Polygon zkEVM
Last changed 2026-10-27 · Score recalculated — Rescored under Scoring v2, the published formula (avoid.net/scoring): 26 → 50. Problems weighed by who is responsible: concerns that are not fraud −25.2, problems around the subject, caused by others −2.8; legitimacy credit long-running +8; no longer operating, so capped at 50; fact-check adjustments (−12) now shown as page reliability, not in the score. Version history →
Why this score
| Every page starts at | 65 |
| Concerns that are not fraud | -25.2 |
| Problems around it, caused by others | -2.8 |
| Long-running | +8 |
| Sum | 45 |
- No longer operating, so capped at 50.
Score: 50/100 (kept between 0 and 100)
How scoring works →Summary
Polygon zkEVM was a zero-knowledge rollup network launched in March 2023 by Polygon Labs, built upon the 2021 acquisition of Hermez Network for approximately $250 million in MATIC tokens. Despite early promise — including Vitalik Buterin processing the first transaction — the chain never achieved meaningful adoption, reportedly failed to implement the cost-reducing EIP-4844 blobs upgrade, and was shut down on July 1, 2026. Assets locked in DeFi smart contracts at the time of shutdown cannot be auto-migrated and may be permanently inaccessible.
Connected Entities
6 entities · 60 linked investigations- Starknet→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Scroll→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Ethereum→mentioned with→Vitalik Buterin(80%)
- Polygon zkEVM→mentioned with→Vitalik Buterin(80%)
- Vitalik Buterin→mentioned with→Ethereum(65%)
- Polygon→mentioned with→Ethereum(70%)
- Polygon zkEVM→mentioned with→Scroll(60%)
- Polygon zkEVM→mentioned with→Polygon(80%)
- Polygon zkEVM→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Polygon zkEVM→mentioned with→Starknet(60%)
1 submission awaiting moderator review.
Timeline(11 events)
4 August 2021
Polygon acquires Hermez Network for approximately 250 million MATIC tokens (~$250 million at the time), structured as a token merger at 3.5 MATIC per 1 HEZ.
The Block11 October 2022
Polygon releases Hermez-based zkEVM public testnet, allowing Ethereum developers to deploy smart contracts on the ZK rollup without reprogramming.
Invezz14 February 2023
Polygon announces March 27, 2023 as the Mainnet Beta launch date for Polygon zkEVM.
CoinDesk27 March 2023
Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta goes live publicly. Vitalik Buterin sends the first transaction. Nailwal notes it remains in beta and carries technological risk.
CoinDeskMarch 2024
Polygon zkEVM total value locked reaches peak of approximately $187 million. The EIP-4844 blobs upgrade is introduced to Ethereum but is allegedly never implemented on Polygon zkEVM.
DefiLlama / CryptoPotatoJune 2024
Alleged internal work stoppage on Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta, approximately 18 months before the official shutdown — according to CEO Marc Boiron's later disclosure.
Crypto Times11 June 2025
Sandeep Nailwal assumes CEO role at Polygon Foundation amid strategic restructuring. Polygon announces strategic pivot to PoS chain and AggLayer, and announces zkEVM sunset with 12 months' notice.
CoinDesk13 June 2025
Jordi Baylina — original Hermez co-founder and Polygon zkEVM lead — spins off to form Polygon ZisK as an independent entity under SilentSig Switzerland GmbH, taking a team of seven engineers.
The Block30 June 2025
AggLayer v0.3 launches, representing Polygon's new strategic focus on cross-chain settlement.
Cryptopolitan17 June 2026
QuickSwap DEX issues public warning to users that funds locked in DeFi protocols on Polygon zkEVM will be lost after the July 1 shutdown, and that assets cannot be recovered post-deadline.
QuickSwap on XJuly 2026
Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta sequencer is taken offline. Transactions cease to be processed. Balance snapshot taken for eligible wallet-held asset claims. DeFi-locked funds become inaccessible with no automated recovery pathway.
Polygon Community Forum (official)Decision Log
- slot 461966670 · hash 9BJ2s2dTkypUYA7gYgrAkMYSJQ1rybDtH1tAtZ9CcYZp
- slot 445505541 · hash 8qqzcsuDUf6z5RqEAPKN4fps25NdkVrG5qdvCwLa2553
- slot 443526516 · hash C6muYSsbuxkWSmpyCbEfKqdnaRRfRVYq7ovRWfmbWJYi
- slot 443526504 · hash vh99eNLHHA5zEzR7XPqXBpvbVXqxnhTKQWw4rszG4Yf
- slot 430305076 · hash 9yUK5k9Z7Lhcp6TNc6r11WBEmm7HKbFhthvAu2L8pjUU
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (5 decisions). 15 of 18 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 7/2/2026, 12:17:12 PM
last updated: 10/27/2026, 6:07:27 AM
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