Network Confusion (Critical)

• Polygon PoS is the main chain — EVM compatible, uses MATIC for gas
• Polygon zkEVM is separate — different RPC, same MATIC token but bridged separately
• MATIC is rebranding to POL — transition in progress, wallets will update
• Polygon Mainnet ≠ Ethereum Mainnet — same address format, different networks
• Sending to wrong network loses funds — always verify network before sending

MATIC/POL Token

• MATIC used for gas on Polygon PoS — required for all transactions
• MATIC exists on Ethereum as ERC-20 — must bridge to use on Polygon
• POL replacing MATIC — same value, automatic migration for most users
• Native MATIC on Polygon vs ERC-20 MATIC on Ethereum — different networks

Bridging

• Official Polygon Bridge: bridge.polygon.technology — safe but slow (30+ minutes to Polygon, 7 days back)
• Withdrawals to Ethereum take 7 days — checkpoint mechanism for security
• Third-party bridges faster but have smart contract risk — Hop, Across, Stargate
• Bridge MATIC before bridging tokens — need gas on destination chain
• Always have MATIC for gas after bridging — tokens without gas are stuck

Gas and Fees

• Gas prices in gwei like Ethereum — but much cheaper (typically 30-100 gwei)
• Transactions cost fractions of a cent — major advantage over Ethereum
• Gas spikes during high activity — NFT mints, popular drops
• Failed transactions still cost gas — same as Ethereum behavior
• Priority fee for faster inclusion — same EIP-1559 model

Tokens and DeFi

• Same token standards as Ethereum — ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155 all work
• Many Ethereum tokens have Polygon versions — verify contract addresses
• Wrapped tokens need unwrapping — bridged ETH is not native ETH
• QuickSwap, Uniswap, Aave all on Polygon — same interfaces as Ethereum
• Lower liquidity than Ethereum mainnet — higher slippage on large trades

Wallet Setup

• MetaMask supports Polygon natively — add network from chainlist.org
• Chain ID: 137 — RPC: https://polygon-rpc.com
• Block explorer: polygonscan.com — verify transactions and contracts
• Same address as Ethereum — but balances are network-specific

Common Issues

• "Insufficient MATIC for gas" — need MATIC, not just tokens
• Transaction stuck pending — gas price too low, speed up or wait
• Tokens not showing in wallet — add custom token with contract address
• Bridge transaction pending — checkpoints take time, don't panic
• "Network not supported" — dApp may not support Polygon, check docs

zkEVM Specifics

• Separate network from PoS — different RPC and chain ID (1101)
• Uses ETH for gas, not MATIC — bridge ETH from Ethereum
• Faster finality than optimistic rollups — ZK proofs instead of fraud proofs
• Some opcodes behave differently — minor contract compatibility issues
• Growing ecosystem — fewer dApps than PoS currently

Staking

• MATIC staking on Ethereum mainnet — validators secure both networks
• Delegate to validators — no minimum, rewards vary by validator
• Unbonding takes 80 checkpoints (~3-4 days) — funds locked during unbonding
• Liquid staking available — stMATIC, MaticX for liquidity while staking

Security

• Same security model as Ethereum — private key controls all
• Approve tokens carefully — revoke unused approvals at polygonscan.com
• Verify contract addresses — scam tokens use similar names
• Official bridge is safest — third-party bridges have additional risk
• Keep some MATIC for emergencies — stuck tokens without gas is common