Madhugiri Hardfork Goes Live on Polygon PoS, Pushing Network Toward High-Load Scalability

December 9, 2025

The Polygon PoS network has activated the Madhugiri Hardfork at block 80,084,800 around 10:00 UTC, marking another major step in the chain’s aggressive scaling roadmap.

The upgrade arrives months after the Bhilai milestone, which helped the network break 1,000+ transactions per second, and now pushes throughput well beyond that threshold.

Polygon shared the activation update on X, confirming smooth network progression.

Throughput Pushes Toward 1,400 TPS

Early benchmarks coming in from node operators show the network running at an observed 1,400 TPS, representing one of the highest sustained rates yet on Polygon PoS.

The upgrade also expands block gas capacity, with the project communicating a gradual configuration path toward 60 million gas per block. While the full transition will be phased, developers say the new parameters are already helping the network handle denser traffic loads without introducing instability.

In addition, several Fusaka-aligned Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) are now live in production environments. These changes form part of Polygon’s long-term plan to remain synchronized with Ethereum’s evolving security architecture while still optimizing for performance under high-load activity.

Validator and node operator feedback indicates no syncing issues, no consensus stalls, and no significant propagation delays since activation, suggesting the hardfork landed cleanly.

What the Madhugiri Hardfork Introduces

The highlight feature of Madhugiri is its shift to a 1-second consensus timing model. For the first time, Polygon PoS can now adjust its block interval without requiring future hardforks. That flexibility becomes crucial as the network’s throughput targets increase.

The hardfork also introduces canonical inclusion of StateSync transactions, ensuring these system-level messages follow a standardized verification flow. This reduces fragmentation across nodes, speeds up syncing processes, and helps new nodes align with the chain state much faster.

Another major change is the application of ModExp-related security constraints. These constraints reduce computational overload vectors that attackers could exploit, while keeping costs predictable for legitimate computation-heavy operations.

Madhugiri also enforces stricter transaction gas caps, preventing single transactions from consuming disproportionate block resources. This protects users from unpredictable fee spikes and ensures block space is shared more evenly during high-traffic periods.

Technical Significance for Polygon’s Scaling Model

The Madhugiri Hardfork is the latest phase in a long-standing modernization effort. Over the past year, Polygon has implemented a layered set of upgrades aimed at improving efficiency without disrupting the network’s large user base.

Madhugiri continues several architectural priorities:

  • Reinforcing the PoS chain’s scaling backbone, introduced during earlier upgrades like Bhilai.
  • Increasing operational resilience as the chain moves toward higher-load environments common in gaming, payments, and global consumer applications.
  • Aligning with Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade, which shipped security improvements around computational constraints and verification efficiency.

Together, these updates widen Polygon’s throughput ceiling, reduce bottlenecks at the consensus layer, and establish a more flexible block-production environment suitable for future congestion peaks.

Activation and Validator Requirement

Polygon confirms that all validators must run Bor client v2.5.x or higher to remain in consensus after the fork. As with previous upgrades, regular users do not need to take any action.

The network is reporting full stability following activation. No mismatches, rollbacks, or missed checkpoints have been observed. Block explorers and third-party infrastructure providers have also completed their compatibility confirmations.

Developers monitoring the chain say the improvement in consensus timing and StateSync processing is already noticeable in how new nodes catch up, especially under simulated load tests.

Next Steps in the Scaling Roadmap

The Polygon PoS team calls Madhugiri another foundation layer in the chain’s broader strategy. As workloads on L2s expand, the chain is preparing for more aggressive throughput demands, particularly from real-time applications, global payment rails, and large gaming ecosystems.

The planned move toward a 60M gas per block configuration is expected to roll out gradually over upcoming releases. Meanwhile, developers will monitor throughput performance at the 1,400 TPS mark as they test the network’s behavior under higher-stress activity.

With Fusaka-aligned EIPs now active, Polygon PoS remains synced with Ethereum’s evolving security architecture. Combined with its new consensus timing flexibility, Madhugiri positions the chain to handle the next wave of performance-heavy decentralized applications.

Polygon’s update post on X highlights the network’s continued focus on predictable upgrades and stable operations throughout the transition.

Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.

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