TL;DR
- Milestone Disruption: A bug in Polygon’s PoS chain delayed milestone finality by 10–15 minutes, affecting validator sync and slowing transaction confirmations.
- Emergency Fix: The blockchain deployed upgrades to Bor and Heimdall layers, restoring checkpointing and state sync across the network.
- Operational Recovery: Polygon Labs confirmed full stability post-hard fork and pledged continued monitoring to ensure reliability.
Polygon has successfully executed an emergency hard fork to address a critical finality issue that recently disrupted its Proof-of-Stake (PoS) chain. The Foundation confirmed the fix on Wednesday, assuring users that checkpointing and consensus finalization have returned to normal. The network’s milestone processing and state synchronization are now fully operational, restoring confidence in the blockchain’s infrastructure and validator performance.
Bug Disrupts Milestone Finality
The disruption stemmed from a software bug that interfered with Polygon’s “local fast finality,” a mechanism the network refers to as milestones. While Ethereum’s mainnet checkpoint finality remained unaffected, the bug caused delays of 10 to 15 minutes in milestone processing. This slowdown impacted validator synchronization and transaction confirmation times, creating friction for users and developers relying on timely execution.
Dual-Layer Upgrade Restores Stability
To resolve the issue, Polygon implemented targeted upgrades to its two core layers. Bor, the block production engine, was updated to version 2.2.11-beta2. Heimdall, which coordinates PoS validation, advanced to version 0.3.1. These updates were deployed at 3 p.m. UTC and immediately began restoring normal network operations. Polygon Labs emphasized that both transaction processing and state sync are now functioning as expected.
Foundation Reassures Community
In a public statement shared on X, Polygon Labs thanked users for their patience and reiterated its commitment to network stability. “We’ll continue to monitor the network closely to ensure stability,” the team stated, signaling ongoing vigilance. The Foundation’s transparency and swift response have been well received, reinforcing its reputation for proactive infrastructure management.
Forward Outlook for Polygon PoS
With the hard fork completed and milestone delays resolved, the blockchain is poised to resume its trajectory as a leading Layer 2 scaling solution. The incident highlights the importance of rapid response and robust architecture in maintaining trust across decentralized ecosystems. Polygon’s ability to swiftly diagnose and correct the issue underscores its technical maturity and operational resilience.
