Polygon vs Arbitrum

General

Description

Polygon Logo
Polygon
 (POL)

Polygon is a decentralized scaling platform that uses technologies like sidechains to enable faster and cheaper Ethereum transactions. It’s considered one of the leading Layer 2 solutions built on top of Ethereum, aiming to optimize the network without compromising the security of the Ethereum main chain.

What is Polygon?
Arbitrum Logo
Arbitrum
 (ARB)

Arbitrum is a Layer 2 platform designed to scale Ethereum. Using so-called Optimistic Rollups, transactions are processed and bundled outside the Ethereum mainchain before being published on Ethereum, making them faster and cheaper to execute. This allows Ethereum-compatible smart contracts and applications to operate at greater scale.

What is Arbitrum?
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Purpose and goals

Polygon Logo
Polygon
 (POL)
  • Scaling for Ethereum
  • Layer 2 infrastructure
  • Developer tools
Arbitrum Logo
Arbitrum
 (ARB)
  • Scaling for Ethereum
  • Layer 2 infrastructure
  • Low transaction fees
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Price and market data

Chart

Polygon
 (POL)

$0.1129

+16.5%
Arbitrum
 (ARB)

$0.2310

+70.2%
1D
1W
1M
1Y
Max
Market data
PolygonArbitrum
All-time high
$1.2900
Mar 13, 2024
-91.2%
$2.3900
Jan 12, 2024
-90.4%
Crypto all-time highs
Market cap
$1.21B
$1.56B
Market share
0.042%
0.054%
Transaction volume (24h)
$163.87M
$474.37M
Exchange rate

1 POL = $0.1129

1 ARB = $0.2310

POL converterARB converter
AI prediction 2026
$0.1653
+47.1%
$0.3090
+31.0%
POL predictionARB prediction
Price trend
Positive
(17/30 days)
Positive
(16/30 days)
Momentum
Neutral
NegativePositive
Neutral
Neutral
NegativePositive
Neutral
Relative Strength Index
Neutral
BuySell
Neutral

59.8

Sell
BuySell
Sell

70.0

News sentiment
Neutral
NegativePositive
Neutral (64/100)

Last 30 days

Positive
NegativePositive
Positive (70/100)

Last 30 days

POL newsARB news
Price performance
++8.4%
++8.4%
Price performance
++16.5%
++70.2%
Price performance
++2.4%
++136.0%
Price performance
--54.5%
--52.6%
Annual return
++6.0%
++14.2%
Annual return
--77.7%
--73.9%
Annual return
--51.7%
--50.7%
POL returnsARB returns
Average annual return
--19.9%
--45.3%
Max supply
10B
Circulating supply
10.72B
6.79B
Inflation
89.15%
Year
25.57%
Year
Crypto inflation

On-chain data

PolygonArbitrum
Total Value Locked (TVL)
$791.94M
$3.50B
What is Total Value Locked?
Market cap/TVL (ratio)
1.53
0.45
Transactions (24h)
Active addresses (24h)

Our rating

What we think

Polygon Logo
Polygon
 (POL)
Layer-2 solutions like Polygon have become indispensable for a scalable Ethereum ecosystem, and Polygon was one of the first major players to keep Ethereum usable despite massively increased demand. The problem: its original competitive edge is rapidly eroding as Arbitrum has overtaken Polygon in Total Value Locked (TVL), Optimism excels with better Ethereum compatibility, and Base benefits from Coinbase's marketing muscle. Particularly concerning is Polygon's positioning as a multi-chain hub with its 2.0 strategy, potentially losing focus while competitors successfully concentrate on pure Ethereum scaling. The academic-sounding marketing around "AggLayer" and POL can't hide the fact that genuine user and developer adoption has stagnated. Ethereum's roadmap is betting long-term on Layer-2s, but the market is evolving into a winner-takes-most scenario where Polygon must prove it can not only keep up technologically but also win back community and developer momentum — currently, it looks more like a slow decline into irrelevance.
What is Polygon?
Arbitrum Logo
Arbitrum
 (ARB)
Arbitrum is one of the most compelling projects in the Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystem in our view. Its technology is well established, its DeFi ecosystem is extensive, and Arbitrum One has demonstrated that Ethereum can be used much more cheaply and at greater scale. We also find it particularly interesting that Arbitrum is evolving beyond a single Layer 2 network by building broader infrastructure for developers through Stylus and custom Arbitrum Chains. The model is not without weaknesses, however. Competition between Layer 2 networks is intense, technological advantages can quickly be caught up, and the sequencer still plays a relatively centralized role. Our biggest question mark concerns the ARB token itself. Arbitrum can be highly successful as a network without ARB necessarily benefiting to the same extent, as the token is currently used primarily for governance.We therefore see Arbitrum as a very strong infrastructure project, while remaining more cautious on ARB itself. In the long term, the key question will be whether the token gains additional utility and becomes more closely tied to the economic success of the Arbitrum ecosystem.
What is Arbitrum?
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Key data

Key data
PolygonArbitrum
Sector
Smart Contracts
Smart Contracts
Key feature
Scalability (Layer-2)
Scalability (Layer-2)
Founder
Sandeep Nailwal, Jaynti Kanani, Anurag Arjun, Mihailo Bjelic
Steven Goldfeder, Ed Felten, Harry Kalodner
Developer
Polygon Labs UI Ltd.
Offchain Labs
Published
2017
2018
Institutional investors
  • Sequoia
  • SoftBank
  • Tiger Global
  • Coinbase Ventures
  • Binance Labs
  • AU21 Capital
  • etc.
  • Pantera Capital
  • Coinbase Ventures
  • Polychain Capital
  • Lightspeed
  • Ribbit Capital
  • Redpoint
  • etc.
Social media
2.06M followers
1.15M followers
Website
polygon.technology
arbitrum.io
Whitepaper
Whitepaper
Whitepaper

Technical details

Technical details
PolygonArbitrum
Blockchain
Ethereum Blockchain
Ethereum Blockchain
Consensus mechanism
Proof of Stake
Proof of Stake (Ethereum)
Staking
Yes
No
Open source
Yes
Yes
Energy consumption
Low
Low
Transactions per second
10,000 TPS
Polygon vs Arbitrum

Polygon or Arbitrum

Market data comparison of POL versus ARB

The current price of Polygon is $0.1129 and has increased by 8.4% in the last 24 hours. Arbitrum is currently trading at $0.2310, with a gain of 8.4% over the same period. Polygon has a market cap of $1.21B and ranks 72nd. Arbitrum follows with a market cap of $1.56B, ranking 61st — meaning it is valued higher.

We automatically update all market data every 15 minutes, so you always have the latest figures for your comparison.

Should I buy Polygon or Arbitrum?

You should be aware that investing in cryptocurrencies carries risks, and we are neither allowed nor intending to provide investment advice. Still, we'd like to offer some food for thought: consider the opportunities and risks associated with both Polygon and Arbitrum. What target markets and problems are these two projects aiming to address?

If you're still unsure whether to invest in Polygon or Arbitrum, you can take a look at some additional market data to help with your decision:

Currently, Polygon is about -91.2% below it's all-time high of $1.2900 reached Mar 13, 2024.
In comparison, Arbitrum is down approximately -90.4% from it's all-time high of $2.3900 Jan 12, 2024.
Polygon currently has a 65.5% lower 24h transaction volume of $163.87M compared to Arbitrum with $474.37M.
Over the past year, Polygon achieved a total return of -54.5%, while Arbitrum returned -52.6%. Keep in mind, however, that past performance rarely guarantees future results.

Additional criteria for comparing cryptocurrencies:

  • What problem does the project aim to solve, and is a decentralized network meaningful and necessary for it?
  • How actively is the network being used?
  • Does the project have a large and active community?
  • How strong is the development activity? (e.g., on GitHub)
  • How decentralized is the underlying blockchain and the project itself?

How we evaluate cryptocurrencies

These are just a few indicators you can use to better evaluate and compare cryptocurrencies like Polygon and Arbitrum. Cryptocurrencies and their underlying technologies are often difficult to compare — even for professionals. So don’t stress yourself out, and never let emotions or fear of missing out drive your investment decisions.

Where can I buy Polygon or Arbitrum?

Today, there are many reputable and secure exchanges that make it easy to invest in Polygon and Arbitrum. We're happy to help you choose the right one: simply use our exchange comparison tool to find the platform that best suits your needs. Both Polygon and Arbitrum are well-known and in high demand, which means they're available on most major exchanges.

Crypto exchanges comparison

Which crypto wallet is best for Polygon and Arbitrum?

If you want to store cryptocurrencies like Polygon or Arbitrum yourself, choosing the right wallet is essential. Consider your personal preferences when deciding: Is ease of use important to you? Do you prefer maximum security with a hardware wallet (USB device), or is a software wallet sufficient for your needs? Our crypto wallet comparison helps you find the best wallet for Polygon, Arbitrum, and many other cryptocurrencies.

Crypto wallets comparison