Polygonis a layer-two (L2) blockchain for Ethereum that uses different scaling technologies to improve the scalability of the Ethereum mainnet.

Polygon employs various scaling approaches, including its current proof-of-stake chain called the Commit Chain. This chain operates alongside Ethereum, grouping transactions and leveraging Ethereum's security for added protection. Polygon refers to this as a "secured chain" as it benefits from Ethereum validators and high-level security.

Polygon also incorporates other L2 scaling mechanisms like optimistic rollups and ZK-proofs. This distinguishes Polygon from other L2 ecosystems that typically focus on a single scaling mechanism.

On top of these, Polygon offers standalone chains, which are side chains with their own validators. These chains can be tailored for specific purposes such as enterprise use or application-specific blockchains. In May 2021, Polygon released a software development kit, enabling developers to easily create their own blockchain with customizable consensus mechanisms and synchronization schedules.

By combining these solutions, Polygon aims to transform Ethereum into a multichain ecosystem, with Polygon serving as the primary scaling solution at its core.