Polygon
Last updated
Last updated
| Protocol time | Human readable time | |
|---|---|---|
Protocol time 1 | Block | 2 seconds |
Protocol time 2 | Checkpoint | 40 minutes |
First reward delay | 1 checkpoint | 40 minutes |
Reward frequency | Every checkpoint | 40 minutes |
Unbonding period | 80 checkpoints | 2 days |
A checkpoint is a snapshot of Polygon blocks committed to Ethereum. The frequency of a checkpoint is not hard enforced and therefore the time between each check point can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours.
Rewards are not earned during the unbonding period.
Minimum stake amount | ❌ | |
Partial stake changes | ✅ | |
Partial reward withdrawals | ❌ | |
Compounding | ❌ | |
Penalties | ⚠️ | Offline |
Slashing | ❌ |
The protocol enforces a soft penalty mechanism. If a validator is offline (fails to sign) for 1,400 consecutive checkpoints, the protocol will force exit the validator. Staked tokens are not deducted as part of this process.
MATIC staking happens on Ethereum. Polygon’s Proof of Stake sidechain has three components working in tandem.
Bor is the layer where execution happens.
Heimdall is the layer where a set of validators form consensus on Bor blocks to commit to Ethereum.
Ethereum is where the smart contracts that dictate Heimdall validators exist. MATIC staking happens on these smart contracts.
Checkpoints are not fixed. Polygon does not have a fixed duration for checkpoints. This creates volatility on how long it could take for tokens to become staked or to be unstaked.
Rewards come from newly issued tokens and transaction fees.
Fixed emission per checkpoint. While the total maximum rewards per checkpoint is fixed, the actual distributed rewards will slightly vary depending on the length of each checkpoint.
Transaction fees. The protocol’s Bor layer implements a similar gas fee model as Ethereum’s EIP-1559. The base fees paid by Bor transactions are burned and priority fees are distributed to validators. Transaction fees are not distributed to delegators.
Factors that impact realized rewards.
Validator performance. Validators who do not sign a checkpoint will not receive any rewards for that checkpoint.
Proposing validator bonus. Validators who collect validator votes and commit the checkpoint receive a 10% of rewards for that checkpoint.
The protocol does not have any penalties or slashing.
Total validator cap | ✅ | 100 |
Validator requirements | ✅ | 10,000 MATIC |
Polygon documentation: https://wiki.polygon.technology/
Polygon staking dashboard: https://staking.polygon.technology/