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Polygon plans to launch a new Ethereum sidechain

The new sidechain "zkEVM" would theoretically be infinitely scalable and could even compete with the popular Arbitrum and Optimism networks.

By Mike Hesp
• 2 min read
Polygon plans to launch a new Ethereum sidechain

The new sidechain "zkEVM" would theoretically be infinitely scalable and could even compete with the popular Arbitrum and Optimism networks.

Polygon plans to launch its new Ethereum sidechain on March 27 this year. The company announced this on February 14, in a blog post.

The Layer 2 chain is built using zero-knowledge proofs (zkProofs), a new scaling solution based on advanced cryptography. Several firms are currently competing to roll out the first mass version of zkProofs. These include Starknet, zkSync, and Scroll, all of which are working on an Ethereum-compatible version.

With the launch of "zkEVM" in March, Polygon would be the first among them. Ethereum transactions would then be completed within seconds at low cost. At the same time, the technology offers a high level of security.

zkProofs would also compete with the mainstream Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism. These currently operate on Optimistic roll-up technology, which is efficient but also more centralized.

The newer technology sometimes lacks the necessary Ethereum compatibility. Polygon's recent breakthrough could make it much easier to build applications on it and drive its adoption.

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