Polygon’s position as a leader in Ethereum scaling continues to solidify. According to Messari’s latest Q1 2025 report on Polygon, the network is not only staying competitive—it’s evolving with strategic upgrades and strong ecosystem growth.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

1. Revenue Doubles QoQ—Fueled by DeFi and Restaking

Polygon PoS experienced 108% growth in revenue this quarter, driven largely by increased DeFi activity and heightened usage of protocols like EigenLayer. Despite a 13% drop in active addresses, transaction fees surged, signaling deeper on-chain engagement from existing users. https://messari.io/report/state-of-polygon-q1-2025

2. POL Upgrade and Architecture Overhaul

The long-awaited POL token upgrade is closer than ever. Q1 saw the release of testnets for Polygon 2.0, marking the first steps toward a decentralized, unified Layer 2 ecosystem. POL will soon replace MATIC, powering staking, governance, and gas fees across the entire AggLayer. https://messari.io/report/state-of-polygon-q1-2025

3. AggLayer Launch—The Composable Future

Polygon launched AggLayer, a cutting-edge interoperability layer that stitches together modular L2s with shared liquidity and unified UX. Several rollups are already building with the CDK (Chain Development Kit), including Kinto, Manta, and Astar. It’s a bold move towards a more fluid multichain experience. https://messari.io/report/state-of-polygon-q1-2025

4. Institutional and Brand Momentum

Top brands like Square Enix, Fox, and Uniswap continued to build on Polygon. Enterprise and NFT use cases saw notable traction. Additionally, Google Cloud’s collaboration with Polygon shows the L2's growing appeal beyond DeFi. https://messari.io/report/state-of-polygon-q1-2025

5. Developer Activity Remains Strong

Polygon retained its #2 rank among all chains for active developers, behind only Ethereum. The introduction of zkEVM and new tooling through the CDK has spurred innovation in the ecosystem.

Polygon isn’t just keeping pace—it’s setting the tone for the Layer 2 era. With the rollout of Polygon 2.0, POL, and AggLayer, it’s laying the foundation for a modular, scalable, and liquid Ethereum future.

What’s Next?

We’ll be watching the POL mainnet migration, more CDK rollup launches, and the ecosystem’s continued push toward a decentralized, aggregated multichain.

Read the full Messari Q1 2025 report https://messari.io/report/state-of-polygon-q1-2025?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=q1_quarterlies&destination=protocol_services_research

Follow for more Polygon deep dives.

Engage with the excerpt on my X: @jgadSagna @0xPolygon and MessariCrypto #Polygon