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Polygon zkEVM transactions jumped 63% QoQ in Q1 2025, boosting L2 adoption as Ethereum fees fall 90% post‑Dencun upgrade.
Polygon’s zkEVM recorded a 63 % quarter‑over‑quarter increase in transaction volume in Q1 2025, underscoring accelerating adoption of Layer 2 scaling as Ethereum’s new Dencun upgrade slashed L2 fees by roughly 90 %【1】.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Transaction growth | +63 % QoQ (Q1 2025) |
| L2 fee reduction | ~90 % lower after Dencun |
| Secured value | $36 bn across L2 dApps |
| Catalyst | Dencun upgrade enabling cheap blob space |
Ethereum’s March 2024 Dencun upgrade introduced “blob” data lanes (EIP‑4844), a low‑cost channel designed for rollups. By moving bulk transaction data off‑chain, the upgrade cut average Layer 2 fees by about nine‑tenths, making micro‑transactions and high‑frequency dApp activity economically viable【1】. This fee compression directly fed the surge in Polygon’s zkEVM usage, as developers and users migrated cost‑sensitive workloads—such as gaming and NFT minting—to the cheaper rollup environment.
Polygon’s zkEVM is a zero‑knowledge rollup that offers EVM compatibility while inheriting Ethereum’s security through succinct validity proofs. The protocol now protects roughly $36 billion of assets spread across thousands of decentralized applications, a figure that reflects the broader L2 market’s capacity to secure high‑value capital while delivering 10‑100× throughput gains over Ethereum’s 15‑20 TPS baseline【1】. Compared with typical Layer 1 fees of $0.25‑$0.50 (spiking to $20‑$60 under congestion), Polygon’s L2 fees often sit below $0.05, with some transactions costing as little as $0.0196 post‑upgrade【1】.
While Polygon’s zkEVM enjoys rapid growth, other rollups such as Optimism’s Superchain, Arbitrum’s Nova, and zkSync Era also compete for high‑volume use cases. Arbitrum Nova targets ultra‑cheap social‑media traffic, and Optimism’s Superchain aims to interlink multiple OP‑Stack chains for seamless cross‑rollup calls【1】. Nonetheless, Polygon’s recent QoQ surge positions it among the fastest‑growing L2s, especially in gaming and NFT sectors where its zero‑knowledge proofs reduce latency and gas costs.
The 63 % transaction jump signals that developers are increasingly trusting Polygon’s zkEVM to deliver both speed and security, but the sustainability of this growth hinges on continued fee compression and the rollout of next‑generation Ethereum upgrades.
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AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 2 outlets · Jul 12, 2026 · How we report
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Investors worry that Layer 2s capture significant profits while contributing relatively little back to the mainnet, potentially weakening the main chain's economic utility.
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