Polygon deployed the Rio hardfork on Wednesday, October 8, rolling out network updates aimed at increasing performance and reducing transaction rollbacks. The update introduces stateless validation and a Validator Elected Block Producer (VEBloP) system to handle block production more efficiently.
Stateless validation allows validators to confirm blocks without maintaining the entire blockchain history, which can include gigabytes of data. By eliminating the need to store the entire state of the chain, the network can process transactions faster and at a lower cost.
The VEBloP system designates a single validator to produce blocks for a fixed period. This replaces the previous setup where multiple validators could produce blocks simultaneously, sometimes resulting in chain reorganizations. Chain reorganizations occur when blocks of the same height are created at the same time, temporarily splitting the network and reversing transactions in orphan blocks. In a recent case, a Monero reorganization reversed 118 transactions, illustrating the impact on transaction finality.
Polygon named John Egan, former head of Crypto at Stripe, as chief product officer. Egan will manage product development and payments on the network. He claimed that the Rio hardfork reduces transaction rollbacks caused by chain reorganizations and allows autonomous activity on the chain.
According to Polygon developers, Rio-like protocol upgrades have previously reduced failed or rolled back transactions by more than 90 percent. With stateless validation and the VEBloP system, the network can confirm transactions faster while handling higher transaction volumes.
The Rio hardfork also introduces improved capabilities for stablecoin payments. Historical data shows that similar updates increase performance and reduce block reorganization risks. The update benefits both retail and institutional users, allowing stablecoin transfers to be executed with fewer errors.
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