Polygon Deploys Layer 2 Network Testnet Hermez

Polygon is releasing a public testnet for Hermez, an Ethereum scaling solution, as the competition for the dominant Ethereum Layer 2 solution begins.

Hermez, an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution, was bought by Polygon for $250 million last year. Hermez operates atop Ethereum and improves its scalability by letting it handle more transactions at a lower cost. This is the first opportunity for anybody to test the new network.

Polygon’s scaling solutions. Image: Momentum

Hermez is a zkEVM, a sort of Layer 2 scaling solution that offers features that other Layer 2s do not, namely in security and application flexibility.

“It was widely believed that zkEVM will take several more years to ship, which makes this an even more groundbreaking milestone, not only for Polygon but for the whole Web3 industry,” stated Polygon Co-founder Mihailo Bjelic.

ZkEVMs improve upon all of the advantages of Layer 2s while enabling developers to construct Zero Knowledge (ZK) applications using the industry-standard programming language Solidity. This implies that apps and developers may take advantage of ZK’s security and scalability without learning a new programming language.

On the testnet, DeFi protocols such as Aave and Uniswap will be implemented at launch. This will allow these protocols and users to conduct Hermez experiments. It also allows the Aave and Uniswap teams to test for any faults before the mainnet deployment. In the end, Polygon zkEVM is the next phase in Ethereum’s evolution and provides customers with the full advantages of a fully functional zkEVM — scalability without compromise.

David Schwartz, the co-founder of Polygon Hermez, stated: “We have some work to do before we fully achieve those goals, and we are eager to find out exactly what needs improvement and receive feedback.”

According to Polygon, all programmes, tools, and user wallets created on Polygon’s proof-of-stake network will be compatible with Hermez.

This announcement was made just before zkSync’s mainnet deployment on October 28.