Crypto Gloss

Polygon zkEVM

Polygon zkEVM was Polygon’s Ethereum Layer 2 Mainnet Beta, built as a zero-knowledge rollup that executed EVM-compatible contracts and used validity proofs to verify batches of transactions. Its sequencer stopped producing blocks on July 3, 2026. The name now refers to a retired network and its wind-down process, not an active Polygon L2.

What Polygon zkEVM was

As a rollup, Polygon zkEVM was designed to execute transactions away from Ethereum mainnet, group them into batches, and use validity proofs to show that the resulting state followed the protocol’s rules. Its EVM-equivalence goal was to let developers use familiar Ethereum contracts and tools with fewer changes than some other ZK systems. A proof verifies specified computation; it does not remove every operational, contract, upgrade, or application risk.

Polygon Labs launched Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta on March 27, 2023. It was a separate network from Polygon PoS. The similar names do not mean they shared a sequencer, bridge, or shutdown status.

Why Polygon ended the Mainnet Beta

Polygon Labs announced the planned sunset in June 2025. In its announcement, the company cited technical and product challenges, including delays in supporting EIP-4844, ZK counters that made some DeFi transactions impractical, and the difficulty of debugging a custom client. It also said the project had not differentiated itself or met its intended user experience, and that resources would shift toward other Polygon priorities such as Polygon PoS and Agglayer. These are Polygon’s stated reasons, rather than an independent assessment of the project.

Sunset and current asset-claim information

Polygon’s current status page says the sequencer sunset was completed on July 3, 2026. Some earlier announcements named July 1 as the planned date; the current Polygon page gives July 3 as the completed sunset date. The network no longer produces blocks, and withdrawals can no longer be processed through the Agglayer Bridge.

Polygon says its Claims interface can recover eligible assets that were held in self-custodied externally owned accounts (EOAs) at the time of sunset. The interface uses exit certificates and a read-only RPC; Polygon Labs says it does not custody the funds. Polygon lists the interface as available through December 31, 2027, after which the interface will be retired. This is not a guarantee that every asset or wallet is eligible.

Assets that were held inside smart contracts—including DeFi positions, multisig wallets, and third-party bridge contracts—cannot be recovered through that Claims interface, according to Polygon. The project directs users who believe their assets were held in a contract to contact the relevant protocol or contract operator. Anyone assessing a specific wallet or position should rely on Polygon’s current official claim information and the relevant contract operator, not on this glossary summary.

How to understand the transition

The sunset applies to Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta. It should not be read as the sunset of Polygon PoS, Agglayer, Polygon CDK, or every network built with zkEVM technology. A project name can describe a technology or family of deployments as well as one specific chain; the Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta discussed here was one particular network.

The transition is also a reminder that a rollup’s technical design and its long-term operating status are separate questions. Polygon zkEVM demonstrated an EVM-equivalent ZK-rollup approach, but that does not mean the Mainnet Beta is still available for transactions or that all assets left on it can be recovered through one interface.

History

  • March 27, 2023 — Mainnet Beta launched. Polygon Labs presented Polygon zkEVM as a public, EVM-equivalent ZK scaling network.
  • June 11, 2025 — Polygon announced a 2026 sunset. The company described its technical and product rationale and a transition period.
  • July 3, 2026 — Sequencer sunset completed. Polygon’s current status page says the network stopped producing blocks and Agglayer withdrawals ceased.
  • December 31, 2027 — Claims interface scheduled to retire. Polygon says eligible EOA-held assets can be claimed through its interface until this date; smart-contract-held assets are excluded from that interface.

Social Media Sentiment

A small r/ethtrader discussion about the sunset focused on what the closure meant for assets and how claims would work. One commenter reported trouble accessing the claim process with a particular wallet. That is an individual, unverified report—not evidence that the interface is generally unavailable—and the thread is not a representative survey. Polygon’s current claim page is the more reliable source for eligibility and status.

Last updated: 2026-10

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