NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have created a whole new world of opportunity for artists and creators to establish authenticity and ownership by tokenizing their work. Graphic art, music and video are all being minted as NFTs.
Most NFTs are built on Ethereum blockchain, the largest network of smart contracts. But many decentralized applications (dApps), including blockchain-based games where NFTs play a major role, are looking for more scalable solutions using layer-2 technology.
Polygon (formerly Matic Network) is an interoperability and scaling framework for building Ethereum-compatible blockchains. Instead of providing one or two scaling solutions, Polygon is creating an ecosystem that connects multiple different scaling solutions, including side chains with different consensus mechanisms and layer-2 options such as Plasma, Optimistic Rollups and ZK-Rollups. Polygon’s framework also allows new projects to quickly and easily build their own unique scaling solutions.
Co-founder and COO Sandeep Nailwal said Polygon is the first well-structured, easy-to-use platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development. Envisioned as a one-of-a-kind “layer-2 aggregator,” Polygon effectively transforms Ethereum into a full-fledged multichain system or “Internet of Blockchains.” Polygon’s layer-2 chains have seen widespread adoption with over 120 dApps, 260K users and 14 million transactions.
Polygon distinguishes itself from other blockchain scaling and interoperability projects with its Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, an optional shared security model and greater flexibility. With the recent integration of Chainlink VRF (Verifiable Random Function), popular NFT-based gaming projects such as Aavegotchi and Polkamon have launched using Polygon’s scaling technology.
“Chainlink is the most widely used oracle on Polygon and is the most accessible to developers,” Nailwal said. With features such as Chainlink VRF and Decentralized Price Feeds, Chainlink is the preferred oracle network of Polygon’s top dApps, including Aavegotchi.
Chainlink VRF combines both the seed and on-chain cryptographic proof of its random number generation, providing a tamper-proof way for blockchain-based games to create elements such as in-game item drops and randomly generated artwork with provable scarcity. Players have verifiable proof of ownership over their digital assets in the form of NFTs.
Polygon’s high-performance, low fee infrastructure combined with Chainlink VRF and Decentralized Price Feeds creates an ideal platform for on-chain gaming applications to scale and gain mass adoption.
“As more and more gaming and NFT applications launch on the Polygon Network to save on gas fees, it has become clear that a secure source of on-chain randomness is a fundamental requirement to unlock a variety of smart contract designs,” said Polygon Co-founder Jaynti Kanani. “Chainlink VRF provides Polygon developers the most secure form of verifiable randomness, ensuring applications always operate in an unbiased and provably fair manner.”
To learn more about Polygon, check out their Website, Twitter, Reddit and Telegram.
Read more about Chainlink’s latest integrations here.