Based on the recent development, Polygon plans to introduce a hard fork to limit gas spikes and address chain reorgs. When hard forks are compared to soft forks, it becomes evident that hard forks are not backward compatible. Furthermore, it becomes a necessity for all node operators on the network to update to the latest software. However, the update must be carried out within the specified timeframe. When talking about hard forks, some of them can simply be defined as major updates to the network.
It is deemed mandatory for all Polygon node operators to upgrade their nodes before 17th January this year. The main reason for doing so is to seamlessly prepare for the introduction of the hard fork. When talking about the holders of MATIC, the native token of Polygon, they aren’t required to do anything. Similarly, there is no requirement for dApps, such as Web3 games, to take any possible action either.
With the launch of Polygon, an effective solution regarding the scaling issues of Ethereum was provided seamlessly. Users and developers were offered almost everything they love about the network. However, everything was offered with considerably lower fees and quicker throughput. Keeping in mind how dApps and transactions have increased with time, Polygon has established itself as a suitable destination. Apart from the introduction of the hard fork, Polygon plans to work on long-term upgrades as well. The technical upgrades under discussion include other technology for scaling.
Polygon to Introduce the Hard Fork- The Benefits
With the introduction of the hard fork, Polygon hopes to solve two main issues: greatly limiting reorgs and gas spikes. As long as the reduction in gas spike is concerned, it would be achieved by doubling the value of BasefeeChangeDenominator. It would play a major role in smoothing out the increase/decrease rates in base fee. However, it would happen if the gas exceeds of falls below the required gas limits.
When talking about reorgs, it is major problem that Polygon hopes to solve with the introduction of the hard fork. Reorgs can either occur as a result of malicious attacks or network errors. These problems may eventually split the network into two different parts. Furthermore, the split might result in lost or duplicate transactions and this is based on the tenure of the reorg.
