Polygon's Native Staking Drives Real-World Adoption and Investor Momentum

Polygon’s POL token has emerged as a focal point for market activity this week, driven by the recent completion of its migration from the MATIC token and the activation of native staking features. The transition, finalized on September 3, marked a significant upgrade for the Polygon ecosystem, enabling users to stake POL directly on the Ethereum network. This milestone triggered a classic "buy the rumor" rally in the days preceding the official announcement, with trading volumes peaking at over $631 million on September 1 and pushing the token’s price near $0.29 on September 2 [2]. Following confirmation of the migration, the price stabilized around $0.28, reflecting the absorption of much of the positive sentiment into the preceding price action [2].

POL’s market dynamics have continued to evolve favorably in the short term. Over the past month, the token surged 37%, outperforming the average growth rate of Smart Contract Platforms and demonstrating resilience despite a 7% decline in the last 24 hours [1]. The token’s market cap currently stands at $2.97 billion, with a circulating supply of 10 billion POL tokens. While the price remains about 63% below its all-time high of $0.77, the token’s recent performance has positioned it among the top 10 Smart Contract Platforms by daily trading volume [1].

The staking functionality introduced with POL represents a strategic enhancement for the network. Holders can now stake their tokens to secure the Polygon network, earning validator rewards and qualifying for future community airdrops. This development has elevated POL’s utility beyond its role as a gas token and positioned it as a viable option for investors seeking staking opportunities in the current market environment. The activation of native staking has also drawn attention to Polygon’s broader tokenomics model, which includes a 2% annual emission over ten years to fund network security and grant programs [2].

On-chain data further reinforces the token’s growing relevance. As of September 3, the network’s unique address count had reached 527 million, signaling robust user adoption. The DeFi ecosystem built on Polygon also demonstrated strength, with a Total Value Locked (TVL) of $1.23 billion in August, reflecting a 43% year-to-date increase [2]. The token’s utility is also expanding through Polygon’s Agglayer initiative, an interoperability solution aimed at fostering a more integrated cross-chain environment.

While leadership changes within the project have raised some questions about its long-term trajectory—such as the departure of co-founder Mihailo Bjelic in May—the network continues to attract institutional and governmental interest. Notably, the Philippines government recently adopted Polygon for document verification, and the U.S. state of Wyoming launched its government-backed stablecoin on the Polygon network [2]. These developments underscore the token’s growing role in real-world applications and its potential for broader utility beyond traditional blockchain functions.

In the broader altcoin market, MemeCore and Pump.fun have also drawn investor attention, with their recent price surges and active community engagement. However, POL’s structured migration, enhanced staking features, and expanding utility make it a compelling asset for investors looking to capitalize on this weekend’s market activity [3].

Source:

[1] title1 (https://www.coinbase.com/price/polygon-pol)

[2] title2 (https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/4cc69-polygons-pol-migration-completes-after-buy-the-rumor-rally-as-native-staking-goes-live)

[3] title3 (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pump-fun-frenzy-memecore-madness-170611518.html)