects that want to grow by running their own dedicated Polygon Supernet.
Polygon is a blockchain built on Ethereum. It uses a range of methods to scale to millions of transactions while cutting its environmental costs. So far it has handled one billion transactions. More than 7,000 apps run on it, and many of them are games.
What Is a Polygon Supernet?
A Polygon Supernet is a blockchain network built for a single app or project. The project gets its own chain instead of sharing one with thousands of other apps. Polygon says companies, groups and projects can use Supernets without paying extra hosting or running costs. The news was first reported by Dean Takahashi at VentureBeat.
More Green-Energy Plans from Polygon?
Blockchain firms are always under pressure to become more efficient. Earlier this year, Polygon said one transaction on its network uses as much energy as two Google searches.
However, one review found flaws in that estimate. It suggested the real energy use could be 1,000 times higher. When asked again about the figure, the company pointed to an earlier announcement. In April, Polygon said it would become “carbon negative” in 2022. It pledged $20 million for tree planting and other projects to offset its energy use.
Recent Funding and Hires
Polygon recently raised $450 million for its blockchain technology. It also hired Ryan Wyatt, the former head of YouTube Gaming, to build its blockchain gaming platform.
The company says Supernets will speed up the use of blockchain technology. This applies to new private and public networks, for both decentralized applications (dApps) and businesses in general.
From Polygon Edge to Supernets
Some developers already use Polygon Edge. It was launched in 2021 as the Polygon software development kit (SDK). For those who want their own private, decentralized and fast network, Supernets make it easier to get started.
Polygon Edge is a flexible blockchain toolkit. Developers use it to build and launch custom blockchain networks. It is modular, so it can support many scaling and infrastructure options, such as:
- Sovereign and enterprise EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) chains
- Full Layer 2 solutions
Solving Scale and Throughput
Scale and throughput are the biggest hurdles for developers on public networks. Throughput is how many transactions a network can handle each second. With Polygon Edge, developers can build apps with millions of daily users. They can also process tens of millions of transactions per day.
These tools let apps scale quickly and smoothly, even when demand is very high. Polygon describes Supernets as Polygon Edge networks on steroids.
Key Features of Supernets
Polygon says Supernets have several core features. They are meant to ease the problems above and help drive wider adoption of blockchain technology. The most important ones are:
- Each Supernet is built and used for one specific app.
- Polygon Technology rewards professional validators.
How Validators Work
Validators are people or firms who use their computers to check blockchain transactions. They check every transaction on each Supernet. The platform pays them in Matic tokens, based on how much they have staked. Polygon says this reward is more than enough to cover their running and hosting costs.
Before they can secure a network, validators stake Matic tokens on the mainnet. Third-party staking firms provide these validators. Because they are vetted, Polygon says Supernets can reach a high level of security.
Defining Two Types of Chains Offered by Polygon
To understand the $100M plan, it helps to know the two types of chains Polygon offers. When Supernets open to developers, they can apply for one of these:
| Chain type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Polygon Supernet Sovereign Chain | Run by a single professional validator to cut setup and upkeep costs |
| Polygon Supernet Shared Security Chain | Secured by expert validators who stake Matic tokens |
According to Takahashi, the Shared Security Chain is the simplest path to decentralization and strong network security. Takahashi is the lead writer for VentureBeat’s GamesBeat and has covered technology since 1988.
Polygon Edge Powers Every Supernet
Polygon Edge is the core building block of Polygon Supernets. All of its features are designed to work in a secure and decentralized setting inside Supernets. It is a development tool with settings users can adjust. This lets them build networks that fit their exact needs.
At the time of the announcement, the company said more than 20 dApp projects and businesses were using Polygon Edge. They used it to get:
- Better performance
- Steady and predictable throughput for their use case
- Full control over every part of their blockchain network
The Potential of Polygon Edge
To explain what Polygon Edge can do, the company points to how the cloud changed website performance.
More than a decade ago, most new websites used a shared hosting provider. Many sites shared one server and its limited bandwidth. As a result, loading times were slow and hard to predict.
The “cloud revolution” changed that. Websites could now have their own servers. These were protected to the same standard and were not affected by other users. In the same way, Polygon says developers can build dApps with Polygon Edge without worrying that other apps will hurt their network’s speed or security.
What Polygon’s Co-Founder Said
Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal said the company was proud of what Polygon Edge had achieved so far. He added that the team was thrilled to build on that success by offering Supernets to customers. The toolset helps users reach their goals quickly and easily.
Polygon’s mission is to bring Web3 to the mass market. The company believes that offering businesses a wide range of use cases is key to the success of blockchain technology.
Polygon has always aimed to give developers the freedom to build whatever they can imagine. Supernets fit with the other scaling tools Polygon already offers. They will let developers use Polygon’s zero-knowledge, privacy and security features on their own chains. Polygon Edge will keep bringing the newest of these features to the public.
Shared Security With Matic
Matic, Polygon’s token, can help secure Supernets. Polygon is offering a “shared security” layer: a marketplace of validators who stake Matic. It is aimed at Edge users who want to use Proof of Stake for security.
Projects that choose this service get instant access to a trusted, decentralized set of Proof of Stake validators. They skip the hard work of building a validator network from scratch. Polygon validators will stake Matic and earn rewards in Matic.
This means app and project teams do not have to work out how to pay validators or keep them running. They get the benefits of Proof of Stake security without spending time or resources on the technology. Instead, they can focus fully on their main product and goals. The service is optional, but the company expects strong demand because of its benefits.
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About the author
Mushumir Butt is a seasoned crypto journalist with over three years of experience reporting on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At Blockchain Reporter, he delivers insightful news, in‐depth project reviews, and precise price analysis and predictions. With a strong background in SEO and digital marketing, Mushumir excels at breaking down complex trends into clear, accessible content, ensuring readers stay ahead in the fast‐paced crypto space.
