Polygon zkEVM: Overview

What is Polygon zkEVM?

Polygon zkEVM is a zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) and Layer 2 rollup that scales Ethereum using cryptographic proofs while preserving full EVM equivalence. It allows developers to deploy unmodified Ethereum smart contracts and benefit from faster speeds and dramatically lower costs—without compromising security. Unlike sidechains, Polygon zkEVM posts validity proofs and calldata directly to Ethereum, inheriting its security guarantees.

How Polygon zkEVM works

Unlike Polygon PoS, zkEVM is a zk-rollup, meaning it posts validity proofs and calldata to Ethereum for security. The architecture includes a sequencer (orders transactions), aggregator (batches transactions), and zkProver (generates and submits zero-knowledge proofs). All transaction data is available on Ethereum, and any user can reconstruct the full state of the rollup. This model combines high scalability with Ethereum-level security.

About the Polygon zkEVM Dashboard

The Polygon zkEVM dashboard provides real-time analytics on the performance, usage, and financial operation of Polygon’s zk-rollup. It includes data on transaction activity, network value accrual (REV), user engagement, and cost structure. Whether you're an investor, builder, researcher, or protocol analyst, the dashboard offers a clean, filterable interface for understanding what’s happening on Polygon zkEVM—right down to gas usage by application or sector.

How can I use Polygon zkEVM analytics?

Financials

The Financials tab of the Polygon zkEVM dashboard focuses on how value flows through the protocol and what it costs to operate it. You’ll find:

• Network REV – A standardized measure of on-chain economic activity based on transaction fees
• Gross Onchain Profit – Protocol revenue minus L1 proving and data costs
• Simple Financials Table – Quarterly revenue vs. expenses
• L1 Costs – A breakdown of data availability and zk-proofing costs for Ethereum finality
• Gross Margin – The dashboard calculates margin trends over time, often showing negative margins due to high proving costs

These financial insights help users understand the economic model of Polygon zkEVM in the context of early-stage Layer 2 adoption and high zk-proofing overhead.

Onchain Activity

The Onchain Activity tab provides visibility into what users and applications are doing on Polygon zkEVM:

• Transaction Counts and TPS – Daily, weekly, and monthly volume trends
• Unique Active Addresses – Segmented by new and existing
• Transaction Sector Analysis – Which sectors (e.g. Social, Gaming, Infra) drive usage
• Contracts Deployed – Developer activity over time
• Stablecoin Usage – Volume and supply of USDC and USDT bridged to zkEVM
• Fee Comparisons – Average and median transaction costs in ETH

These metrics help track adoption patterns and surface engagement across different types of applications.

How is Polygon zkEVM data gathered?

Polygon zkEVM dashboard metrics are compiled using a hybrid data architecture. Blockworks Research sources data from high-quality indexers like DeFiLlama and combines it with direct RPC endpoints for real-time visibility. These feeds are standardized through proprietary data models built in-house, and outputs are cross-validated for accuracy. This ensures that zkEVM analytics remain both comprehensive and reliable.

What is Network REV in Polygon zkEVM analytics?

Network REV (Real Economic Value) represents the total value paid by users to transact on Polygon zkEVM. It includes only in-protocol transaction fees—there are no out-of-protocol tips on zkEVM. REV is a consistent, cross-chain metric used to benchmark demand for blockspace and fee-based utility. On zkEVM, these fees are often low thanks to the efficiency of zero-knowledge proofs, but they still reflect organic demand for transacting on the network.

Why is on-chain activity important in Polygon zkEVM analytics?

On-chain activity is the most direct signal of user engagement and protocol momentum. Whether measured through transaction count, active wallets, or gas consumption, these metrics tell the story of real economic usage. They help developers identify emerging use cases, help analysts assess adoption trends, and help investors evaluate the growth potential of the network.

What applications are most active on Polygon zkEVM?

The dashboard features tools for tracking gas consumption by address, transaction sector breakdowns, and new contract deployments. Current top gas consumers range from infrastructure bots and canonical bridges to routers like QuickSwap and oracle feeds like EOFeedManager. Sector data reveals a healthy spread across gaming, social, infrastructure, and spam/automated actors—providing a granular lens into who is actually using zkEVM and why.

Are users sticking around on Polygon zkEVM?

The retention tables show how many wallets continue to engage with Polygon zkEVM after their first transaction. While retention is a challenge across most L2s, the dashboard allows users to track these rates week by week. It’s a helpful tool for protocols looking to assess how sticky their user base really is after launch.

How Blockworks sources this data

All analytics shown are powered by Blockworks Research’s proprietary data infrastructure, validated across indexers, RPC feeds, and zkEVM-specific decoding logic.