Polygon Cuts Block Time to 1.75 Seconds, Boosting Theoretical Throughput 14%

Polygon has made a significant technical upgrade to its network, cutting its average block time by 250 milliseconds to 1.75 seconds.

This reduction, implemented through PIP-86, is the first of its kind since the network's genesis and brings the theoretical throughput up by roughly 14% to approximately 3,260 transactions per second (TPS), according to Lucca Martins, a Polygon software engineer.

The faster block times are expected to help clear transaction backlogs more efficiently, which is particularly important for high-frequency activities such as stablecoin transfers and decentralized finance trades. This could lead to reduced fee spikes during congestion, making the network more attractive to corporate users.

Polygon has been working towards increasing its capacity to stay ahead of stablecoin demand, with a long-term goal of reaching 5,000 TPS. In recent months, the network has also made strides in integrating itself into traditional payment rails, including being added to Visa's stablecoin settlement program alongside Base, Canton Network, Arc, and Tempo.