Polygon Labs has rolled out its biggest upgrade yet, called Rio, now live on the mainnet. The update transforms the Polygon network into a faster, lighter, and more reliable platform built for payments.
Rio’s main goal is to help Polygon handle global payment traffic at high speed and low cost. It delivers up to 5,000 transactions per second while ending reorgs, where the chain can roll back confirmed transactions.
According to Polygon, Rio introduces a new Validator-Elected Block Producer (VEBloP) system. This allows validators to elect a smaller group of block producers, letting the network process transactions faster and confirm them instantly.
“Rio is a turning point for Polygon’s payments future,” the company said. The new system makes the network steadier and keeps transactions confirmed for good once they go through.
The upgrade introduces stateless validation, allowing nodes to verify new blocks without keeping the full blockchain data.
This approach lowers hardware needs and operating costs, making network participation more practical for both startups and financial institutions.
Polygon added that these changes reduce costs for participants and open the door to a more decentralized and accessible ecosystem.
Rio also updates how fees and rewards are shared among validators. The new system ensures everyone in the network benefits fairly, even those running lightweight nodes.
With this model, the network remains fast and secure without sacrificing fairness or participation. Polygon said the upgrade marks a new phase in its long-term scaling vision known as “gigagas.”
Meanwhile, Co-founder Sandeep Nailwal recently said that the next wave of crypto adoption will come from micro-payments, not large institutions. He noted that low-cost, high-speed networks like Polygon can power everyday transactions such as tips, small purchases, and creator payments.
Polygon’s Rio upgrade marks an important milestone in its effort to make digital payments faster and more reliable for users worldwide.
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